Age, growth, and reproductive biology of Achilles tang (Acanthurus achilles) around Hawai'i Island, USA

A culturally important food fish in Hawai'i, Achilles tang (Acanthurus achilles Shaw), recently experienced sharp declines in biomass, density, and average length in west Hawai'i Island. In December 2022, State resource managers placed a 2-year moratorium on the Achilles tang fishery in west Hawai'i Island so that the cause of the collapse could be explored. The lack of life-history information for Achilles tang from Hawai'i, or elsewhere in its range, has been noted as an impediment to decision-making. Therefore, our objectives were to characterize this population’s age, growth, and reproductive biology. In working with community fishers, we collected 363 individuals ranging 69 – 264 mm in fork length (FL) and 0 – 39 years in age based on estimates from otoliths. Achilles tang in Hawai'i exhibit a high growth rate, reaching 138 ± 11 mm FL (mean ± SE) in their first year, and exhibit relatively little growth after their second year (< 5 mm yr−1). The majority of males (92.0% of n = 101) and females (73.6% of n = 159) were classified as spawning capable or actively spawning, without annual or lunar periodicity. Our study highlights that the basic biology of Achilles tang poses unique challenges to fisheries managers looking to ensure its sustainable harvest. Future research will aim to characterize the susceptibility of recruits’ habitat to local environmental stressors and the relative connectivity of juvenile and adult habitats.