Life-history characteristics and mortality estimates of two groupers, Epinephelus areolatus and E. bilobatus, off the north-western coast of Australia

Abstract

This study investigated the age, growth and reproductive characteristics of two groupers, the yellowspotted rockcod, Epinephelus areolatus, and the frostback rockcod, Epinephelus bilobatus, off the north-western coast of Australia. The life-history strategies determined for both species infer relative high population productivity and estimates of fishing mortality relative to those of natural mortality from representative age compositions, provided an improved understanding of their sustainable harvest levels under current management arrangements.