410 



Fishery Bulletin 90(2). 1992 



size was not attained within the size range sampled and 

 growth was practically linear beyond age 5. Further, 

 neither the von Bertalanffy nor power model accurately 

 described the growth of black drums younger than age 

 5. A similar result was found for red drum when the 

 von Bertalanffy model was fit to data from fish from 

 the Gulf of Mexico (Beckman et al. 1989). The estimates 

 for L^ were 909mm FL for males and lOlSmmFL for 

 females, but estimates for K (0.137 for males and 0.088 

 for females) were smaller than published estimates 

 based primarily on young fish (Beckman et al. 1989). 

 They suggested that separate models may be necessary 

 to describe growth of young red drum from estuarine 

 areas or old fish from offshore. 



The estimates for spotted seatrout growth are prob- 

 ably more accurate than those for the other four spe- 

 cies. The sample size is large, and fish of all sizes are 

 well represented in the data set, including adult spotted 

 seatrout which generally reside in the bays (Perret et 

 al. 1980). Estimates for L^ and K using published 

 length-at-age data collected from spotted seatrout in 

 the Gulf of Mexico sporadically during 1929-84 were 



655 mm and 0.2mm, respecitvely (Condrey et al. 1985). 

 The L^ estimate for southern flounder (848mmTL) 

 may be an overestimate, whereas L^ for sheepshead 

 (478mmTL) may be an underestimate. State records 

 for southern flounder and sheepshead caught in Texas 

 salt waters are 711mm and 641mm, respectively 

 (Anonymous 1989). Reasons for the apparent bias are 

 unknown but may be related to the few recaptures of 

 tagged southern flounder (21 fish) and the few large 

 sheepshead recaptured. Only one sheepshead was 

 >500mmTL. 



Citations 



Anonymous 



1989 Texas state fish records. Tex. Parks Wildl. Dep. PWD- 

 L-9000-5-3/89, Austin, 1 p. 



Beckman, D.W., A.L. Stanley. J.H. Render, and C.A. Wilson 



1990 Age and growth of black drum in Louisiana waters of 

 the Gulf of Mexico. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. 119:537-544. 



1991 Age and growth-rate estimation of sheepshead Archo- 

 sar(fus probatoeephalus in Louisiana waters using otoliths. 

 Fish. Bull., U.S. 89:1-8. 



