Abstract

Length-frequency data of the red ear herring, Harengula humeralis (Cuvier) and the false pilchard. Harengula clupeola (Cuvier) caught in the Archipiélago de Los Roques National Park, were used to derive growth and mortality parameters with the ELEFAN methods. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated as L = 20.1 cm and K = 0.52 year’ for H. humeralis and L = 15.9 cm and K = 0.69 year-1 for H. clupeola. Results show that seasonal growth is important (C = 0.3, WP = 0.2, for both species). The growth parameters estimated are consistent with the assumption that clupeids are a small, fast growing and short lived species and fall within reported growth values for clupeids from other studies. Total mortality was estimated at 3.62 year-l and 5 .2 5 year-1 f o r H. humeralis and H. clupeola respectively, using length-converted catch curve analysis. Natural mortality values estimated using Pauly’s (1978) relationship were 0.90 year’ for H. humeralis and 1.17 for H, clupeola. Fishing mortality was 2.74 year1 and 4.08 year’ respectively for both mentioned species. Exploitation ratio, E, of approximately 0.7 for both species indicates that stocks are subject to high fishing pressure at the sampling site.

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