Growth and secondary production of the Mediterranean gorgonian Paramuricea clavata

Growth and secondary production of the shallow-water go~gon ian Paramuncea clavata (Rlsso, 1826) were lnvest~gated at an infral~ttoral rocky statlon located at the northern entrance of the Stralt of Messlna (Tyrrhenlan Sea, southern Italy) Colonles were aged by countlng the number of annual growth nngs at the base of the skeleton Mean annual linear growth rates were calculated both by fleld measurements (tagging) and by flttlng a Bertalanffy growth equation for the species Growth rates were 2 7 and 3 0 cm yr.' lespectively Secondary productlon was estimated by means of an ~ncrement-summation method The estlmate was qulte conservative, because ~t dld not take into account production lost by nonlethal predation, and yielded 3 0 g ash-free dry weight (AFDW) m yr ' Standing stock biomass was 22 5 g AFDW m-2 Annual PIB ratio was 0 13 and turnover time 7 5 yr

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