Age and Growth of the Mudskipper, Scartelaos gigas(Perciformes, Gobiidae) from Korea

Age and growth of the mudskipper, Scartelaos gigas were investigated using the second actinost bone of the pectoral girdle, based on an analysis of 560 individuals collected from the mud flats in south west Korea. Specimens were collected semimonthly from March to September of 2003. Actinost and ring radii of each ring group showed a direct one-to-one relationship, with ring radius increasing in tandem with actinost radius. Monthly change in the marginal indices showed that ring formation occurred between May and July(mainly June), being supported by the monthly change in the gonadosomatic(highest in June) and hepatosomatic(lowest in July) indices. Because the species has not been found since November, when air temperature was less than about $10^{\circ}C$, it is thought to enter to hibernation. Therefore, it was suggested that the two new actinost rings may appear a year: one during the spawning season(May-July) and another during hibernation(since November). Although the growth of S. gigas must be limited to short periods each year from March to April and from August to October, its growth rate was considerably fast. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters of S. gigas were $TL_{\infty}$=179.36 mm, K=0.78 $year^{-1}$, $t_0$=-0.7762, and age-length key were $TL_1$=134.3 mm, $TL_2$=158.6 mm, $TL_3$=169.1 mm, $TL_4$=175.0 mm.