Age and Growth of Pseudochaenichthys georgianus Norman, 1937 (Channichthyidae) from the South Georgia Area

Age was determined on the basis of growth microincrements in otoltihs. A calibration subsample of 49 specimens (total length range: 3.9 - 59.0 cm) was aged using optical sagittal and transverse otolith sections and/or acetate replicas. Age ranged from 138 to 2116 days. A multiple regression was applied to find a model for the age estimation from measurable fish and otolith parameters. The following formula was obtained:
Age (days) = 131.24 + 27416.4*Otolith weight (mg)
Using this equation the age of 237 fish was predicted. The age data from calibration subsample and predicted from otolith weight were used to fit the von Bertalanffy’s growth curve. The following growth parameters were estimated for P.georgianus: K = 0.39; L∞ = 63.2 cm and t0 = 0.42.