A method for age determination of Antarctic toothfish from otoliths based on generally accepted approaches and the proposed process for preparing age samples using modern instruments is presented. Age samples prepared in this way allow more accurate reading of age rings, improve the possibility of more reliable localization of the sites of otolith nucleus formation. As an example of the practical use of the proposed process for preparing age samples, data on the length and age composition of toothfish from the catches of the Russian longline SRTM Sparta in the Ross Sea in the 2018/19 season are presented.
Toothfish in the catches is represented by a length from 70 to 178 cm, with a modal length of 135 cm, aged from 5 to 26 years with modes of age cohorts of 13 years, 15 years.