Growth of striped red mullet Mullus surmuletus in the northern area of the Bay of Biscay.

Growth of striped red mullet Mullus surmuletus in the northern area of the Bay of Biscay. Striped red mullet were captured using gillnet. The growth was estimated from otoliths. The periodicity of the appearance of winter and summer rings indicated a high growth activity in June. Linear growth in males and females remains similar until the age of two years. Females showed higher growth since the third year. Von Bertalanffy parameters were L-infinity = 42.7 cm, K = 0.28 year(-1) and t(0) = 0.641 year for females and L-infinity = 35.9 cm, K = 0.30 year(-1) and t(0) = 0.740 year for males. Weight increase in females was higher than in males. At equal age, the females weighed twice the males. The observed maximum age of striped red mullet was 8-years old: it is lower than that previously estimated in the same area (11-years old).