Otolith description and age-and-growth of Kurtus gulliveri from northern Australia

The sagitta of Kurtus gulliveri was ovate, moderately thick with the following attributes: lateral surface convex, mesial surface flat; dorsal margin sinuate, posterior margin rounded ventrally, ventral margin rounded and irregular; sulcus divided into ostium and cauda by constriction of dorsal and ventral margins, heterosulcoid, colliculum heteromorph; dorsal depression large and distinct, ventral groove close to margin in larger otoliths; rostrum broad and antirostrum small, separated by wide, shallow excisural notch. Otolith size was moderate, average 4 6% standard length (LS), typical for a perciform. Annuli on 78 whole sagittae were read, and 15% of these were transversely sectioned for verification of the annuli. Males ranged from 94 to 235mm LS and females from 95 to 284mm LS. There was little difference in size distribution of the sample between the sexes, perhaps due to a 6 month spawning season over which young were continually added to the population. Some sexual dimorphism was noted, however, as age 2 year females were significantly larger than males of the same age. The largest fish aged was a 284mm LS, 3 year-old female, and the oldest age reached was 4 years by two males. It appears likely that most spawning females are 2 years old, but some larger 1 year old fish may attain sexual maturity. # 2004 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles