Age and growth of Mediterranean albacore

Estimated ages of 1136 individual albacore Thunnus alalunga (57-92 cm L-F) from the Aegean and Ionian Sea ranged from 1(+) to 9 years. Males grew faster and reached a greater size and age than females. No significant differences were found in the mean lengths at estimated ages between the two sampling areas. The von Bertalanffy growth model was fitted to mean lengths of estimated ages of individual fish and estimated growth parameters for the combined sexes were: L-proportional to=94.7 cm, K=0.258, to = - 1.354 years. Significant differences were found when the Mediterranean albacore growth parameters were compared with those determined for Atlantic Ocean albacore. It is not possible to determine if the differences in growth rates for the two populations are phenotypic or genotypic at the present time. (C) 2000 The Fisheries Society or the British Isles.