Age, Growth and Reproductive Characteristics of the Blue-barred Parrotfish Scarus Ghobban From Taiwan and Solomon Islands

Age, size, growth and sex ratio of the Blue barred parrot fish Scarus ghobban were investigated from Taiwan and Solomon Islands. While both populations exhibited similar rapid early growth, the longevity, maximum size and asymptotic length of S. ghobban in Taiwan were significantly higher than in the Solomon Islands. Gender analysis showed the oldest and largest size classes from the Solomon Islands to be males, while S. ghobban from Taiwan exhibited persistence of females in the oldest age classes, indicating that not all females in this protogynous hermaphrodite changed sex to males. The drivers for sex change in t this protogynous hermaphrodite may be more a function of genetics and longevity, and less so due to fishing pressure