Bomb radiocarbon dating of three important reef-fish species using Indo-Pacific 14C chronologies

Demersal reef fishes of the Indo-Pacific are under increasing pressure as a fisheries resource, yet many of the important life history characteristics required for suitable management are poorly known. The three fish species, eightbar grouper (Hyporthodus octofasciatus), ruby snapper (Etelis carbunc...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Andrews, A., Kalish, J., Newman, Stephen, Johnston, J.
Format: Journal Article
Published: CSIRO Publishing 2011
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/52349
_version_ 1848758907011334144
author Andrews, A.
Kalish, J.
Newman, Stephen
Johnston, J.
author_facet Andrews, A.
Kalish, J.
Newman, Stephen
Johnston, J.
author_sort Andrews, A.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Demersal reef fishes of the Indo-Pacific are under increasing pressure as a fisheries resource, yet many of the important life history characteristics required for suitable management are poorly known. The three fish species, eightbar grouper (Hyporthodus octofasciatus), ruby snapper (Etelis carbunculus) and the spangled emperor (Lethrinus nebulosus), are important components of fisheries and ecosystems throughout the Indo-Pacific. Despite their importance, age and growth information is incomplete. Age has been estimated for E. carbunculus and L. nebulosus, but validated age beyond the first few years is lacking and for H. octofasciatus no age estimates exist. Bomb radiocarbon dating can provide age estimates that are independent of growth-zone counting, but only if appropriate reference 14C chronologies exist. In this study, a series of 14C records from hermatypic corals was assembled to provide a basis for bomb radiocarbon dating in the western Indo-Pacific region. Results provided (1) valid age estimates for comparison to age estimates from two facilities investigating growth-zones in otolith thin sections; (2) support for age estimation protocols using otolith thin sections; and (3) the information necessary for further refinement of age estimation procedures. Estimates of longevity from bomb radiocarbon dating agree with some prior studies: H. octofasciatus, E. carbunculus and L. nebulosus all being long-lived species with life spans of at least 43, 35 and 28 years respectively. © CSIRO 2011.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T09:51:26Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-52349
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T09:51:26Z
publishDate 2011
publisher CSIRO Publishing
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-523492023-08-02T06:39:08Z Bomb radiocarbon dating of three important reef-fish species using Indo-Pacific 14C chronologies Andrews, A. Kalish, J. Newman, Stephen Johnston, J. Demersal reef fishes of the Indo-Pacific are under increasing pressure as a fisheries resource, yet many of the important life history characteristics required for suitable management are poorly known. The three fish species, eightbar grouper (Hyporthodus octofasciatus), ruby snapper (Etelis carbunculus) and the spangled emperor (Lethrinus nebulosus), are important components of fisheries and ecosystems throughout the Indo-Pacific. Despite their importance, age and growth information is incomplete. Age has been estimated for E. carbunculus and L. nebulosus, but validated age beyond the first few years is lacking and for H. octofasciatus no age estimates exist. Bomb radiocarbon dating can provide age estimates that are independent of growth-zone counting, but only if appropriate reference 14C chronologies exist. In this study, a series of 14C records from hermatypic corals was assembled to provide a basis for bomb radiocarbon dating in the western Indo-Pacific region. Results provided (1) valid age estimates for comparison to age estimates from two facilities investigating growth-zones in otolith thin sections; (2) support for age estimation protocols using otolith thin sections; and (3) the information necessary for further refinement of age estimation procedures. Estimates of longevity from bomb radiocarbon dating agree with some prior studies: H. octofasciatus, E. carbunculus and L. nebulosus all being long-lived species with life spans of at least 43, 35 and 28 years respectively. © CSIRO 2011. 2011 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/52349 10.1071/MF11080 CSIRO Publishing restricted
spellingShingle Andrews, A.
Kalish, J.
Newman, Stephen
Johnston, J.
Bomb radiocarbon dating of three important reef-fish species using Indo-Pacific 14C chronologies
title Bomb radiocarbon dating of three important reef-fish species using Indo-Pacific 14C chronologies
title_full Bomb radiocarbon dating of three important reef-fish species using Indo-Pacific 14C chronologies
title_fullStr Bomb radiocarbon dating of three important reef-fish species using Indo-Pacific 14C chronologies
title_full_unstemmed Bomb radiocarbon dating of three important reef-fish species using Indo-Pacific 14C chronologies
title_short Bomb radiocarbon dating of three important reef-fish species using Indo-Pacific 14C chronologies
title_sort bomb radiocarbon dating of three important reef-fish species using indo-pacific 14c chronologies
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/52349