Developmental differences between female and male groups in turbot(Scophthalmus maximus)breeding families

The differences between female and male turbot in morphology and growth were compared using total length/body length(TL/BL), body depth/body length(BD/BL) and total length/body depth(TL/BD) as well as body weight.The comparison results of morphology showed that although TL/BL, BD/BL and TL/BD of the two groups presented respective dynamic changes at different growth stages, the differences of the three proportion indexes did not exist or were not significant except that the differences of BD/BL and TL/BD of 33 months of age were significant, namely, TL/BL, BD/BL and TL/BD between female and male groups were fluctuating simultaneously with time series of growth when the initial weight of the two groups were same or similar.The comparison results of the two groups, growth showed that female groups showed later starting point(14.7), inflection point(24.0) and ending point(33.2), heavier weight at inflection(1 443.56 g) and maximum month gain(103.10 g), longer fast-growing period time interval(18.4 months) and fast-growing body weight intervals(1 666.88 g) and heavier month gain(90.39 g) during fast-growing period than those of male groups.Furthermore, the instantaneous growth rates of female groups was higher than those of male group during months 13.1-33.0.The differences of instantaneous growth rates of the two groups showed an increasing trend with accretion of body weight differences during development.The findings suggest that the differences of the two groups in growth are significant and the differences in morphology are not significant.