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Seasonal reproductive cycles in three commercially exploited fishes from the slope waters off New Zealand
Author(s) -
Pankhurst N. W.,
McMillan P. J.,
Tracey D. M.
Publication year - 1987
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.1095-8649.1987.tb05745.x
Subject(s) - biology , reproductive cycle , fishery , oceanography , spawn (biology) , zoology , ecology , reproduction , geology
Reproductive cycles were investigated in orange roughy, Hoplostethus atlanticus , smooth oreo, Pseudocyttus maculatus , and black oreo dory, Allocyttus sp., from mid‐slope waters (600–1300 m) around New Zealand from 1982 to 1985. Orange roughly displayed a mid‐winter spawning period in July and August, whereas both dory species spawned in November and December. In all three species, the timing of spawning was consistent from year to year. Ovarian development in orange roughy and black oreo dory was found to be synchronous, with a single clutch of oocytes being matured for each spawning season. In males, testes of a given macroscopic stage were dominated by a single gamete stage, supporting the existence of a brief rather than prolonged spawning period. The possible relationship of spawning period to seasonal changes in the productivity of the surface water is discussed.