One annulus formed on the scales of farmed red porgy Pagrus pagrus each year during March and one opaque zone on the otoliths during June. Scales proved to be more sensitive than otoliths in recording the life history of the red porgy. A false annulus (ring of capture) was observed on the scales of the 0+ age group, but not on the otoliths. A gradual lengthening of the period of annulus formation was observed, from the younger...

Developmental instability, measured as fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in bilateral traits, has been used widely as an indicator of genetic or environmental stress in a variety of plant and animal taxa. FA arises as small deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry which reflect ‘mistakes’ in developmental processes resulting from the inability of the genotype to buffer itself effectively against environmental perturbations. Recentl...