Historical growth and mortality "benchmark" values of Lepidotrigla cavillone (Pisces Triglidae) in the Strait of Sicily (Mediterranean Sea).

In order to establish "historical" benchmark values, length based methods were used for an analysis of growth and mortality of the large scaled gurnard, Lepidotrigla cavillone (Lacepède, 1801), in the Strait of Sicily (Mediterranean Sea), using data collected in 1986 87. Implementing the Bhattacharya's method, 4 modal groups were identified in the LFDs, regardless of the season; fitting the modes was tried thru various different approaches, settling at the end for a classical von Bertalanffy growth function (vBGF), with L?= 163.8 mm, koy 1= 0.318, and t0= 1.48 y; optimum length (Lopt= 85 mm), total (Zoy 1= 1.48) and natural (Moy 1= 0.87) annual mortality were also derived. Incidentally, the growth-mortality pattern and the Lm Lopt-LFD comparison indicate a moderate exploitation for L. cavillone in the Strait of Sicily during the investigated period.