Age, Growth and Maturity of the Yellow Stingray (Urobatis jamaicensis), a Biannually Reproductive Tropical Batoid.

Authors

Jessica Schieber, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Daniel P. Fahy, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
John K. Carlson, National Marine Fisheries Service
David W. Kerstetter, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow

ORCID

0000-0002-4440-8767

ResearcherID

I-5396-2012

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Fish Biology

ISSN

0022-1112

Publication Date

3-9-2023

Keywords

batoids, biannual reproduction, Greater Caribbean, Urotrygonidae, von Bertalanffy

Abstract

Urobatis jamaicensis is a coastal batoid species affected by habitat loss and small-scale exploitation from fisheries and the aquarium trade, yet the life-history information available is limited. This is the first study to assess the vertebral centra from 195 stingrays to estimate age and growth patterns and compare them with the biannual reproductive pattern previously reported for this species. Age-at-size data were compared using five different growth models and found a two-parameter von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF), the Gompertz model, and a modified VBGF fit best for males, females and sexes combined, respectively. Maturity was achieved before one year. However, growth did not cease with the onset of maturity, but instead slowed down. Results from marginal increment analysis (MIA) and edge analysis indicated a non-annual somatic growth pattern with influences from the biannual reproduction cycle where peaks in resource allocation may be focused on ovulation rather than growth during March when larger brood sizes are present, while resources may be allocated more towards growth during August and September when brood sizes are generally smaller. These results may be used as a proxy for species with similar reproductive patterns, or for those that lack annual or seasonal growth patterns.

DOI

10.1111/jfb.15374

Volume

102

Issue

6

First Page

1281

Last Page

1295

Comments

© 2023 Fisheries Society of the British Isles. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

NSUWorks Citation

Jessica Schieber, Daniel P. Fahy, John K. Carlson, and David W. Kerstetter. 2023. Age, Growth and Maturity of the Yellow Stingray (Urobatis jamaicensis), a Biannually Reproductive Tropical Batoid. .Journal of Fish Biology , (6) : 1281 -1295. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/1332.