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Gonad maturation and spawning times of Siganus sutor off the Keny a coast: evidence for definite spawning seasons in atropical fish
Author(s) -
Ntiba M. J.,
Jaccarini V.
Publication year - 1990
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.1095-8649.1990.tb05862.x
Subject(s) - biology , gonad , fish <actinopterygii> , development of the gonads , fishery , sexual maturity , reproductive cycle , zoology , reproduction , ecology , anatomy
The gonad maturation cycle of Siganus sutor (Valenciennes, 1835) (Osteichthyes‐Siganidae) is described for both males and females using macroscopic criteria for the testes and both macroscopic and microscopic ones for staging the ovaries. Siganus suror has two major spawning seasons: one in January/February and the other in May/June. The presence of these seasons is established by (a) the temporal variations in the condition factor and in the relative weight of the gonads, (b) the progression of peaks of maturity stages with seasonal occurrence of spent fish in the samples, and (c) the seasonal appearance ofjuveniles. This is a significant result for a tropical marine fish.