Wyanski et al : Growth, population age structure, and aspects of the reproductive biology of Ep/nephelus niveatus 



207 



Q 18940001-35 



B 



Q1 894021 9-3 



Figure 6 



Transverse sections of snowy grouper sagittae displaying (A) crystalline area in an 

 age-1 fish that obscures increments, (B) opaque deformities (arrows) in an age-5 fish 

 that distort increment spacing. (C) change in growth axis in an age-9 fish, and (D) 

 easily interpreted increments in an age-6 fish. S = sulcus acousticus axis, VM = ven- 

 tromedial axis, V = ventral axis. 



Males were collected during March through Sep- 

 tember and their length range was 767-1090 mm 

 (median=918, a=919 mm, SE=7). Age was assessed 

 for 47 males and ranged from 8 to 29 yr (median=16, 

 .v=16.87, SE=0.63). Transitional specimens (787 mm 

 and unknown age, 1000 mm and age 13) were col- 

 lected in July and September. The 787 mm speci- 



men was in the latter stage of sexual change (Fig. 

 7); male tissue was predominant, although previtel- 

 logenic oocytes were still numerous. 



The near overlap in the length distributions of 

 female snowy grouper that were definitely mature 

 and females that were resting indicated that speci- 

 mens were correctly assigned to immature and rest- 



