Potts and Manooch; Estimated ages of Pagrus pagrus 



85 



>450 mm). The data Harris and McGovern presented for 

 the period between 1979 and 1981 showed that 89; of 

 the samples for the reproductive study were greater than 

 450 mm TL. We sampled from a heavily exploited stock, 

 and fish ranged up to 733 mm TL, and 14'7r of the fishery- 

 dependent samples were greater than 4.50 mm TL. Addi- 

 tionally, our samples of red porgy were from a broader 



geographic range (529f from North Carolina, 309^ from 

 South Carolina, assuming all MARMAP samples were 

 from South Carolina, and 18% from east coast Florida) 

 than that of previous studies. Our distribution of samples 

 more closely reflected the landings of red porgy in the 

 southeastern United States. Also, we used sectioned oto- 

 liths, which have been determined to be the best struc- 



