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A Spawning Aggregation of Nassau Grouper, Epinephelus striatus (Bloch)
Author(s) -
Smith C. Lavett
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
transactions of the american fisheries society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1548-8659
pISSN - 0002-8487
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8659(1972)101<257:asaong>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - epinephelus , fishery , biology , ovary , grouper , zoology , fish <actinopterygii> , endocrinology
A spawning aggregation, estimated to consist of 30,000 to 100,000 Nassau groupers, occurred during the third week of January 1971 off Cat Cay in the Bahamas. The fish congregated near the edge of deep water and about one‐third were in an unusual color pattern—dark above and light below with some of the usual head markings reversed. Histological sections revealed that both sexes were sexually active; one female had ovulated eggs in the ovary, another had ripe eggs in the ovarian follicles. Fishermen report similar spawning aggregations at selected localities throughout the Bahamas.