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Common dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus , spawn at their easternmost Atlantic range adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea
Author(s) -
Medina Antonio,
Abascal Francisco J.,
Varela José L.
Publication year - 2020
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/jfb.14379
Subject(s) - spawn (biology) , fishery , biology , mediterranean climate , fish measurement , mediterranean sea , population , range (aeronautics) , oceanography , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , materials science , demography , sociology , composite material , geology
This study provides sound evidence of the spawning activity of common dolphinfish ( Coryphaena hippurus ) in the Gulf of Cadiz (southwest Spain) during summer months. Along with waters off Côte d'Ivoire, this area adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea is the easternmost Atlantic spawning ground documented for the species. All the fish analysed (5 males and 15 females) were at spawning stage, except the smallest female (61.5 cm in fork length), which might not have yet reached sexual maturation. The oceanographic conditions during the samplings were similar to those occurring during the peak spawning season in the Gulf of Mexico. The study results are consistent with recent genetic studies indicating differentiation between Mediterranean and Atlantic dolphinfish populations, with the Strait of Gibraltar representing a boundary between two distinct reproductive units. The present results may contribute to improve the understanding of the dynamics of dolphinfish population and the management of eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean stocks.