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Sex ratios and hermaphroditism in nemipterid fish from northern Australia
Author(s) -
Young P. C.,
Martin R. B.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1985.tb04266.x
Subject(s) - biology , sex change , sex ratio , zoology , fish <actinopterygii> , ecology , fishery , demography , population , sociology
Of 13 nemipterid species from coastal waters around northern Australia, nine show size‐related differences in sex ratio with males predominating at larger sizes. Histological examination of gonads shows that in Scolopsis monogramma S. taeniopterus and S. bilineatus this size‐related skew in sex ratio results from protogynous hermaphroditism and not from sexually differentiated growth rates as has been reported for other nemipterid species. There is also evidence that, in two other species, Nemipterus peronii and Pentapodus porosus , hermaphroditism may occur. Although the mechanism by which the gonads are transformed in S monogramma and S. taeniopterus differ markedly, there is evidence to suggest that in both species sex change is a post spawning event, successful initiation of which may require females to have achieved an advanced stage of vitellogenisis.