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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 59(12)

Growth and reproductive biology of tarwhine Rhabdosargus sarba (Sparidae) in eastern Australia

Julian M. Hughes A B , John Stewart A , Benjamin W. Kendall A and Charles A. Gray A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Cronulla Fisheries Research Centre of Excellence, PO Box 21, Cronulla, NSW 2230, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: Julian.Hughes@dpi.nsw.gov.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 59(12) 1111-1123 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF08102
Submitted: 31 March 2008  Accepted: 26 September 2008   Published: 19 December 2008

Abstract

The growth and reproductive biology of the commercially and recreationally important sparid fish, tarwhine (Rhabdosargus sarba), was examined from the coastal waters of New South Wales (NSW), south-eastern Australia. Previous research on this species in other parts of the world has yielded conflicting results concerning its growth and reproductive biology. Age estimates were made by counting opaque zones in otolith sections. The method was validated by marking the otoliths of captive fish with alizarin complexone, and also by marginal increment analyses using otoliths from wild-caught fish. Both sexes grew at a similar rate. Von Bertalanffy growth function parameters were: L∞ = 26.40 ± 0.40 cm fork length (FL), k = 0.39 ± 0.02 year–1 and to = –0.56 ± 0.09 years. The maximum estimated age was 16.5 years. Spawning occurred from May to August with a peak in July. Both sexes matured at a similar size (L50 = 19.44 ± 0.15 cm FL), which was larger than the current minimum legal length in NSW. Ovotestes were identified in adult tarwhine and were confirmed by histological analyses. Results of this study provided evidence that tarwhine are likely to be rudimentary hermaphrodites in eastern Australia and are more similar in growth rate, maximum size/age, and reproductive biology to tarwhine from Western Australia than those from other parts of the world.

Additional keywords: maturity, minimum legal length, rudimentary hermaphrodite, spawning seasonality.


Acknowledgements

We thank W. Robbins and two anonymous reviewers for comments which significantly improved the manuscript. We also thank S. Barbosa for carrying out the histological analyses. This study was funded by the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (Project No. 2004/035). Fish were collected under Scientific Research Permit No. P01/0059(A) and maintained in captivity under Animal Care and Ethics Approval No. 02/08.


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