title: Use of the SLW index to calculate growth function in the sea cucumber Isostichopus badionotus.
abstract: Age and growth analysis is essential to fisheries management. Indirect methods to calculate growth are widely used; however, length frequency data analysis in sea cucumbers is complicated by high data variability caused by body wall elasticity. Here we calculated Isostichopus badionotus parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth function. In order to address bias produced by body wall elasticity, we compared the performance of four measurements and one compound index that combines different biometric parameters: the square root of the length-width product (SLW). Results showed that variability in length data due to body wall elasticity was controlled by using body length (Le) from the SLW compound index. Growth in I. badionotus follows a negative allometric tendency. Slow or zero growth periods were observed during October and November, when weather conditions were adverse.
authors.affiliation: 1] Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Cinvestav, Carretera Antigua a Progreso km 6, 97310 Merida, Yucatan, Mexico [2] Centro Regional de Investigaciones Pesqueras de Yucalpeten, Instituto Nacional de Pesca, Blvd. del Pescador S/N, Puerto de Abrigo, 97320 Progreso, Yucatan, Mexico.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poot-Salazar
authors.affiliation: Centro Regional de Investigaciones Pesqueras de Yucalpeten, Instituto Nacional de Pesca, Blvd. del Pescador S/N, Puerto de Abrigo, 97320 Progreso, Yucatan, Mexico.
authors.forename: Álvaro
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Hernández-Flores
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Cinvestav, Carretera Antigua a Progreso km 6, 97310 Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.
authors.forename: Pedro-Luis
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Ardisson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004548:Elasticity / Q000502:physiology; D005398:Fisheries; D012616:Sea Cucumbers / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*