Fish Population Dynamic and Stock Assessment

2.2.2. Life span of a fish

The life of fish varies greatly. About 75 percent of the fish species have life span between 2 and 20 years, 60 percent have life span of 5 to 20 years Less than 10 percent have life span of over 30 years (Nikoloskii, 1980.)

The largest fish with longest life span will usually have large predators. The life span of a fish stock is much influenced by food supply, maturation and even the number of recruits released.

One form of the life table takes a cohort of individuals born at the same time and records the numbers remaining alive at regular time intervals until all dead.