Aspects of the biology of the Antarctic dragonfish Gerlachea australis (Notothenioidei: Bathydraconidae) in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica

The Antarctic dragonfish Gerlachea australis is one of the most common bathydraconid species within the fish community of the Filchner Depression in the Weddell Sea. Nevertheless, several biological aspects of this species remain poorly known. The aim of this study was to provide new data on its population structure in terms of size, sex and age through sagittal otolith readings, as well as some reproductive traits based on macroscopic and histological analyses of gonads. The sex ratio in the sampled population was 1:1, with males being significantly smaller than females. Both sexes attained maximum age estimates of 14 years. Based on a von Bertalanffy growth model, females showed a higher asymptotic length than males at a comparable growth rate, thus reaching a higher growth performance. The spawning season was spread over a relatively long period, lasting at least from late December through late February. The reproductive effort in terms of fecundity and egg size diameter was similar to that of other bathydraconids, ranging from 739 to 1260 eggs/female and 3.2 mm after hydration, respectively. The fish size at first spawning ( TL50) was 18.5 and 22.5 cm in males and females, corresponding to 80% of their maximum size. G. australis exhibited a combination of life history traits found in other high-Antarctic notothenioids, such as long gametogenesis, large eggs associated with low fecundity, relatively rapid body growth until reaching a delayed sexual maturity, moderate longevity and maximum size, and overall low growth performance

Reproductive tactics of the freshwater fish Brycon guatemalensis (Teleostei: characidae) in the lake Nicaragua

12 páginas, 8 figurasThe Machaca Brycon guatemalensis is a tropical freshwater fish widely distributed in Central America continental water, and recognized to have potentiality for further fisheries development and recreational fishing opportunities in the Lake Nicaragua. The species presents a protracted spawning season that last 8 months. Both small and large females start spawning activity in July, but this is females size-dependent. The female length at 50 % maturity based on histological procedures was 27.3 cm, which differs from the ones previously reported based on the gonad macroscopic observations (34.9 cm). The present study indicates that B. guatemalensis has determinate fecundity and group-synchronous type ovarian organization. The studies of the potential annual fecundity of the species show that this allometrically increases above three with female size, indicating that larger females produce more eggs than predicted by weight. These results can be incorporated in the current fishery management to promote sustainabilityThe frame-work referenceforthisstudy was the project: “ Apoyo a la actividad pesquera de las comunidades pesqueras artesanales del Lago de Nicaragua (Cuenca Río Mayales-Departamento de Chontales) y Río San Juan ” , initiated in 2003 by the local institution (INPESCA- Instituto Nicaraguense de la Pesca y Acuicultura) and financially supported by the Span- ish International Cooperation Agency (AECI) under the follow up of the Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas (IIM-CSIC)Peer reviewe