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    Lead-radium dating provides a framework for coordinating age estimation of Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) between fishing areas

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    Document Number:
    WG-FSA-11/P01
    Author(s):
    A.H. Andrews, J.R. Ashford, C.M. Brooks, K. Krusic-Golub, G. Duhamel, M. Belchier, C.C. Lundstrom and G.M. Cailliet
    Publication:
    (Marine and Freshwater Research, 62(2011): 781–789)
    Abstract

    Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) or "Chilean sea bass" support a valuable and
    controversial fishery, yet their life history is not well understood and longevity estimates
    range from approximately 20 to more than 50 years. In this study, lead-radium dating
    provided valid ages for juvenile to older adult groups, which were consistent with the
    counting of otolith growth zones in transverse otolith sections, and longevity estimates
    exceeding 30 years. Lead-radium dating revealed minor biases between the radiometric age
    and interpretation of growth zone counting for regional fishing areas monitored by two
    facilities, Center for Quantitative Fisheries Ecology (CQFE) and the Central Ageing Facility
    (CAF), using different age estimation techniques. For CQFE, under-ageing of ca. 3.3 years
    was observed across estimated ages younger than 20 years. For the CAF, ages were
    overestimated for young fish and underestimated for the oldest fish. Lead-radium dating
    detected underlying problems in coordinating age estimation between geographically
    separated fish stocks, and provided a framework to objectively assess otolith interpretation
    and growth modeling between laboratories based on age-validated data.