Life-history traits of an exploited skate: The short-tail yellownose skate Zearaja brevicaudata (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes)

The short-tail yellownose skate, Zearaja brevicaudata, occurs off southern Brazil and along the Argentine continental shelf, including waters surrounding the Islas Malvinas and the upper slope, and is very frequently caught by trawl fisheries throughout its range. The age, growth, and maturity of Z. brevicaudata were investigated using 204 individuals collected by commercial fishing vessels from northern Argentina, between March 2016 and September 2019. Age was determined on a sample comprising vertebrae from 151 individuals, 60 males, ranging in size from 391 to 956 mm total length (TL), and 91 females, ranging in size from 324 to 1060 mm TL. Maximum ages determined for males and females were 22 and 29 years, respectively. A Bayesian framework was employed with a set of three candidate models to estimate growth parameters (von Bertalanffy, Gompertz, and Logistic). The von Bertalanffy model had the best fit, and the sexes showed undistinguishable growth parameters. For sexes combined, derived growth mean parameters (± S.D.) were L_∞ = 1081 mm ± 64.34 mm, k = 0.09 ± 0.01 years^-1, and L₀ = 248 mm ± 23.52 mm. The age at maturity was estimated at 13.15 and 14.66 years for males and females, respectively.