Preliminary results of age determination by otolith mass in mackerel icefish Champsocephalus gunnari Lonnberg 1905 in the Heard Island area (Australia)

To determine mackerel icefish Champsocephalus gunnari age, otolith mass was used. The material was collected in July0August 1987 during the joint Soviet-Australian expedition on board R/V PROFESSOR MESYATSEV to heard Island shelf area. The otoliths were weighted with an electric balance to within 0.0001 g. Then the obtained data underwent statistical processing with application of the cluster analysis method. Five age groups were defined. Bertalanffi linear growth equation was calculated:
Lt=41.73 (1-e-0.5149(1+0.05225))
On this basis the size-age key for this season has been estimated.