Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus, collected from commercial catches in
Chesapeake Bay and in Virginia and North Carolina coastal waters during 1988-1991 (n=
1,967) were aged from transverse otolith sections. Ages 1-8 were recorded, but eight-year-
old fish were rare. Marginal increment analysis showed that for ages 1-7, annuli are formed
once a year during the period April-May. Otolith age readings were precise:> 99%
agreement within and between readers. Observed lengths-at-age were highly variable and …

Sectioned otolith age determination methodology was validated by individual age groups
using mean monthly marginal increment analysis incorporating one-way ANOVA
significance testing. One annulus was formed each year for ages 1-9 with the narrow
opaque band forming from April to June. Precision in age determination from sectioned
otoliths was very high, 1 0 0% within reader agreement and 97% between reader
agreement. Atlantic croaker were collected from commercial catches in the Chesapeake Bay …