Age Studies on the Butter Fish Population from Southwestern Waters of Korea

The present paper concerns the age determination and growth of butter fish, Pampus argenteus from the southwestern waters of Korea by otolith reading. 743 specimens taken by stow-net in the southern part of the Yellow Sea and northeastern part of the East China Sea during the period from October 1972 to September 1973 were examined. Results of the study are summarized as follows: 1. Sex ratio of females to males was found to be 2:1. 2. Ring marks on the otolith were found to be formed twice a year, once during the period of January-May and the other time in September. 3. The Lee's phenomenon was observed on the otolith sample. 4. The relationship between the radius of otolith(R) and fork length(L) was found to be as follows: R=0.3069+0.0133L 5. Calculated fork length at the time of otolith ring formation are found to be as follows:I-ring,71.67mm; II-ring, 125.05mm; III-ring, 168.65mm; IV-ring, 201.74mm; V-ring, 225.80mm; VI-ring, 240.84mm. 6. Maximum fork length calculated according to the diagram of Walford's growth transformation was found to be 281.5mm. 7. Growth curve, when related to the von Bertalanffy's equation, was laid out as $L_{t}=281.5[1-e$^{-0.674(t-0.128)}]$