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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 75(3)

Age, growth and maturity of an endemic valuable resource, the Rio skate (Rioraja agassizii (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes)), off Uruguay and northern Argentina

Santiago J. Bianchi https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1782-8974 A * , Jorge M. Roman https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7455-8010 A , Luis O. Lucifora https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1443-303X B and Santiago A. Barbini https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2922-828X A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Biología de Peces, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMdP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

B Instituto Nacional de Limnología (INALI), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), CONICET, Ciudad de Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Argentina.

* Correspondence to: santiagobianchi@mdp.edu.ar

Handling Editor: Bradley Wetherbee

Marine and Freshwater Research 75, MF23088 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF23088
Submitted: 27 April 2023  Accepted: 10 January 2024  Published: 5 February 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Context

Rioraja agassizii is a vulnerable species endemic to the Southwest Atlantic. It is caught by trawl fisheries throughout its range.

Aims

To determine the age, estimate growth parameters, and age and size at maturity.

Methods

Ages were determined using vertebrae readings. To fit growth models, a Bayesian framework was employed with the von Bertalanffy, Gompertz and Logistic candidate models. To estimate age and size at maturity, a logistical ogive was fitted to binomial maturity data.

Key results

Maximum ages determined for males and females were 12 and 11 years respectively. The von Bertalanffy model was selected as the best one and there were no differences between sexes (mean parameters: L∞ = 684.8 mm, k = 0.33 years−1 and L0 = 105.5 mm). Age and size at maturity were estimated at 3.31 and 4.55 years, and 485.02 and 544.55 mm TL for males and females respectively.

Conclusions

Rioraja agassizii has a moderate growth rate and age at maturity was similar to those of skate species with a similar body size.

Implications

Because skate species have different maximum ages, growth rates and maturity parameters, we strongly recommend urgent species-specific management measures for the pool of skate species exploited in Argentina.

Keywords: age at maturity, Arhynchobatidae, Bayesian growth modelling, fisheries management, life history, size at maturity, skate fisheries, Southwest Atlantic.

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