| Hake (Merluccius merluccius) is widely distributed in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the most exploited demersal fish. In Tunisia, hake is captured from the north to the south (KHOUFI et al., 2010). Hake is an important species of economic interest and thus the subject of a large literature, but its biology remains insufficiently known, particularly on terms of age and growth estimations, which are essential for stock assessment and management. Otolith microstructure provides a useful tool for age determination of juvenile hake, based on daily increment deposition (ARNERI & MORALES-NIN, 2000; MORALES-NIN et al., 2005; KACHER & AMARA, 2005; BELCARI et al., 2006). Consequently, we studied growth and estimated age, using... |
