Preliminary report on the re-initiation of age determination of Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) in Subarea 88.2

This study reports the re-initiation of age determination for Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) in Subarea 88.2. Ages were read for 80 otoliths, and 49 of these were also examined histologically (with ogive fits based on n = 46), thereby initiating efforts to address the long-standing biological information gap for this region. Despite the limited sample size, the age-frequency from Research Block 882_2 provides a preliminary baseline for demographic structure. Using histological criteria, maturity ogives (L50, L95, A50, A95) were estimated, offering initial indicators of size and age at maturity. These results enable preliminary comparisons with adjacent areas (Subarea 88.3 and the Ross Sea), noting that observed differences may reflect Amundsen Sea conditions as well as sampling constraints. Overall, the findings represent an initial step: they establish baseline metrics for future comparison and indicate an intention to expand sampling and comparative analyses in order to prepare for potential integration of age information into assessment models.