Age validation of yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) and bigeye (Thunnus obesus) tuna of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean

TitleAge validation of yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) and bigeye (Thunnus obesus) tuna of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2020
AuthorsAndrews, AH, Pacicco, A, Allman, R, Falterman, BJ, Lang, ET, Golet, W
JournalCanadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
Volume77
Issue4
Pagination637 - 643
Date PublishedJan-04-2020
ISSN0706-652X
Abstract

The age and growth of yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) and bigeye (T. obesus) tuna remain problematic because validation of growth zone deposition (opaque and transparent) hasn't been properly evaluated. Otolith growth structure (zone clarity) can be poorly defined for tropical tunas but the use of bomb radiocarbon dating has validated age estimates to 16–18 years for yellowfin and bigeye tuna. Use of the radiocarbon decline period — defined by regional coral and otoliths — provided valid ages through ontogeny. Yellowfin tuna aged 2–18 years (n = 34, 1029–1810 mm FL) and bigeye tuna aged 3–17 years (n = 12, 1280–1750 mm FL) led to birthyears that were coincident with the bomb radiocarbon decline. The results indicate there was no age reading bias for yellowfin tuna and that age estimates of previous studies were likely underestimated for both species.

URLhttps://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full/10.1139/cjfas-2019-0328
DOI10.1139/cjfas-2019-0328