Castro Gutiérrez, JairoMadera Santana, SaraRodríguez García, CarlosDomínguez Bustos, Ángel RafaelSarmiento Carbajal, JésicaGonçalves Neto, José BelquiorCabrera Castro, Remedios2024-03-012024-03-012023Castro‐Gutiérrez, J., Madera‐Santana, S., Rodríguez‐García, C., Domínguez‐Bustos, Á. R., Sarmiento‐Carbajal, J., Gonçalves‐Neto, J. B., & Cabrera‐Castro, R. (2023). Exploring morphometric frontiers: A comprehensive study of otolith growth patterns in brown comber "Serranus hepatus" (Linnaeus, 1758). In Journal of Fish Biology. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.155440022-11121095-8649 (electrónico)https://hdl.handle.net/10272/23308Otoliths are widely employed in marine sciences to gain insights into fish growth, age, migrations, and population structure. This study investigates the relationships between morphometric measurements, otolith characteristics, and length size patterns in the brown comber (Serranus hepatus) from the Gulf of Cádiz, a species discarded in artisanal trawl fisheries. Our findings reveal significant changes in otolith shape indices as fish grow, with symmetry observed between left and right otolith measurements. Otolith size is found to be related to fish size, supporting its use in estimating body length at different life stages. Otolith shape analysis has potential applications in stock identification, detecting catch misreporting, and studying marine predator diets. Combining otolith shape analysis with other data types can clarify relationships among taxa and inform spatial management strategies, contributing to the long-term sustainability of fish populations and the assessment of the impact of management strategies on fish size and growth. This study enhances our understanding of the broader implications of morphometric and otolith analyses in fisheries research and supports the development of more sustainable fisheries management practices.engAtribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 3.0 Españahttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/Artisanal trawl fisheriesDiscardsMorphometricsOtolith analysisStock identificationjournal article10.1111/jfb.15544open access2401 Biología Animal (Zoología)