Synopsis
The age, growth, and sexual maturation of the leopard shark, Triakis semifasciata, from central California were studied. Growth band counts in vertebral centra of 162 leopard sharks produced von Bertalanffy growth curves with L∞, K. and to parameters of 1536 mm. 0.082, and -2.31, respectively, for both sexes combined. The L8 value for females (1602 mm TL) was slightly but insignificantly higher than for males (1499 mm TL), but the K and to values were almost identical. Seasonal changes in size modes of young-of-the-year leopard sharks, centrum edge characteristics, and growth and tetracycline mark-recapture from the field were used to validate annual deposition of vertebral centrum band pairs. Sexual maturity was evaluated by the gonads and presence of sperm and eggs; males mature at 7 yr and at about 63% of asymptotic length, and females mature at 10 yr, and at about 72% of asymptotic length. This slow growth, late maturity, and relatively low fecundity may increase their susceptibility to over-exploitation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References cited
Abramson, N.J. 1971. Computer programs for fish stock assessment. FAO Fish. Tech. Pap. (101): 1–148.
Ackerman, L.T. 1971. Contributions to the biology of the leopard shark, Triakis semifasciata (Girard) in Elkhorn Slough, Monterey Bay, California. M.A. Thesis, Sacramento State College, Sacramento. 54 pp.
Applegates, S.P. 1967. A survey of shark hardparts. pp. 37–67. In: P.W. Gilbert, R.F. Mathewson & D.P. Rall (ed.) Sharks, Skates and Rays, Johns Hopkins Press, Maryland.
Barry, J.P. 1983. Utilization of shallow marsh habitats by fishes in Elkhorn Slough, California. M.A. Thesis, San Jose State University, San Jose. 95 pp.
Beamish, R.J. & D.A. Fournier. 1981. A method for comparing the precision of a set of age determinations. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 38: 982–983.
Beamish, R.J. & G.A. McFarlane. 1983. The forgotten requirements for age validation in fisheries biology. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 112: 735–743.
Beamish, R.J. & G.A. McFarlane. 1985. Annulus development on the second dorsal spine of the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) and its validity for age determination. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 42: 1799–1805.
Bertalanffy, L. von 1938. A quantitative theory of organic growth (inquiries on growth laws II). Hum. Biol. 10: 181–213.
Brown, C.A. & S.H. Gruber. 1986. Age validation of tetracycline labeled vertebral centra in a tropical marine predator, the lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris (Poey). Abstract of unpublished paper from the Age and Growth of Fish conference, Des Moines, Iowa. Available from junior author, R.S.M.A.S., University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149.
Cailliet, G.M. 1990. Elasmobranch age determination and verification: an updated review. pp. 157–165. In: W.S. Pratt, Jr., T. Taniuchi & S.H. Gruber (ed.) United States-Japan Workshop on Elasmobranchs as Living Resources, NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 90.
Cailliet, G.M., L.K. Martin, D. Kusher, P. Wolf & B.A. Welden. 1983a. Techniques for enhancing vertebral bands in age estimation of California elasmobranchs. NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 8: 157–165.
Cailliet, G.M., L.K. Martin, J.T. Harvey, D. Kusher & B.A. Welden. 1983b. Preliminary studies on the age and growth of blue Prionace glauca, common thresher, Alopias vulpinus, and shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus, sharks from California waters. NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 8: 179–188.
Cailliet, G.M., R.L. Radtke & B.A. Welden. 1986. Elasmobranch age determination and verification: a review. pp. 345–360. In: T. Uyeno, R. Arai, T. Taniuchi & K. Matsuura (ed.) Indo-Pacific Fish Biology: Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Indo-Pacific Fishes, Ichthyological Society of Japan, Tokyo.
Cailliet, G.M. & R.L. Radtke. 1987. A progress report on the electron microprobe analysis technique for age determination and verification in elasmobranchs. pp. 359–369. In: R.C. Summerfelt & G.E. Hall (ed.) Age and Growth of Fish (ed.) Iowa State University Press, Ames.
Cailliet, G.M. & S. Tanaka. 1990. Recommendations for research needed to better understand the age and growth of elasmobranchs. pp. 505–507. In: W.S. Pratt, Jr., T. Taniuchi & S. H. Gruber (ed.) United States-Japan Workshop on Elasmobranchs as Living Resources, NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 90.
Cailliet, G.M., K.G. Yudin, S. Tanaka & T. Taniuchi. 1990. Growth characteristics of two populations of Mustelus manazo from Japan based upon gross-readings of vertebral bands. pp. 1677–176. In: W.S. Pratt, Jr., T. Taniuchi & S.H. Gruber (ed.) United States-Japan Workshop on Elasmobranchs as Living Resources, NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 90.
Castro, J.I. 1983. The sharks of North American waters. Texas A & M. Press, College Station. 180 pp.
Chang, W.Y.B. 1982. A statistical method for evaluating the reproducibility of age determination. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 39: 1208–1210.
Clark, E. & K. von Schmidt. 1965. Sharks of the central Gulf Coast of Florida. Bull. Mar. Sci. 15: 13–83.
Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. Sharks of the world, Part. 2: Carcharhiniformes. FAO Species Catalogue, FAO Fisheries Synopsis 4 (125) 2: 251–655.
Ebert, D.A. 1986. Observations on the elasmobranch assemblage of San Francisco Bay. Calif. Fish and Game 72: 244–249.
Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald & H. Hammann 1984. A field guide to Pacific coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 336 pp.
Francis, M.P. 1981. Growth rates in species of Mustelus (Elasmobranchii: Triakidae). Copeia 1981: 181–192.
Francis, M.P. & J.T. Mace. 1980. Reproductive biology of Mustelus lenticulatus from Kaikoura and Nelson. New Zealand J. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 14: 303–311.
Gruber, S.H. & R.G. Stout. 1983. Biological materials for the study of age and growth in a tropical marine elasmobranch, the lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris Poey. NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 8: 193–205.
Gulland, J.A. 1983. Fish stock assessment: a manual of basic methods. FAO/Wiley Series on Food and Agriculture, Volume 1, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester. 223 pp.
Herald, E.S., W. Schneebeli, N. Green & K. Innes. 1969. Catch records for seventeen shark derbies held at Elkhorn Slough, Monterey Bay, California. Calif. Fish and Game 46: 59–61.
Hisaw, F.L. & A.A. Abramowitz. 1938. The physiology of reproduction in the dogfish, Mustelus canis. Annual Report of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for 1937, pp. 21–22.
Holden, M.J. 1973. Are long-term sustainable fisheries for elasmobranchs possible? Rapp. P.-V. Reun. Cons. Perm. Int. Explor. Mer. 164: 360–367.
Holden, M.J. 1974. Problems in the rational exploitation of elasmobranch populations and some suggested solutions. pp. 117–137. In: F.R.H. Jones (ed.) Sea Fisheries Research, Elek Science, London.
Holden, M.J. 1977. Elasmobranchs. pp. 187–215. In: J.A. Gulland (ed.) Fish Population Dynamics, John Wiley & Sons, London.
Holden, M.J. & M.R. Vince. 1973. Age validation studies on the centra of Raja clavata using tetracycline. J. Cons. Int. Explor. Mer. 35: 13–17.
Humason, G.L. 1972. Animal tissue techniques, Third Edition. W.H. Freeman & Company, San Francisco. 641 pp.
Jones, B.C. & G.H. Geen. 1977a. Reproduction and embryonic development of spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias, in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 34: 1286–1292.
Jones, B.C. & G.H. Geen. 1977b. Age determination of an elasmobranch, Squalus acanthias, by X-ray spectrometry. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 34: 44–48.
Kato, S. & A.H. Carvallo. 1967. Shark tagging in the eastern Pacific Ocean, 1962–65. pp. 93–109. In: P.W. Gilbert, R.F. Mathewson & D.P. Rall (ed.) Sharks, Skates and Rays, John Hopkins Press, Baltimore.
Ketchen, K.S. 1972. Size at maturity, fecundity and embryonic growth of the spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias, in British Columbia waters. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 29: 1717–1723.
Ketchen, K.S. 1975. Age and growth of dogfish, Squalus acanthias, in British Columbia waters. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 32: 43–59.
Marquardt, D.W. 1963. An algorithm for least-squares estimation of nonlinear parameters. J. Soc. Indust. Appl. Math. 11: 431–441.
McFarlane, G.A. & R.J. Beamish. 1987. Validation of the dorsal spine method of age determination for dogfish. pp. 287–300. In: R.C. Summerfelt & G.E. Hall (ed.) Age and Growth of Fish, Iowa State University Press, Ames.
McLaughlin, R.H. & A.K. O'Gower. 1971. Life history and underwater studies of a heterodont shark. Ecological Monographs 41: 271–289.
Miller, D.J. & R.N. Lea. 1972. Guide to the coastal marine fishes of California. Calif. Fish and Game, Fish Bull. (157): 1–249.
Prager, M.H., S.B. Saila & C.W. Recksiek. 1987. FISHPARM: A microcomputer program for parameter estimation of nonlinear models in fishery science. Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, Tech. Rep. (87–10): 1–37.
Pratt, H.L., Jr. 1979. Reproduction in the blue shark, Prionace glauca. U.S. Fishery Bull. 77: 445–470.
Rohlf, F.J. & R.R. Sokal. 1969. Statistical tables. W.H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco. 253 pp.
Roussouw, G.J. 1984. Age and growth of the sand shark, Rhinobatos annulatus, in Algoa Bay, South Africa. J. Fish Biol. 25: 213–222.
Russo, R.A. 1975. Observations on the food habits of leopard shark, Triakis semifasciata and brown smoothhounds, Mustelus henlei. Calif. Fish and Game 61: 95–103.
Sainsbury, K.J. 1980. Effect of individual variability on the von Bertalanffy growth equation. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 37: 241–247.
Simkiss, K. 1974. Calcium metabolism of fish in relation to aging. pp. 1–12. In: T.B. Bagenal (ed.) Ageing of Fish, Unwin Brothers, Surrey.
Smith, S.E. 1984. Timing of vertebral-band deposition in tetracycline-injected leopard sharks. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 113: 308–313.
Smith, S.E. & N. Abramson. 1990. Leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata) distribution, mortality rate, yield, and stock replenishment estimates based on a tagging study in San Francisco Bay. U.S. Fishery Bull. 88: 371–381.
Springer, S. & R.H. Lowe. 1963. A new smooth dogshark, Mustelus higmani, from equatorial Atlantic coast of South America. Copeia 1963: 245–251.
Stevens, J.D. 1975. Vertebral rings as a method of age determination in the blue shark, Prionace glauca L. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 55: 657–665.
Tanaka, S., G.M. Cailliet & K.G. Yudin. 1990. Differences in growth of the blue shark, Prionace glauca: technique or population? pp. 177–187. In: H.L. Pratt, Jr., T Taniuchi & S.H. Gruber (ed.) United States-Japan Workshop on Elasmobranchs as Living Resources, NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS. 90.
Tanaka, S., C.-T. Chen & K. Mizue. 1978. Studies on sharks — XVI. Age and growth of Eiraku shark, Galeorhinus japonicus Muller et Henle. Bull. Fac. Fish., Nagasaki University 45: 19–28.
Tanaka, S. & K. Mizue. 1971. Studies on sharks — XV. Age and growth of Japanese dogfish, Mustelus manazo Bleeker in the East China Sea. Bull. Jap. Soc. Scient. Fish. 45: 43–50.
Taniuchi, T., N. Kuroda & Y. Nose. 1983. Age, growth, reproduction, and food habits of the star-spotted dogfish, Mustelus manazo, collected from Choshi. Japan. Soc. Sci. Fish. 49: 1325–1337.
Teshima, K., H. Yoshimura & K. Mizue. 1971. Studies on the sharks — II. On the reproduction of Japanese dogfish, Mustelus manazo Bleeker. Bull. Fac. Fish., Nagasaki University 32: 41–50.
Thorson, T.B. & E.J. Lacy, Jr. 1982. Age, growth rate and longevity of Carcharinus leucas estimated from tagging and vertebral rings. Copeia. 1982: 110–116.
Yudin, K.G. & G.M. Cailliet. 1990. Age and growth of the gray smoothhound, Mustelus californicus, and the brown smoothhound, M. henlei, sharks from central California. Copeia 1990: 191–204.
Welden, B.A., G.M. Cailliet & A.R. Flegal. 1987. Comparison of radiometric with vertebral band age estimates in four California elasmobranchs. pp. 301–315. In: R.C. Summerfelt & G.E. Hall (ed.) Age and Growth of Fish, Iowa State University Press, Ames.
Wilson, C.A., E.B. Brothers, J.M. Casselman, C.L. Smith & A. Wild. 1983. Glossary. NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 8: 207–208.
Zar, J.H. 1974. Biostatistical analysis. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs. 620 pp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kusher, D.I., Smith, S.E. & Cailliet, G.M. Validated age and growth of the leopard shark, Triakis semifasciata, with comments on reproduction. Environ Biol Fish 35, 187–203 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00002193
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00002193