Precision and Bias of using Opercles as Compared to Otoliths, Dorsal Spines, and Scales to Estimate Ages of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass

Sotola, V. Alex; Maynard, George A.; Hayes-Pontius, Erin M.; Mihuc, Timothy B.; Malchoff, Mark H.; Marsden, J. Ellen

doi:10.1656/045.021.0411

Cited by 9 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 17 publications

(23 reference statements)

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“…Although otoliths were not used, ageing precision results from scales used in this study were similar to other studies of black bass that used otoliths (from 0.04% to 15.8%; Besler, ; Long & Fisher, ; Maceina & Sammons, ; Taylor & Weyl, ; Rude et al., ; Sotola et al., ). By contrast, accuracy of scales from shoal bass in the upper Chattahoochee River basin was poor (57%) compared to what has been reported for otoliths from other black bass species [from 92% to 100% (Buckmeier & Howells, ; Heidinger & Clodfelter, ; Klein et al., ); but see Howells, Betsill and Prentice () who reported accuracy from 39% to 47% for known‐age 6–8‐year‐old largemouth bass].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Evaluation of ageing accuracy with complementary non‐lethal methods for slow‐growing, northern populations of shoal bass

Long

Holley

Taylor

2018

Fisheries Management Eco

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In the upper Chattahoochee River basin, where some populations of shoal bass, Micropterus cataractae Williams & Burgess, are imperilled, age and growth data are lacking. Age and growth of shoal bass in this basin were assessed with non‐lethal means using scales and mark–recapture. Mark–recapture data allowed for estimation of accuracy and determination of effects of any scale‐based inaccuracies on growth models. Scale‐based age estimates were accurate for 57% of the samples, and errors of 1 to 3 years included equal numbers of over‐ and underestimates of age. von Bertalanffy growth models based on scale ages were similar to those based on mark–recapture ages for ages 3–8 but noticeably divergent for younger and older fish. Scales provided estimates of longevity up to 12 years of age, and growth models produced from mark–recapture suggest scale ages underestimated age, especially for older fish. These populations of shoal bass live longer and grow slower than other populations, suggesting regional management strategies may be needed.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Evaluation of ageing accuracy with complementary non‐lethal methods for slow‐growing, northern populations of shoal bass

Long

Holley

Taylor

2018

Fisheries Management Eco

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“…For instance, comparative studies favor sagittal otoliths in estimating the ages of Walleyes Sander vitreus (Isermann et al 2003 and references therein), but fin rays are recommended for aging Bluehead Suckers Catostomus discobolus and Flannelmouth Suckers C. latipinnis (Quist et al 2007). In contrast, opercular bones are recommended for aging Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides and Smallmouth Bass M. dolomieu (Sotola et al 2014). Collectively, these studies indicate a need for species-specific assessment of which structure provides the most robust age data for purposes of research and management.…”

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confidence: 99%

Precision and Bias in Aging Northern Pike: Comparisons among Four Calcified Structures

Oele

Lawson

McIntyre

2015

N American J Fish Manag

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Age estimates based on calcified structures are central to the analysis and management of fish populations. A variety of structures have been used in studies of Northern Pike Esox lucius despite limited data on whether the structures provide comparable results. We quantified precision and bias of ages estimated from cleithra, otoliths, anal fin rays, and scales of Northern Pike sampled in tributaries of Green Bay, Lake Michigan. For three independent readers, the precision (CV) of age estimates did not significantly differ among otoliths, cleithra, and anal fin rays but was significantly lower for scales than for the other structures. Similarly, partial agreement among readers was greater than 90% for ages estimated from otoliths, cleithra, and anal fin rays, whereas partial agreement was 76% for scale‐based ages. We discuss the tradeoffs associated with precision and bias for each structure in the context of reader experience, fish age, and management goals. We recommend that when fish mortality is not a concern, otoliths or cleithra should be used to achieve high‐precision aging of Northern Pike. For strictly nonlethal sampling scenarios, the anal fin rays of Northern Pike will yield more precise age estimates than scales. Received January 20, 2015; accepted September 17, 2015

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“…Although there are doubts about the use of repeatability as a reliable measure of accuracy of age estimates (Beamish & McFarlane, ), this approach is often the only one that is applicable when fish age is unknown, particularly in wild‐caught individuals. Other related measures of aging precision have been widely used ( e.g., average percent error, coefficient of variation, percent agreement between readers; Beamish & Fournier, ; Campana, ; Elzey et al, ; Khan et al, ; Sotola et al, ). However, use of these different approaches has made comparison among different studies difficult (Campana, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To a lesser extent, other structures such as pelvic or dorsal spines (DeFaveri et al, ; Gambling & Reimchen, ; Reimchen, ) and gill covers (Mukhomediarov, ; Patimar et al, ; Yershov & Sukhotin, ) have also been used for aging G. aculeatus . Worryingly, studies conducted in other fish species have shown that there may be large discrepancies in age estimates depending on which structure was used for the analysis (Baudouin et al, ; Elzey et al, ; Hüssy et al, ; Khan et al, ; Sotola et al, ; van der Meulen et al, ; Watkins et al, ; Zhu et al, ; Zymonas & McMahon, ). Two recent G. aculeatus studies have analysed several structures (DeFaveri & Merilä, ; DeFaveri et al, ), but no study has formally compared the age estimates from different structures and their reliability in G. aculeatus .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aging three‐spined sticklebacksGasterosteus aculeatus: comparison of estimates from three structures

Yurtseva

Noreikienė

Lajus

et al. 2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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In order to assess the accuracy and reliability of age estimates from calcified structures in the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus, we evaluated intra and inter-reader repeatability from three structures: otoliths, gill covers and pelvic spines). Average age estimates were also compared between the structures. The overall intra-reader repeatability of age estimates were highest for otoliths (69%), lowest for gill covers (53%) and intermediate for spine cross-sections (63%). Although four of the seven readers had the highest intra-reader repeatability score for spine cross-sections, the inter-reader variance in this structure was much higher than in others. Otoliths were the easiest in terms of their pre-analysis treatment and exchange of materials (as digital images) between readers. In addition, otoliths are more well-studied compared with the other structures with respect to their development through ontogenesis; hence, age estimates based on otoliths should be the most reliable. Therefore, our recommendation is that whenever possible, analysis of otoliths should be the preferred approach for aging G. aculeatus. K E Y W O R D Sage, Gasterosteus aculeatus, gill cover, otolith, pelvic spine, repeatability

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Precision and Bias of using Opercles as Compared to Otoliths, Dorsal Spines, and Scales to Estimate Ages of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass

Cited by 9 publications

References 17 publications

Evaluation of ageing accuracy with complementary non‐lethal methods for slow‐growing, northern populations of shoal bass

Evaluation of ageing accuracy with complementary non‐lethal methods for slow‐growing, northern populations of shoal bass

Precision and Bias in Aging Northern Pike: Comparisons among Four Calcified Structures

Aging three‐spined sticklebacksGasterosteus aculeatus: comparison of estimates from three structures

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