Validation of annuli of the South African anchovy, Engraulis capensis, using daily otolith growth increments

South African anchovy, Engraulis capensis , deposit several check rings per year which can obscure annuli on their otoliths. The total number of daily increments on the otolith were counted to test whether the macroscopically identified hyaline zone is, in fact, an annular growth zone. The results justified the assumption that the growth zones were annular and that growth and recruitment predictions can be made with confidence.