Age and Growth of Young-Of-The-Year (YOY) California Halibut (Paralichthys calif ornicus) , from Northwestern Baja California

Ninety-nine young-of-the-year (YOY) California halibut (Paralichthys calif ornicus), collected from Bahia de Todos Santos (BTS, n = 29), Estero de Punta Banda (EPB, n = 36) and Bahia de San Quintin (BSQ, n = 34), Baja California (Mexico), were aged using sagittal otoliths. Our preliminary age de- termination by use of annual increments in otoliths of California halibut from Bahia de Todos Santos, and Estero de Punta Banda, Baja California (Mexico), showed that a minimum length of 180 mm SL could be set as limit size for halibut young-of-the-year. The separate age-length relationships between YOY halibut from these three study sites are described by linear equations: BTS: y = -4.943 + o.5x, r 2 = 0.899; EPB: y - -12.85 + 0.496x, r 2 = 0.903; BSQ: y = -28.19 + 0.5 19x, r2 = 0.967. The y is the standard length (mm) and the x is the age in days. Age was equivalent to the days from hatching. The Analysis of Covariance indicated no significant differences in growth rates between the three sites (ANCOVA, p = 0.419). Therefore, all data were combined to deter- mine one overall growth equation for young-of-the-year: y = —14.09 + 0.492x, (n = 99, r 2 = 0.907, S.E. constant = 6.25, S.E. slope = 0.059). This equation established a limit size for young-of-the-year halibut as 173 mm SL, with a range of readings between 168 to 180 mm