Stable-age sampling requires age-lifetime dependence in models of microbial pseudo-lag

Stathas and Baranyi propose that inter-division-time variability and the excess of young cells in an exponentially growing culture generate a statistical pseudo-lag after transfer. The distinction between physiological lag and finite-inoculum stochasticity is useful. However, their simulation appears to draw relative age and total lifetime independently, although these variables are dependent in a stable exponentially growing population. Correct joint sampling changes the residual time to first division and means that stable age composition, by itself, should not displace ensemble-mean exponential growth. In addition, the Gamma parameter θ is used as a scale in the equations, as a rate in Figure 2 of Stathas and Baranyi (2026), and as a scale again in Figure 7 of Stathas and Baranyi (2026). We provide the correct joint distribution and parameter conversion and propose a focused reanalysis before the central quantitative claim is interpreted biologically.