Edad y crecimiento de la polaca (Micromesistius australis Norman 1937) en el Atlántico Sudoccidental.

Abstract

Age and growth of Micromesistius australis were studied on the basis of 420 otoliths from two research cruises carraied out duringthe spring 1992. The distribution of M.australis was restricted south of 50° latitude and east of 66° W longitude, even though the cruisewas held in a wider area. Dominant length for both sexes ranges 47 -56 cm in 78 o/o of the catches. The sex ratio was 1:1. Until the species reaches the first sexual maturity it has a fast growth,reaching about 59 o/o of the asymptotic length in males and 61 o/o infemales. The maximum age observed was 17 years for males and 16 years for females, whereas the most abundant age in the catches was 11 years. Data from age readings were fitted to the classical von Bertalanffy model.