Age-Determination of Spiny Dogfish (Squalus-Acanthias L 1758) in Black-Sea Waters

Abstract

We collected 165 spiny dogfish inhabiting the Black Sea between December 1991 and April 1993 to find the most reliable aging method and used anatomical structures for this aim. The second dorsal spine and first ten vertebrae were removed from specimens and treated with different preparation techniques prior to age interpretation. Aging by the second dorsal spine was done by rising the annuli on the surface of the mantle and the spine base diameter. No age interpretation could be done on the vertebrae due to a lack of sufficient ring formation. Consequently, we concluded that the second dorsal spine is a reliable anatomical structure for aging this species.