Dentex maroccanus Valenciennes, 1830 Otolith Morphology, Age, and Growth in the Aegean Sea (E. Mediterranean)

Otoliths are important structures for balance and hearing of fish and constitute a useful tool in fisheries science. This study provides, for the first time in the Mediterranean, information on the otolith morphometrics of <i>Dentex maroccanus</i>, collected from the South Aegean Sea, and enriches the existing information on its age and growth by sex. The otolith shape variables examined showed a more circular to square otolith shape, related to the body size. Significant differences between sexes were detected for the otolith <i>Area</i>, <i>Diameter</i>, <i>Perimeter,</i> and <i>Radius</i>. Exponential regressions were used to examine the relationship of the otolith variables with total body length, from which five showed a strong correlation (<i>Diameter</i>, <i>Width</i>, <i>Radius</i>, <i>Area,</i> and <i>Perimeter</i>). The eviscerated weight-length relationship exhibited an isometric growth for both sexes, whereas when total weight was applied, a positive allometric growth was found for females. Sagittal otolith readings revealed four age groups for females and five for males. A Bhattacharya method was used for age validation. Von Bertalanffy growth parameters were as follows: <i>L∞</i> = 23.08, <i>k</i> = 0.27, <i>t</i>₀ = -1.93 for females and <i>L∞</i> = 24.07, <i>k</i> = 0.24, <i>t</i>₀ = -2.26 for males. This research offers valuable biological information for <i>Dentex maroccanus</i> useful in fisheries science.