Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Baldwin, John

Abstract

Otolith increment morphology of the protandric hermaphrodite Centropomus undecimalis (snook) was analyzed in relation to age and length for sex specific growth differences to retroactively determine the time of sex change. Growth spurts in the otoliths of female snook, the terminal sex, were identified between ages 4 and 8, corroborating the current understanding of when sex change occurs (between 3 and 8). No such growth increases were identified on the otoliths of male snook, the primary sex. Otolith growth, however, was found to decouple from length, so these growth spurts are not reflected in the length of the fish. This study marks the first time that a distinct growth pattern differentiating the primary and terminal sexes, similar to that seen in the protogynous transitional growth spurt hypothesis, has been identified on the otoliths of a protandric species.

Extent

37 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Includes bibliography.

Identifier

FA00013622

Format

pdf

Download

Share

COinS