Growth and longevity of Hawaiian grouper (Hyporthodus quernus) — input for management and conservation of a large, slow-growing grouper

Hawaiian grouper (Hyporthodus quernus) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and is regionally important, yet little is known about its life history. This large species is managed within the Deep 7 bottomfish complex, which includes 6 snapper that are assumed to have similar life history traits. Previous age estimates were not validated and suggested a maximum age of 34 years. To evaluate the preliminary study and provide a valid basis for life history parameters, otoliths were aged using bomb radiocarbon (14C) dating. Measured 14C values provided ages for smallest to largest fish that differed from the original study. The fundamental information provided here when evaluating Hawaiian grouper conservation status is longevity (valid to 50 years and estimated to 76 years) — no male sampled was <80 cm TL and younger than 34 years — and age-at-sexual maturity and age-at-sex change, which were indirectly estimated and compared to prior published estimates for this and other groupers. Updated life-history paramete...