Growth performance in fishes: rigorous description of patterns as a basis for understanding causal mechanisms

Abstract

The origins and features of the growth performance index Phi ' are reviewed, emphasizing its ability to express the underlying common characteristics of a family of growth curves. Some other aspects of Phi ' are discussed, notably its correlation, in fishes, with functioned morphology (e.g., gill surface area for respiration) and its conceptual links with auximetric grids, another device proposed by the author for growth comparisons of fishes.