Feeding ecology, age, growth and sexual cycle of the Portuguese sole, Synaptura lusitanica

Author(s):  
Henrique Cabral ◽  
Ana Isabel Catarino ◽  
Joana Figueiredo ◽  
Joana Garcia ◽  
Miguel Henriques

Portuguese sole, Synaptura lusitanica, were collected from the Portuguese coast, between April 2001 and March 2002, to examine feeding habits, age and growth, and sexual cycle. Synaptura lusitanica fed on few prey items, its diet mainly composed of polychaeta, bivalvia and cephalochordata. Significant differences were found between the proportion of prey items according to season, length class of fish and coastal area. The main differences related to fish size were the higher ingestion of bivalvia by larger fish, in the west coast area, and the increase in the important cephalochordata for fish larger than 300 mm total length, in the south coastal areas. Polychaeta presented a lower importance in the spring–summer period while bivalvia increased its values in the autumn–winter period. Cephalochordata were more important in the autumn–winter period, but only for fish larger than 300 mm total length and in the south coastal areas. Vacuity was extremely high (mean value of 52%). Ages of S. lusitanica were determined from sagittae otoliths. The length of fish analysed varied from 157 mm to 480 mm, and the oldest fish was age 8. The von Bertalanffy growth equation parameters differed little between sexes, being the asymptotic length obtained for females higher compared to males. The highest values of the gonadosomatic index were obtained in summer, which was the period when the highest percentage of individuals in the spawning stage were recorded. Therefore, the spawning season seems to be from mid-spring (May) until the end of summer (September).

Author(s):  
Célia M. Teixeira ◽  
Ana Pinheiro ◽  
Henrique N. Cabral

Sand sole, Solea lascaris, were collected along the Portuguese coast, between October 2002 and July 2003, to examine feeding habits, age and growth and sexual cycle. The most important prey items were Mysidacea, Amphipoda and Polychaeta. Differences in diet according to season and length size were found: Amphipoda were very important in diet during winter, while Echinodermata were consumed mostly in summer; smaller individuals feed on Amphipoda while larger feed on Decapoda. Age of S. lascaris was determined from sagittae otoliths. The length of fish analysed ranged from 61 mm to 340 mm. The von Bertalanffy growth equation parameters differed significantly between sexes (L∞ = 342.3 mm, k = 0.50, t0 = −0.87 and L∞ = 264.5 mm, k = 0.82, t0 = 0.13, females and males, respectively). The highest values of the gonadosomatic index were obtained in winter and spring, when the highest proportion of individuals at spawning stage was recorded.


Author(s):  
Nitin Kanji Suyani ◽  
Mridula Rajesh ◽  
Kothanahally Mallegowda Rajesh

Abstract The feeding habits and reproductive biology of red-toothed triggerfish Odonus niger (Ruppell, 1836) was analysed from 449 specimens collected from the Karnataka coast of the south-eastern Arabian Sea. Of the total stomachs examined, only 54 (12%) were empty and 395 contained food remains. The diet comprised crustacean remains (48.0%), zooplankton (21.4%), algae (16.5%), fish remains (6.1%) and cephalopod remains (5.3%) along with partially digested matter (2.3%) and detritus (0.4%). The species was found to be a generalist feeder and an omnivore. The overall sex ratio between males and females (1: 0.44) was significantly (P < 0.05) different. Histological examination of the ovaries indicated asynchronous ovarian development in females, with males maturing earlier than females. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) patterns of males and females, and the presence of ripe ovaries and spermatozoids suggested that April–May is the peak spawning period. The absolute and relative fecundity estimates ranged from 16,464–312,420 eggs and 251–2812 eggs g−1 respectively. Fecundity was positively correlated with total length and body weight. The biological information on diet composition and reproductive traits provided for the first time in this study can facilitate conservation, management and sustainable exploitation of this species in the study area.


Author(s):  
Luis O. Lucifora ◽  
Juan L. Valero ◽  
Claudia S. Bremec ◽  
Mario L. Lasta

The diet of Dipturus chilensis was composed mainly of the nototheniid fish Patagonotothen ramsayi, squid Illex argentinus, hake Merluccius hubbsi, serolid isopods, and crustaceans. Our results suggest that D. chilensis feeds selectively on some teleosts and rejects eel-like fishes. Total length of consumed P. ramsayi was significantly correlated with the skate's mouth width.


Author(s):  
Célia M. Teixeira ◽  
Henrique N. Cabral

Common sole, Solea solea and Senegalese sole, S. senegalensis, were collected between January 2003 and June 2005 from commercial fishing vessels operating with gill-nets and bottom trawls along the Portuguese coast, to examine diet, age and growth and reproduction. Soles fed mainly on crustaceans, polychaetes and bivalves. Feeding activity was highest in summer, for males and for the largest individuals. Significant differences were found between the proportion of prey items according to season, sex and size-class. Common sole presented a wider dietary breadth compared to Senegalese sole. Dietary overlap between the two species was higher for the winter period and for females. Age of soles was determined from sagittae otoliths readings. The length of fish analysed varied between 187 mm and 462 mm (oldest fish 9 years), for S. solea, and between 199 mm and 472 mm (oldest fish 8 years), for S. senegalensis. The von Bertalanffy growth equation coefficients differed between sexes. For both species, the asymptotic length L∞ and growth coefficient k obtained for females were higher compared to those estimated for males. The highest values of the gonadosomatic index were obtained for the winter period, when the highest proportion of individuals at spawning stage was recorded.


Author(s):  
Julio Neves de Araujo ◽  
Agnaldo Silva Martins

Coney (Cephalopholis fulva) otoliths were collected from 1997 to 1999 off the central coast of Brazil. Analysis of the edges of otoliths sections suggests that one translucent and one opaque zone are formed once a year. Coney age and size-ranges were 2–25 years and 172–428 mm total length (TL) respectively. The von Bertalanffy growth equation was TLt=316(1−e−0.138(t+5.301)). The maximum age observed in this study is well above that previously reported for coney.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (06) ◽  
pp. 4620
Author(s):  
Manal M. Khalifa ◽  
Ramadan A. S. Ali ◽  
Abdalla N. Elawad* ◽  
Mohammad El. ElMor

Age and growth characteristics of the thin-lipped Grey Mullet (Liza ramada) were investigated in Eastern coast of Libya. Aging was done by two methods: counting annuli on scales and by length frequency distribution, a total of 218 scales were studied for age determination, in addition of 334 fishes specimen for length frequency distribution reading. Four age groups were determined from scale reading, and five age groups from length frequency distribution methods, the parameters of the Von Bertalanffy growth equation for both sex of all individuals were estimated at 35.4 cm, 0.187 per year, -1.14 years and 2.4, for male were estimated at 35.7 cm, 0.17 per year, -1.367 and 2.3, for female were 38.6 cm, 0.156 per year, -1.383 and 2.4, for L∞, k and t0, and φ′, respectively.


2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Cerna ◽  
Roberto Licandeo

The shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus, is a large pelagic shark with a widespread global distribution. However, very little is known about most aspects of this species for the south-eastern Pacific. In the present paper, the age and growth parameters of the shortfin mako, caught by Chilean swordfish longline fisheries from 2004 to 2005, are reported. Ages were estimated by counting band-pairs from sections of vertebral centra from 547 individuals, ranging from 76 to 330 cm in total length (TL). Trends in the proportion of opaque edges for all ages combined and grouped into ages 0–6 and 7–26 years indicated that they are formed during summer and showed that annually, one band-pair is formed in the vertebrae of shortfin makos. Modal-progression analysis was used to verify the first three age classes (ages 0–2 years). For both sexes, the oldest estimated age was 25+ years. Von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated at L∞ = 325.29 cm TL, K = 0.076 year–1 and t0 = –3.18 years for females and L∞ = 296.60 cm TL, K = 0.087 year–1 and t0 = –3.58 years for males. The results indicated that this species is highly vulnerable to exploitation and, thus, urgent conservation measures are required.


1939 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-228
Author(s):  
Umberto Zanotti-Bianco

In my previous report (JHS, 1938, p. 247) I spoke of the work being carried on at Syracuse to bring to light the remains of the temple of Apollo. The east, north, and west sides had been freed by then, whilst the southern side was still hidden under seventeenth- and eighteenth-century houses, so that it had never been possible to dig trial trenches through their foundations to ascertain if any part of the temple was preserved there. The demolition of the houses and the excavation under the modern ground level beginning from the south-west angle have fully satisfied our hopes. Five columns of the southern flank of the peristasis have appeared, preserved to a height of over 2 metres, with the stylobate beneath them (Fig. 1): only the angle column had been destroyed during the building of the walls of the Spanish barracks. The cella is equally well preserved, and a third of its total length has already been liberated, although the work is in temporary suspense owing to unsettled disputes with the owners of the houses. The southern flank of the archaic Syracusan temple appears to be in much better condition than the others.


2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 319-324
Author(s):  
İsmet Balık

The aim of this study is to estimate population parameters of pontic shad, Alosa immaculata Bennett, 1835 in the Fatsa coast of the south-eastern Black Sea. A total of 314 pontic shad specimens were collected from study area using artisanal fishing gears from March 2013 to February 2014. In the study, parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth equation were found as L∞=43.05 cm; k=0.430 per year and t0=-0.451 year. The growth performance index (Φ') was estimated as 2.90. The total mortality (Z), natural mortality (M), fishing mortality rates (F) were calculated as 1.33 year-1, 0.75 year-1 and 0.58 year-1, respectively. The annual instantaneous fishing mortality rate was greater than both the target (Fopt=0.375 year-1) and limit (Flimit=0.50 year-1) biological reference points. Similarly, the present level of exploitation rate (E=0.43) was higher than the exploitation ratio for maximum yield per recruit (Emax=0.375) suggesting that overexploitation occurred. These results showed that this species has been over-exploited in the Fatsa coast of the south-eastern Black Sea. Measures should be taken to reduce the current exploitation rate for sustainable fishing of pontic shad in the Fatsa coast of the south-eastern Black Sea.


2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Maria Jaramillo-Londono ◽  
Alejandra Vanina Volpedo ◽  
Jose Luis Diaz-Arevalo ◽  
Maria Eugenia Rodrigo-Santamalia ◽  
Vicent Bendito-Dura

This work provides data on the somatic growth and age of selected commercial fish species of the Cullera Coast, Spain. The biological information available that permits responsible fishing management of these species is relatively scarce. This study was conducted in the Bay of Cullera, Spain (39º 12’to 38º 59’N, and 0º 09’to 0º 15’W); and selected benthic fish species were analysed that are frequently fished by trammel nets (mesh size 28-76 mm) at a maximum depth of 30 m. Maturity , age and growth of 63 torpedoes, Torpedo torpedo (L., 1758), 115 red scorpionfish, Scorpaena scrofa Linnaeus, 1758, 280 red mullets, Mullus surmuletus Linnaeus, 1758, 139 stargazers, Uranoscopus scaber Linnaeus, 1758, and 476 Portuguese soles, Dagetichthys lusitanicus de Brito Capello, 1868 were analysed. The data obtained in this study revealed that 50% of individuals of all the species reached sexual maturity at a TL (total length) of 20.0-36.5 cm and at an age of 2-6 years. The von Bertalanffy growth equation derived were: TL=37.0 (1 - e(-0.2(t + 0.33))); TL =31.5(1 - e(-0.38(t + 0.54))); TL =35.5(1 - e(-0.2(t + 2.08))); and TL =34.3(1 - e(-0.14(t + 2.16))) for S. scrofa, M. surmuletus; U. scaber and D. lusitanicus respectively.


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