522 



Fishery Bulletin 90(3). 1992 



AGE lyearsi 



Figure 6 



Empirical, back-calculated, and theoretical (von Bertalanffy) 

 growth curves for Epinepheliis guttatus from St. Thomas. 



significant (jD<0.05), with the exception of annuli I and 

 II for Puerto Rico. Also of note are two distinct depres- 

 sions in back-calculated mean lengths for each geo- 

 graphic location. For Puerto Rico these are indicated 

 at age-groups 4 and 12, and for St. Thomas at age- 

 groups 4 and 10. These points will be addressed in the 

 discussion. 



Data on growth during the months following spawn- 

 ing indicate rapid growth from the time of settlement 

 in February or March at ~40mmFL (A^29), to 60 

 mmFL in April/May (A'' 3), 108mm (A'' 2) in August, and 

 115 mm {N 4) in October. 



Age, sex, and size 



A total of 186 individuals from Puerto Rico were sexed, 

 by histological examination of gonads, and aged. Of 

 these, 131 were female and 50 were male; 5 were con- 

 sidered to be in sexual transition between female and 

 male, with gonads consisting of degenerating sexually- 

 mature (i.e., vitellogenic) ovarian tissue and scattered 

 areas of spermatogenic tissue exhibiting various stages 

 of spermatogenesis (Sadovy and Shapiro 1987). All 

 males exhibited testes with an ovarian-like configura- 

 tion and lumen (Sadovy and Shapiro 1987). 



Mean observed FL, standard deviation, and sample 

 size by sex and age-class from Puerto Rico are shown 



