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Age and Growth of the Mud Skate Bathyraja taranetzi (Arhynchobatidae) of the Northern Kuril Islands

  • SHARKS, SKATES, AND CHIMAERAS (CHONDRICHTHYES)
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Abstract—

The results of the study on the age structure of the population of the mud skate Bathyraja taranetzi from the Pacific waters off the northern Kuril Islands are presented. The modified method of staining the preparations of mud skate vertebrae with Harris hematoxylin, which significantly improves the distinctness of annual growth increments compared to the previously used ones, has been tested. Approximation models are proposed that make it possible to identify the true annual growth increments on the vertebrae, and consider the relationships between the radius of rings and age, body length and age, body weight and age at the time of formation of the annual increments. According to our data, the age of maturation of individuals of the mud skate turned out to be higher than that known for the population in the eastern part of the Bering Sea and also estimated with vertebrae, and significantly exceeded the results of age determination with caudal thorns obtained for the western part of this species range. It turned out to be about the same for males and females, 12–14 years. The estimated lifespan of individuals of this species was also significantly higher than previously believed.

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  1. National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia

    V. A. Shelekhov, V. V. Panchenko & V. A. Parensky

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  1. V. A. Shelekhov
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Shelekhov, V.A., Panchenko, V.V. & Parensky, V.A. Age and Growth of the Mud Skate Bathyraja taranetzi (Arhynchobatidae) of the Northern Kuril Islands. J. Ichthyol. 62, 1332–1342 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0032945222060285

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