524 



Fishery Bulletin 90(3). 1992 



hind (Sadovy and Severin, unpubl. data). Since time of opaque zone 

 formation was earlier in the year in younger than in older fish, zone 

 formation is unlikely to be caused by a simple environmental factor 

 acting directly and equally on all individuals. Time of opaque zone 

 formation is February-July, which is similar to that reported for four 

 other groupers of the genus Epinephelus from the western Atlantic 

 (Table 5). The pattern of earlier annual opaque zone formation in 

 younger individuals noted in our study was also reported in otoliths 

 from E. morio (Moe 1969) and Mycteroperca microlepis (Collins et 

 al. 1987), and in pike Esox lucius (aged using cleithra; Casselman 

 1983). 



Data on growth of red hind in the months following settlement 

 indicate rapid growth from the time of settlement at ~40mmFL 

 (N 29), to 115 mm PL the following October. These data indicate that 

 the first opaque zone, which is laid down between March and April 

 at a back-calculated 164mmFL (SD 18mm) in Puerto Rico and 

 194mmFL (SD 17mm) in St. Thomas, represents an age 1+ year 

 fish (13-15 months old, depending on month of spawning). 



Growth parameters and longevity 



Red hind in Puerto Rico and St. Thomas are long-lived and attain 

 their maximum size slowly, following fast growth during the first 

 year. Thompson and Munro (1974), using length-frequency analysis, 

 calculated L^ = 520mmFL for Jamaica-Pedro Bank fish, and L^ = 

 500mmFL for Jamaica-Port Royal fish. Burnett-Herkes (1975), 



Figure 9 



(upper) Age-frequency distributions of female 

 (stippled) and male (solid) Epinephelus guttatus 

 from Puerto Rico, (lower) Size-fre- 

 quency distributions of female (dotted) 

 and male (solid) Epinephelus guttatus 

 from Puerto Rico. 



