Growth increments in otoliths of two species of damselfish from the southern Great Barrier Reef

Two species of damselfish, Pomacentrus mollucensis and Pomacentrus wardi, from the One Tree Reef lagoon on the southern Great Barrier Reef, were examined to assess determination of age-specific parameters using otiliths.Fish (154) were caught and injected with tetracycline in two periods, 7-9 October 1989 and 9-13 April 1990 at four sites. On 15-18 April 1991 these sites were revisited and specimens of Pomacentrus molluccensis (73) and of Pomacentrus wardi (65) were collected and recaptures recorded. Fish were measured (SL = standard length to the nearest 0.1 mm) and the right sagittae retrieved for otolith examination to determine any increment in the otolith structure that had formed since treatment with tetracycline (an opaque band). Growth was measured by the absolute distance between the tetracycline band and the otolith edge along the L3-axis.Von Bertalanffy growth curves and age structures were derived using FISHPARM.
To examine two specied of Pomacentrus mollucensis for age-specific parameters such as growth patterns and age structures and any differences between species.

本研究针对采自大堡礁南部一树礁泻湖（One Tree Reef lagoon）的两种雀鲷（damselfish）——莫卢卡雀鲷（Pomacentrus mollucensis）与沃迪雀鲷（Pomacentrus wardi）——开展实验分析，旨在评估利用耳石（otolith）测定年龄特异性参数的可行性。
研究人员于1989年10月7-9日与1990年4月9-13日两个时段，在4个采样点捕获共计154尾鱼类，并为其注射四环素。1991年4月15-18日，研究人员重返上述采样点，采集并记录了莫卢卡雀鲷（73尾）与沃迪雀鲷（65尾）的重捕个体。对所有捕获个体测量其标准体长（SL，精确至0.1 mm），并摘取其右侧矢耳石（sagittae）以开展耳石分析，用以确定自四环素（可形成不透明标记带）处理后耳石结构中新生成的生长增量。本研究通过沿L3轴测量四环素标记带与耳石边缘之间的绝对距离，测定个体生长量。借助FISHPARM软件拟合得到冯·贝塔朗菲（Von Bertalanffy）生长曲线，并推导了种群年龄结构。
本研究旨在探究这两种雀鲷的年龄特异性参数（包括生长模式与种群年龄结构），并比较二者间的物种差异。