Tuhinga 3, 1995

Estimating live fish catches from archaeological bone fragments of snapper, Pagrus auratus

Foss Leach and Angela Boocock

ABSTRACT: Five paired cranial bones and the otoliths of a modern sample of 110 New Zealand snapper (Pagrus auratus) were weighed and measured and regression analysis performed against live fork length and ungutted weight. A number of regression models and alternative steps in arriving at estimates were examined. Detailed analysis of residuals was used to distinguish between strategies. Fork length could be estimated with a standard error of less than 20mm, and weight to less than 140 g, For the latter, a two step procedure is suggested, from bone dimension to fork length and from this to live weight, using a sample of 833 fish. Coefficients are provided for 64 equations linking bone size to live characteristics. To reconstruct a size-frequency histogram of a prehistoric fish catch, it is acceptable to measure all bones from a particular species, even though the number of measurements may greatly exceed the MNI (Minimum Number of Individuals) for that species.

Estimating live fish catches from archaeological bone fragments of snapper, ‘Pagrus auratus’ (2.99 MB)