Initial assessment of age, growth and reproductive parameters of the southern fiddler ray Trygonorrhina fasciata (Müller & Henle, 1841) from South Australia

Abstract

We present preliminary age, growth and reproductive parameters of the southern fiddler ray (Trygonorrhina fasciata) from the South Australian gulf waters based on 43 specimens. Age estimates, based on counts of growth bands in the vertebrae, were used to calculate the parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth function: L∞, = 1129 mm total length, k = 0.13, t0 = –2.55 years (for both sexes combined). Based on the examination of internal and external morphology, males mature at 650 to 700 mm total length; with the smallest of three mature females examined being 1003 mm total length.