Sectioned sagittal otoliths were used to determine ages of vermilion snapperRhomboplites aurorubenscollected from the South Atlantic Bight (SAB) by trawl, trap, and hook-and-line gear during 1979–1993. Annulus formation, validated by marginal increment analysis of ages 1–8, occurred from June to August, the peak spawning period for vermilion snapper. Ages ranged from 0 to 12 years for each sex. No significant difference was found for size at age between males and females. The von Bertalanffy growth equation for vermilion snapper taken during 1979–1981 was TLt= 562{1 – exp[–0.202(t+ 0.117)]}, where TLt= total length (mm) at age andt= age in years. The length–weight relationship wasw= 2.147 × 10−5TL2.899, wherew= whole fish weight in grams. Weighted mean back-calculated lengths at age, compared by analysis of variance for five 3-year periods, declined from 1979–1981 through 1982–1984 to 1985–1987. but did not change significantly during 1985–1993. The temporal decrease in size at age did not appear to result from gear selectivity, sampling strategies, or the varying depths and latitudes of sampling areas, but reflected changes in growth that may have been caused by overfishing. In general, caution should be used when growth parameters derived from an overfished population are used to evaluate the biological impacts of fisheries management actions.