Determination of the age and growth by otolithometry of Brachydeuterus auritus off Togolese waters

The present study aims to estimate the age and the growth of Brachydeuterus auritus, off Togo waters, in order to stock assessment. The otoliths were extracted from commercial landings by Togolese marine fisheries and analyzed in the Spanish Institute of Oceanography laboratories in Tenerife. The results showed that Total Length of the fish (TL) is linked to the otoliths weight (OW): TL = 5.171*ln (Ow) + 28.805 (R2 =0.9227). The mean length by age-class from the Age-Length key for the age-classes 1 to 4 were 10.6, 13.2, 15.1 and 16.8 cm, respectively. Length and age data were fitted to von Bertalanffy equation, and the growth parameters estimated were L∞ = 23.15 cm; K= 0.225 year-1 and t0 = -1.722 year. The current results, comparable globally to those obtained, in Gulf of Guinea, such as in Togo waters with the marking and recapture method. Therefore, these results could be useful for the stock assessment of this species off Togo waters.
The present study aims to estimate the age and the growth of Brachydeuterus auritus, off Togo waters, in order to stock assessment. The otoliths were extracted from commercial landings by Togolese marine fisheries and analyzed in the Spanish Institute of Oceanography laboratories in Tenerife. The results showed that Total Length of the fish (TL) is linked to the otoliths weight (OW): TL = 5.171*ln (Ow) + 28.805 (R2 =0.9227). The mean length by age-class from the Age-Length key for the age-classes 1 to 4 were 10.6, 13.2, 15.1 and 16.8 cm, respectively. Length and age data were fitted to von Bertalanffy equation, and the growth parameters estimated were L∞ = 23.15 cm; K= 0.225 year-1 and t0 = -1.722 year. The current results, comparable globally to those obtained, in Gulf of Guinea, such as in Togo waters with the marking and recapture method. Therefore, these results could be useful for the stock assessment of this species off Togo waters.