Why do scientists want earbones from Louisiana anglers' fish? 'It's critically important.'

It’s a moment that can spark dread among even the most scrupulously law-abiding Louisiana fishermen.

As you return to the dock after a fine day on the water, solemnly serious men or women in state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries T-shirts approach. The initial, slightly paranoid thought for many anglers: Yikes, did I mismeasure a speckled trout and accidentally keep one slightly under the 13-inch limit ?

But no reason to worry in this case. The Wildlife and Fisheries gang isn’t looking to confiscate your catch.

They only want your fish’s earbones.

It’s not some ritual described in a Dr. John song . The earbones, or otoliths, collected through a quick slice to the head, have revealed a wealth of information on the secret lives of fish to marine biologists, especially age. That i