LAUSR

The three most important grouper's fishery species in southern Gulf of Mexico, Epinephelus morio, Mycteroperca bonaci and Mycteroperca microlepis do not have life history parameters data reported such as growth, age and natural mortality essential to management. Individuals form the three species were captured in the Campeche Bank (CB) at different times from 1988 to 2001. Sagittae were thin-sectioned to count annuli: n = 1,081 for E. morio; n = 920 for M. bonaci; and n = 251 for M. microlepis. Otoliths from the three species exhibited successive opaque and translucent bands deposited with an annual frequency, occurring between January and April for E. morio and M. bonaci, and between January and March for M. microlepis. Estimated age in the three grouper species ranged from 0+ - 20 years. The most frequent age were 7 - 10y for E. morio and 8 - 12y for M. bonaci and M. microlepis. The VBGF parameters (L∞ , K and t0 ) were consistent with reported growth patterns for Epinephelidae family species, as established by growth performance Ф' (near 3). The CB groupers appear to reach maximum ages over 13y with K values between 0.09 - 0.12y-1 indicating all three studied species displayed relatively slow growth rate and medium longevity. Lifespan values ranged from 13 - 33y for E. morio, from 18 - 30y for M. bonaci, and from 17 - 33y for M. microlepis. A50 was 6.1y for E. morio and 5.5y for both M. bonaci and M. microlepis. Age at which all females were mature was 8y for M. bonaci and 10y for E. morio and M. microlepis. P50 was 9.3y for E. morio, 13.6y for M. bonaci and 11.6y for M. microlepis. Age at which 100% of individuals were male was 13y for E. morio, 19y for M. bonaci and 15y for M. microlepis. Values of M at age exhibited an exponential decrease with age for all three species, but overall values were 0.13y-1 for E. morio, 0.14y-1 for M. bonaci and 0.17y-1 for M. microlepis. For the three species size at age varied by geographical distribution area, but particularly for E. morio the discrepancy in average size between published studies may be the consequence of the fishing effort exerted on the stock and/or the lack of regulation for the it's fishery prior to 2001, afterwards stock biomass fell below the reference limit point and was declared overexploited. Therefore, resource managers could use the information provided in this study as a reference, representing pre-overexploitation values, to evaluate the current status of these populations and ensure sustainable management actions for the CB groupers fishery. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.