Growth and mortality of the bigmouth sole, Hippoglossina stomata Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1890 (Pisces: Paralichthyidae), off the western coast of Baja California, Mexico

Data on growth and mortality were obtained for bigmouth sole, Hippoglossina stomata, collected with otter trawls during 10 cruises off the western coast of Baja California, Mexico, from April 1988 to December 1990. In all, 1115 bigmouth sole were caught and, over the sampling period, in 298 specimens the male to female ratio was 1:1.03. The relationship between weight and length is described for females by W = 0.00000538 SL^3.21054 and for males by W = 0.0001963 SL^2.48525. Age-groups were estimated from length frequency data, von Bertalanffy growth parameters for all fish combined were the following: L_∞ = 341.34 mm SL, k = 0.1757, t₀ = -0.9835; for males, L_∞ = 308.53 mm SL, k = 0.205, t₀ = -0.6812, annually; and for females, L_∞ = 359.43 mm SL, k = 0.1924, t₀ = -0.769, annually. Males were smaller than females. The age groups allowed to determine a total mortality (Z) rate of 0.69, and estimate the fishing mortality (F) of 0.52 and natural mortality (M) of 0.17. Although the bigmouth sole is not a target species of commercial fisheries, it suffers high mortality as part of the bycatch in the shrimp fishery.