Reproduction of Spanish Mackerel, Scomberomorus maculatus, from the Southeastern United States

Abstract

Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus maculatus, were collected during 1977·80 in the Gulf of Mexico and from North Carolina to south Florida during 1980·81 to describe their reproductive biology. The major spawning period extended from May to September in all areas and peaked during the spring and early summer. Most fish were mature at about 350 mm FL, but size at maturity varied between sexes and sampling areas. Males matured at a smaller size than females. Fecundity was estimated from 52 fish from all areas and ranged from about 100,000 eggs for a 328 mm (295 g) fish to 2,113,000 eggs for a 626 mm (2,415 g) fish. Fork length and total weight were equally good predictors of fecundity.

Age and growth of the king mackerel (Scomberomorus Cavalla) off the northeastern coast of Brazil

“…An extensive period of growth band formation was found in adults, suggesting that there may also be a strong influence of reproduction activity, promoting a redirection of energy to gonad maturity and reproduction, with a consequent reduction in somatic growth and possibly leading to the formation of translucent bands. In northeastern Brazil, S. cavalla exhibits full spawning, which is more intense between September and March (FONTELES-FILHO, 1988), coinciding with the period of smaller marginal increments, as observed in the otoliths of adult specimens in the present study. Ximenes et al (1978) found similar results in northeastern Brazil, with reductions in the translucent margins occurring in the otoliths from December to March, corresponding to the period of intense reproduction (GESTEIRA;MESQUITA, 1976).…”

“…At ages of first sexual maturity, females begin to have larges sizes than males for the same age and reach larger asymptotic sizes (Table 3- Figure 8). Off the coast of Ceará, greater growth rates for females beginning in the adult phase stem from their greater voracity -as determined though studies on feeding habits (FONTELES-FILHO, 1988) -which may explain the inversion in growth rates found in the present study beginning in the adult phase.…”

“…In Trinidad, bands are formed from November to February (STURM; SALTER, 1990), matching the period of reproductive activity (September to March). Similarly, in the northern hemisphere, translucent bands are formed from April to June (BEAUMARIAGE, 1973;JOHNSON et al, 1983;MANOOCH et al, 1987), when the reproduction season begins (FINUCANE et al, 1986). Thus, the reproduction process may be related to the formation of growth bands in S. cavalla.…”

“…The states of Ceará (1,579 t) and Bahia (541 t) contributed the largest volumes in the northeastern region, accounting for 59% and 20.2% of the overall catch, respectively (IBAMA, 2004). The S. cavalla is also a major fishing resource in Trinidad (STURM; SALTER, 1990), Venezuela (GRIFFITHS, 1971), the Gulf of Mexico (ARREGUÍN-SÁNCHEZ, 1995) and off the US coast (FINUCANE et al, 1986;COLLINS et al, 1989;Gold et al, 2002).…”

“…The economic importance of the king mackerel in its area of distribution has led to a large number of studies on its growth, the identification of stock units (BEAUMARIAGE, 1973: XIMENES et al, 1978JOHNSON et al, 1983;MANOOCH et al 1987;COLLINS et al, 1989;STURM;SALTER, 1990;ARREGUÍN-SÁNCHEZ et al, 1995;GRIMES, 1997;DEVRIES et al, 2002), reproduction (IVO, 1972;BEAUMARIAGE, 1973;GESTEIRA;MESQUITA, 1976;FINUCANE et al, 1986;STURM;SALTER, 1990), mortality rates and exploitation status (FONTELES-FILHO, 1988;JOHNSON et al, 1983;AGUILAR-SALAZAR, 1991;ARREGUÍN-SANCHEZ et al, 1995;LESSA et al, 2004).…”