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Age, Growth and Maturity of the Bonnethead Sphyrna tiburo in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

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Abstract

The age, growth, and maturity of bonnetheads, Sphyrna tiburo, inhabiting estuarine and coastal waters of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico (GOM) were investigated. Based on results of a concurrent population genetics study, two populations were examined, the eastern GOM and western GOM. Vertebrae were collected and aged from 1081 females and 811 males ranging in size 261–1060 mm and 227–898 mm fork length (FL), respectively. The von Bertalanffy growth model provided the best fit to length-at-age data. Eastern GOM von Bertalanffy parameters (length parameters in mm FL) were L∞ = 844, k = 0.23, to = -1.99, and Lo = 310 for females and L∞ = 680, k = 0.39, to = -1.44, and Lo = 294 for males. Western GOM von Bertalanffy parameters were L∞ = 1005, k = 0.20, to = -1.81, and Lo = 298 for females and L∞ = 807, k = 0.30, to = -1.44, and Lo = 285 for males. Maximum observed age was similar between populations with an overall maximum of 17.1 years for females, and 12.1 years for males. Length and age at 50% maturity for the eastern GOM was 661.5 mm and 4.9 years for females, and 564.1 mm and 3.5 years for males and for the western GOM 772.7 mm and 5.3 years for females, and 644.9 mm and 4.4 years for males. Bonnetheads in the eastern GOM generally grow faster and to smaller asymptotic lengths than those from the western GOM; however, longevity is similar between the two populations.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We are especially grateful to the many folks that helped make this study possible. A. Galloway, N. Weber. M. Young, J. Cashour, E. Seubert, C. Manire, C. Peterson, J. Higgs, and Mote Marine Laboratory and TAMUCC Marine Genomics lab members helped with field work, specimen collection, workup, and vertebrae prepping. We would also like to thank the “Trawl and Plankton Branch” at the National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Mississippi Laboratories for specimen collection on the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) trawl surveys. Archived samples were provided by W. Bubley, L. Lombardi, and J. Carlson. Funding for this study was provided by Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant No. NA16NMF4270225. We appreciate the guidance of the editors and two anonymous reviewers who greatly improved the manuscript. This is contribution 865 of the South Carolina Marine Resources Center.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 217 Ft. Johnson Rd, Charleston, SC, 29412, USA

    Bryan S. Frazier & Elizabeth A. Vinyard

  2. Marine Genomics Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Unit 5800, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA

    Andrew T. Fields & David S. Portnoy

  3. Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Mississippi Laboratories, National Marine Fisheries Service, P.O. Drawer 1207, Pascagoula, MS, 39567, USA

    William B. Driggers III & Eric Hoffmayer

  4. Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, 3618 Highway 98, St. Teresa, FL, 32358, USA

    R. Dean Grubbs

  5. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 1220 Prospect Ave., #285, Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA

    Douglas H. Adams

  6. Mississippi State University and Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, 1815 Popps Ferry Road, Biloxi, MS, 39532, USA

    J. Marcus Drymon

  7. New College of FL, 5800 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA

    Jayne M. Gardiner

  8. Center for Fisheries Research and Development, The University of Southern Mississippi, 703 E Beach Dr, Ocean Springs, MS, USA

    Jill M. Hendon

  9. Center for Shark Research, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy., Sarasota, FL, 34236, USA

    Robert E. Hueter

  10. OCEARCH, P.O. Box 681058, Park City, UT, 84068, USA

    Robert E. Hueter

  11. Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 1001 Texas Clipper Rd., Galveston, TX, 77553, USA

    R. J. David Wells

  12. Havenworth Coastal Conservation, 5120 Beacon Rd, Palmetto, FL, 34221, USA

    Tonya R. Wiley

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Contributions

Bryan Frazier and David Portnoy were responsible for study conception, design, and funding acquisition. All authors were responsible for data collection. Analyses and lab work was performed by Bryan Frazier and Elizabeth Vinyard. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Bryan Frazier, David Portnoy and William Driggers III and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Bryan S. Frazier.

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Ethical approval

All field collections were carried out under necessary state, and university specific protocols. Collection of specimens was performed under SCDNR Scientific Permit #2212, under Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Special Activities License SAL-1666-SRP, SAL-1092, and under protocols approved by New College of Florida (IS00001126 and IS00004541) and University of Southern Mississippi (11092217, 13101704, 15101509, 18121301, 18010501).

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Frazier, B.S., Vinyard, E.A., Fields, A.T. et al. Age, Growth and Maturity of the Bonnethead Sphyrna tiburo in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Environ Biol Fish 106, 1597–1617 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-023-01439-5

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