Notes: Direct Validation of Ages Determined for Adult Red Drums from Otolith Sections

Abstract

Ten of 735 adult red drums Sciaenops ocellatus injected with oxytetracycline and released into Mosquito Lagoon and Upper Indian River Lagoon on the Atlantic coast of Florida during 1987–1988 were recaptured 358 to 564 d later. Each fish had deposited one opaque zone since being marked; zone formation probably occurred during the winter. These observations validate the use of otolith sections to determine the ages of red drums from 1 to 27 years old.