Differential effects of food and temperature lead to decoupling of short‐term otolith and somatic growth rates in juvenile King George whiting

In experiments manipulating temperature and food levels, rates of short‐term otolith growth and somatic growth of juvenile King George whiting Sillaginodes punctata became decoupled. Food levels were starvation, 100 and 1000 μg per fish per day and temperatures were 12 and 18° C. Short‐term somatic growth was influenced predominantly by food, with negligible growth at starvation and low ration, and significant growth at high food ration at both temperatures. In contrast, short‐term otolith growth was influenced predominantly by temperature, with significant otolith growth occurring for all food treatments, and elevated otolith growth occurring at the higher temperature across food treatments. The identification of such differential effects of food and temperature leading to decoupling is an important result that has significant implications for using otoliths to estimate short‐term growth.