Growth and mortality of Sphoeroides testudineus (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) in a tropical coastal lagoon in northwestern Yucatán Peninsula

Abstract

This study reports growth parameters and mortality for Sphoeroides testudineus from La Carbonera, a karstic tropical coastal lagoon on the northwestern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. A total of 461 specimens were collected between April 2009 and March 2010. We obtained the length-weight relationship and the growth parameters of von Bertalanffy growth model (VBGM) by length frequency analysis. Additionally, mortality was estimated and analyzed. Exponent b indicated an isometric growth pattern. The growth parameters of VBGM were: L ∞ = 29.50 cm, k= 0.77 year-1 and t 0 =-0.168 years. The instantaneous natural mortality was 1.53 year-1 .

Length-weight relationships and growth parameters of two endemic fish species (Floridichthys polyommusHubbs, 1936 andFundulus persimilisMiller, 1955) from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

“…Specimens were obtained with a small purse seine, euthanized in ice slurry, preserved in formaldehyde (4%) and transported to the laboratory where total length (LT, ±1 mm) and weight (W, ±0.1 g) were obtained. Data were grouped by sex and also as juveniles and adults considering the gonadic development and the L 50 (Bonilla‐Gómez et al., ; Tzeek‐Tuz et al., ).…”

Temporal variation, growth and natural mortality of two species of mojarras (Perciformes: Gerreidae) from a tropical coastal lagoon: La Carbonera, Yucatan, Mexico

“…season (Bonilla-Gómez et al 2011). Therefore, salinity and temperature prompted a shift in abundances by season, especially when north winds prevailed.…”

“…Study area: La Carbonera coastal lagoon lies on the northwestern Yucatan peninsula, Mexico (21° 13' -21° 14' N; 89 °52' -89° 54' W; Fig. 1) (Bonilla-Gómez et al 2012). It is connected to the sea by a channel formed in 1988 by Hurricane Gilbert and is fringed with Rhizophora mangle stands and a sand barrier.…”

“…Collected fish and environmental data were classified to analyze seasonal variations under three climatic seasons: dry (D: March-June), rainy (R: July-October), and northerly winds (locally known as nortes) (NW: November-February) according to Bonilla-Gómez et al (2012). April 2010 was not included in this analysis.…”

Peer Review #1 of "A comparison of blood gases, biochemistry, and hematology to ecomorphology in a health assessment of pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) (v0.1)"

“…In the Western Atlantic, pinfish (L. rhomboides) are among the most dominant members of near-shore estuarine communities (Reid Jr 1954;Hansen 1969;Stoner 1980), and are ubiquitous across a variety of habitats from New England to Florida as well as the northern Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan Peninsula (Orth and Heck 1980;Stoner and Livingston 1984;Bonilla-Gómez et al 2011). With seasonal abundances capable of altering the composition of estuarine epifaunal seagrass communities (Stoner 1982), these fish form the prey base for many larger fishes at higher trophic levels (Schmidt 1986;Bethea et al 2006).…”