Abstract

Red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico are being examined for differences in age and growth parameters among populations east and west of the Mississippi River. In the first year of this three-year study, nearly 2,100 specimens from the recreational fisheries of Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas were sampled for morphometric data and otoliths. Red snapper ranged in age from 1 to 34 years (199 - 916 mm FL), from 1 to 37 years (345 - 913 mm FL), and from 2 to 45 years (315 - 846 mm FL) for Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas, respectively. Regression analyses of fork length (FL in mm) - total weight (TW in kg) relationships did not differ significantly between sexes but did differ between states (TW unavailable from Texas): TW = 2.57 X 10-8 FL2.94 (r2= 0.96) for Alabama and TW = 1.54 X 10-8 FL3.03 (r2 = 0.96) for Louisiana. Von Bertalanffy growth models derived from FL at age were L8 = 884(1- e(-0.21(t-0.12))) for Alabama, L. = 873 (1-e(-O.24(t-0.26))) for Louisiana, and L. = 1,017(1- e(-0.07(t+3.39))) for Texas. Elevated L8 and to values for Texas are due to a lack of larger individuals in the sample population. Regression analysis on the first ten years of life indicated that red snapper in Texas waters grow at a slower rate then those from Alabama and Louisiana

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