Determination of L (max) for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus thynnus (L.), from Meta-Analysis of Published and Available Biometric Data

作者：Cort Jose L^*; Deguara Simeon; Galaz Txema; Melich Begonya; Artetxe Inaki; Arregi Igor; Neilson John; Andrushchenko Irene; Hanke Alex; dos Santos Miguel Neves; Estruch Vicente; Lutcavage Molly; Knapp Jessica; Compean Jimenez Guillermo; Solana Sansores Rafael; Belmonte Antonio; Martinez David; Piccinetti Corrado; Kimoto Ai; Addis Piero; Velasco Marta; De la Serna Jose M; Godoy Dolores; Ceyhan Tevfik; Oray Isik; Karakulak Saadet; Nottestad Leif; Lopez Antonio

来源：Reviews in Fisheries Science, 2013, 21(2): 181-212.

DOI：10.1080/10641262.2013.793284

• growth
• L (max)
• L-infinity
• W-max
• outliers
• Atlantic bluefin tuna
• Thunnus thynnus

A meta-analysis of the straight fork lengths (herewith abbreviated as L) of 2,458,028 Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (L.), taken from 224 scientific publications and unpublished L data from scientific organizations and fishing companies spanning most of the known Atlantic and Mediterranean Atlantic bluefin tuna fisheries dating from 1605 to 2011, give L values ranging from L-min = 20cm and L-max = 330cm. The results indicate that the parameter L = 318.85cm of the growth equation used by ICCAT%26apos;s Standing Committee on Research and Statistics Atlantic bluefin tuna assessment group for the eastern stock (Lt = 318.85 [1 - e(-0.093 (t + 0.97))]) lies within the confidence limits of the maximum Ls presented in the study: L-max = 319.93 +/- 11.3cm, confirming that this equation perfectly fits the biology of the growth of this species. These conclusions are also valid for the equation for the western stock (Lt = 314.90 [1 - e(-0.089 (t +1.13))]). The ICCAT Atlantic bluefin tuna database contains numerous records of Atlantic bluefin tuna L outside the biological feasibility, and solutions are provided to recognize and remove these outliers based on the application of fixed values of Fulton%26apos;s condition factor (K) between 1.4 and 2.6 and appropriate L-W relationships to correct this situation in the future.

• 出版日期2013-4-3