The estimation of live fish size from archaeological cranial bones of the New Zealand blue cod Parapercis colias

✍ Scribed by B. F. Leach; J. M. Davidson; L. M. Horwood

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 713 KB
• Volume: 7
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1047-482X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1212(199709/10)7:5<481::aid-oa393>3.0.co;2-t

✦ Synopsis

Twenty-four measurements were taken on ®ve of the paired cranial bones and the otoliths of a modern sample of 177 blue cod. Parapercis colias. Regression analysis was performed on these measurements to estimate live fork length and ungutted weight. A number of regression models were examined (linear, logarithmic, exponential and power curve) to work out the optimum estimator for each bone measurement. It was found that live fork length of this species can be estimated with a standard error of less than 28 mm, and the weight to less than 140 g. Coef®cients are provided for 48 equations linking bone size to live characteristics. This is followed by a study of blue cod from an archaeological site at Waihora in the Chatham Islands. Measurements were made on 8036 archaeological bones with a minimum number of individuals of 2547. It was found that the blue cod catch had near normal characteristics, with a mean fork length of 327 mm and SD of 57 mm. The mean body weight was estimated at 569 g. The usable meat weight represented by these ®sh is estimated to be 1.0 t.