Abstract

Atlantic Goliath Grouper Epinephelus itajara is the largest grouper in the western North Atlantic. It exhibits life history characteristics (e.g., slow growing, long-lived, late maturity) that make it particularly susceptible to fishing pressure. A harvest moratorium for the species was enacted in 1990 for US waters, which resulted in a lack of data to inform stock assessments. Biological data, particularly ages, are critical for estimating fish population parameters. Otoliths, the typical structure processed for age determination, are usually collected as part of fisheries monitoring, but are not available from Goliath Grouper due to their protection status. Alternative structures that can be acquired via non-lethal sampling may provide reliable age estimates. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has been responding to Goliath Grouper incidental mortality events since 2007, and corresponding otolith, dorsal fin ray and spine samples were collected to determine the accuracy and precision of the alternative ageing structures. A secondary analysis was conducted to determine the accuracy of spine and fin ray ages when removed at the basal level (i.e. beneath the skin) compared to non-lethal removal (i.e. above the skin); this analysis was designed to inform the utility of a scaled non-lethal ageing program.