Age, Growth, and Mortality of the Banded Drum, Larimus fasciatus (Sciaenidae) in North Carolina

Age, growth, and mortality were examined for Larimus fasciatus collected off North Carolina from September 1975 through September 1976. Fish were aged using length-frequencies, scales, and to a lesser extent otoliths. Problems encountered with aging a rare, short lived, temperate fish were discussed. The maximum size observed was 182 mm SL, and 86% of the specimens were < 128 mm SL. The oldest banded drum reached age 4. Mean weighted back-calculated sizes (scale data) for age classes 1·4 were 75.2 mm, 145.4 mm, 161.8 mm, and 170.8 mm, respectively. The von Bertalanffy growth equation was: Lt = 178 (1·e-0.98(t + 0.38)), which predicted sizes at ages 1-4 of 132 mm, 161 mm, 172 mm and 176 mm SL, respectively. Observed, back-calculated, and von Bertalanffy growth curves agreed closely and indicated the fastest growth was in young fish during the spring and summer. The von Bertalanffy growth coefficient (K = 0.98) suggested that maximum size was attained quickly. Instantaneous (Z) and total annual (A) mortality rates were 1.44 and 76%, respectively. Weight-length and total length-standard length conversions were derived.