Abstract
Growth rings (GR) in vertebral centra of 15 whale sharks, Rhincodon typus, four female (418–750 cm precaudal length), 10 male (422–770 cm), and one of unknown sex (688 cm), were examined using x-radiography. GR counts were made from scanned images and count precision was determined using the average percentage error index (4.19%) and the index of precision D (3.31%). In females, counts ranged from 19 GR (418 cm) to 27 GR (750 cm); in males from 20 GR (670 cm) to 31 GR (770 cm). Three mature males had 20 GR (670 cm), 24 GR (744 cm) and 27 GR (755 cm). A female with 22 GR (445 cm) was adolescent. There was a linear relationship between centrum dorsal diameter and body length, and back-calculated body lengths at number of GR are presented. A linear relationship between body length and number of GR prevented the calculation of von Bertalanffy parameters from either observed or back-calculated values.
Similar content being viewed by others
References cited
Anon. 1996. Shark fisheries and trade in sharks and shark products in Southeast Asia. pp. 456–945. In: The World Trade in Sharks: a Compendium of TRAFFIC's Regional Studies, Vol. 2, TRAFFIC Network, Cambridge.
Bass, A.J., J.D. D'Aubrey & N. Kistnasamy. 1975. Sharks of the east coast of southern Africa. 4: the families Odontaspididae, Scapanorhynchidae, Isuridae, Cetorhinidae, Alopiidae, Orectolobidae and Rhiniodontidae. Oceanographic Research Institute Investigational Report No. 39, Durban. 102 pp.
Beamish, R.J. & D.A. Fournier. 1981. A method for comparing the precision of a set of age determinations. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 38: 982–983.
Beckley, L.E., G. Cliff, M.J. Smale & L.J.V. Compagno. 1997. Recent strandings and sightings of whale sharks in South Africa. Env. Biol. Fish. 50: 343–348.
Branstetter, S. & J.D. McEachran. 1986. Age and growth of four carcharhinid sharks common to the Gulf of Mexico: a summary paper. pp. 361–371. In: T. Uyeno, R. Arai, T. Taniuchi & K. Matsuura (ed.) Indo-Pacific Fish Biology: Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Indo-Pacific Fishes, Ichthyological Society Japan, Tokyo.
Cailliet, G.M., L.K. Martin, D. Kusher, P. Wolf & B.A. Welden. 1983a. Techniques for enhancing vertebral bands in age estimation of California elasmobranchs. pp. 157–165. In: E.D. Prince & L.M. Pulos (ed.) Proceedings of the International Workshop on Age Determination of Oceanic Pelagic Fishes: Tunas, Billfishes, and Sharks, NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 8.
Cailliet, G.M., L.K. Martin, J.T. Harvey, D. Kusher & B.A. Welden. 1983b. Preliminary studies on age and growth of blue, Prionace glauca, common thresher, Alopias vulpinus, and shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus, sharks from California waters. pp. 179–188. In: E.D. Prince & L.M. Pulos (ed.) Proceedings of the International Workshop on Age Determination of Oceanic Pelagic Fishes: Tunas, Billfishes, and Sharks, NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 8.
Cailliet, G.M., R.L. Radtke & B.A. Welden. 1986. Elasmobranch age determination and verification: a review. pp. 345–360. In: T. Uyeno, R. Arai, T. Taniuchi & K. Matsuura (ed.) Indo-Pacific Fish Biology: Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Indo-Pacific Fishes, Ichthyological Society Japan, Tokyo.
Cailliet, G.M., K.G. Yudin, S. Tanaka & T. Taniuchi. 1990. Growth characteristics of two populations of Mustelus manazo from Japan based upon cross-readings of vertebral bands. pp. 167–176. In: H.L. Pratt Jr., S.H. Gruber & T. Taniuchi (ed.) Elasmobranchs as Living Resources: Advances in the Biology, Ecology, Systematics, and the Status of the Fisheries, Proceedings of the Second United States-JapanWorkshop, NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 90.
Carlander, K.D. 1969. Handbook of freshwater fishery biology. Iowa State University Press, Ames. 752 pp.
Chang, W.Y.B. 1982.Astatistical method for evaluating the reproducibility of age determination. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 39: 1208–1210.
Chang, W.B., M.Y. Leu & L.S. Fang. 1997. Embryos of the whale shark, Rhincodon typus: early growth and size distribution. Copeia 1997: 444–446.
Cliff, G., S.F.J. Dudley & B. Davies. 1988. Sharks caught in the protective gill nets off Natal, South Africa. 1. The sandbar shark Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo). S. Afr. J. mar. Sci. 7: 255–265.
Coleman, J.G. 1997. A review of the biology and the ecology of the whale shark. J. Fish Biol. 51: 1219–1234.
Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. FAO species catalogue, Vol. 4, sharks of the world, Part 1: Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125. 249 pp.
Ferreira, B.P. & C.M. Vooren. 1991. Age, growth, and structure of vertebra in the school shark Galeorhinus galeus (Linnaeus, 1758) from southern Brazil. U.S. Fish. Bull. 89: 19–31.
Garrick, J.A.F. 1964. Additional information on the morphology of an embryo whale shark. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 115 (3476): 1–7.
Joung, S.-J., C.-T. Chen, E. Clark, S. Uchida & W.Y.P Huang. 1996. The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a livebearer: 300 embryos found in one 'megamamma' supreme. Env. Biol. Fish. 46: 219–223.
Karbhari, J.P. & C.J. Josekutty. 1986. On the largest whale shark Rhincodon typus Smith landed alive at Cuffe Parade, Bombay. Marine Fisheries Information Service, Technical and Extension Series 66: 31–35.
Kitafuji, M. & K. Yamamoto. 1998. Rearing of the whale shark, Rhincodon typus, in the Osaka Aquarium 'Kaiyukan'. J. Japan. Assoc. Zool. Aqua. 39(2): 47–54.
Natanson, L.J. & N.E. Kohler. 1996. A preliminary estimate of age and growth of the dusky shark Carcharhinus obscurus from the south-west Indian Ocean, with comparisons to the western North Atlantic population. S. Afr. J. Mar. Sci. 17: 217–224.
Officer, R.A., 47: 637–642.
Von Bertalanffy, L. 1938. A quantitative theory of organic growth (Inquiries on growth laws II). Hum. Biol. 10: 181–213.
Walter, J.P. & D.A. Ebert. 1991. Preliminary estimates of age of the bronze whaler Carcharhinus brachyurus (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhinidae) from southern Africa, with a review of some life history parameters. S. Afr. J. Mar. Sci. 10: 37–44.
Wintner, S.P. & G. Cliff. 1996. Age and growth determination of the blacktip shark Carcharhinus limbatus from the east coast of South Africa. U. S. Fish. Bull. 94: 135–144.
Wintner, S.P. & G. Cliff. 1998. Age and growth determination of the white shark Carcharodon carcharias from the east coast of South Africa. U. S. Fish. Bull. 97: 153–169.
Wolfson, F.H. 1983. Records of seven juveniles of the whale shark, Rhiniodon typus. J. Fish Biol. 22: 647–655.
Yamaguchi, A., T. Taniuchi & M. Shimizu. 1996. Age and growth of the spotted dogfish Mustelus manazo fromTokyo Bay, Japan. Fisheries Science 62: 919–922.
Yudin, K.G. & G.M. Cailliet. 1990. Age and growth of the gray smoothhound, Mustelus californicus, and the brown smoothhound, M. henlei, sharks from central California. Copeia 1990: 191–204.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wintner, S.P. Preliminary Study of Vertebral Growth Rings in the Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, from the East Coast of South Africa. Environmental Biology of Fishes 59, 441–451 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026564707027
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026564707027