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AGE, GROWTH, AND REPRODUCTION BIOLOGY OF THE WHITE GRUNT (HAEMULON PLUMIERII) OFF THE U.S. SOUTHEAST ATLANTIC COAST
Ashe, Evan
White Grunt, Haemulon plumierii, is an economically important species in the western Atlantic Ocean off the SE coast of the US. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) is responsible for the preparation of fisheries management regulations in the federal waters off this region. The SAFMC has scheduled a stock assessment for White Grunt in 2023 driving a need for updated biological information for the species. A long-term fishery independent monitoring survey using standard methodology, covering 28 years of reef fish sampling in the region was used to determine current and historical changes in key life history parameters of White Grunt. White Grunt had a 0.81:1 female bias sex ratio. A50 was found at one year of age, while L50 was found under 200 mm in the overall population. A max age of 26 years was determined in the population. A Von Bertalanffy growth equation was fitted, and the parameters were L∞ = 336.0, k = 0.3416, and t0 = -0.5930. Additionally, this study showed that White Grunt’s biological parameters changed overtime due to a density dependent response to changing abundance and exploitation.