Reproduction of the blue jack mackerel, Trachurus picturatus, in western Portugal: microscopic gonad analysis reveals indeterminate fecundity and skipped spawning patterns
Blue jack mackerel, Trachurus picturatus, is the fifth most landed fish species in mainland Portugal, but
information on its reproductive biology is scarce. From September 2018 to August 2019, 626 specimens
were collected from commercial vessels to clarify the reproductive strategy of the T. picturatus population
off the west coast of Portugal. The proportion and length range of males and females were similar. Only
three of the specimens collected were categorized as immature, indicating that the fish caught in the
fishery are primarily mature. The spawning season lasted from late January until the end of March, with
gonadosomatic indices being similar for males and females. Fecundity was indeterminate, and estimated
batch fecundity ranged between 6,798 (at 25.4 cm TL) and 302,358 oocytes (at 33.8 cm TL). The low
number of females showing direct evidence of imminent or recent spawning suggests a low number
of spawning events. In addition, 12.7% of females were considered non-reproductive due to ovary
abnormalities including parasitic infection by Kudoa species, atretic structures and skipped spawning
events. This study highlights the importance of accounting for skipped spawning events and ovary
abnormalities in the management of species fisheries.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio