TECHNIQUES FOR ESTIMATING THE AGE AND GROWTH OF MOLLUSCS: CEPHALOPODA

Global abundances and commercial fisheries of cephalopods have increased over recent decades, creating a need for effective fishery management. This management is often focused on the ability to ascertain the age structure of key populations. There are several main techniques for age and growth rate determination in cephalopods. Because of biological differences between species groups, not all techniques are applicable for every species. This review outlines the use of five main age-registering structures (statoliths, gladii, beaks, stylets, and eye lenses) along with one chemical aging technique (lipofuscin) and their application to cephalopod species groups.