Maturity and Fecundity in the Rockfishes, Sebastes spp., a Review

Literature was reviewed for data describing fecundity, maturity, and growth in the ovoviviparous genus Sebastes (rockfishes). Assembled data were examined for patterns associated with geographic location and fish length. Rockfishes display great range in length at maturity (9-52 cm total length) and estimated fecundity at maturity (1,700-417,000 eggs or embryos). Within species, length at maturity usually increases at higher latitudes and tends to be greater for females than males. Among species, length at maturity of females is positively and significantly correlated with maximum length and with the ratio of fecundity at maturity to fecundity at maximum length. Fecundity of rockfishes is not notably lower than oviparous fishes such as snappers (Lutjanidae) andcods (Gadidae).

Maturity, age and growth of Oreochromis karongae (Teleostei: cichlidae) in Lake Malawi and Lake Malombe

Size-at-50% maturity, age and growth, of Oreochromis (Nyasalapia) karongae (‘chambo’) in Lakes Malawi and Malombe were studied. Similar size-at-50% maturity and growth patterns were found for populations in Lake Malawi, but differences were observed for Lake Malombe populations, suggesting that current chambo fisheries management regulations, based on findings from the southern part of Lake Malawi, may be applicable to the central and southern parts of that lake, but not to Lake Malombe.

Staging ovaries of Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus): implications for maturity indices and field sampling practices

We build on recent efforts to standardize maturation staging methods through the development of a field-proof macroscopic ovarian maturity index for Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) for studies on diel spawning periodicity. A comparison of field and histological observations helped us to improve the field index and methods, and provided useful insight into the reproductive biology of Haddock and other boreal determinate fecundity species. We found reasonable agreement between field and histological methods, except for the regressing and regenerating stages (however, differentiation of these 2 stages is the least important distinction for determination of maturity or reproductive dynamics). The staging of developing ovaries was problematic for both methods partly because of asynchronous oocyte hydration during the early stage of oocyte maturation. Although staging on the basis of histology in a laboratory is generally more accurate than macroscopic staging methods in the field, we found that field observations can uncover errors in laboratory staging that result from bias in sampling unrepresentative portions of ovaries. For 2 specimens, immature ovaries observed during histological examination were incorrectly assigned as regenerating during macroscopic staging. This type of error can lead to miscalculation of length at maturity and of spawning stock biomass, metrics that are used to characterize the state of a fish population. The revised field index includes 3 new macroscopic stages that represent final oocyte maturation in a batch of oocytes and were found to be reliable for staging spawning readiness in the field. The index was found to be suitable for studies of diel spawning periodicity and conforms to recent standardization guidelines.

Changes in size and age at maturity of the northern stock of Tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps) after a period of overfishing

The modern fishery for Tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps) developed during the 1970s, offshore of southern New England, in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The population quickly became over exploited, with documented declines in catch rates and changes in demographic traits. In an earlier study, median size at maturity (L50) of males declined from 62.6 to 38.6 cm fork length (FL) and median age at maturity (A50) of males declined from 7.1 to 4.6 years between 1978 and 1982. As part of a cooperative research effort to improve the data-limited Tilefish assessment, we updated maturity parameter estimates through the use of an otolith aging method and macroscopic and microscopic evaluations of gonads. The vital rates for this species have continued to change, particularly for males. By 2008, male L50 and A50 had largely rebounded, to 54.1 cm FL and 5.9 years. Changes in female reproductive schedules were less variable among years, but the smallest L50 and youngest A50 were recorded in 2008. Tilefish are dimorphic, where the largest fish are male, and male spawning success is postulated to be socially mediated. These traits may explain the initial rapid decline and the subsequent rebound in male L50 and A50 and less dramatic effects on females. Other factors that likely contribute to the dynamics of maturity parameter estimates are the relatively short period of overfishing and the amount of time since efforts to rebuild this fishery began, as measured in numbers of generations. This study also confirms the gonochoristic sexual pattern of the northern stock, and it reveals evidence of age truncation and relatively high proportions of immature Tilefish in the recent catch.

Age, size, and sexual maturity of channeled whelk (Busycotypus canaliculatus) in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts

With the southern New England lobster fishery in distress, lobster fishermen have focused more effort toward harvesting channeled whelk (Busycotypus canaliculatus). However, minimal research has been conducted on the life history and growth rates of channeled whelk. Melongenid whelks generally grow slowly and mature late in life, a characteristic that can make them vulnerable to overfishing as fishing pressure increases. We sampled channeled whelk from Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, in August 2010 and in July 2011, studied their gonad development by histology, and aged them by examining opercula. Males had a slower growth rate and a lower maximum size than females. Male whelk reached 50% maturity (SM50) at 115.5 mm shell length (SL) and at the age of 6.9 years. Female whelk reached SM50 at 155.3 mm SL and at the age of 8.6 years. With a minimum size limit of 69.9 mm (2.75 in) in shell width, males entered the fishery at 7.5 years, a few months after SM50, but females entered the fishery at 6.3 years, approximately 2 years before SM50. Increased fishing pressure combined with slow growth rates and the inability to reproduce before being harvested can easily constrain the long-term viability of the channeled whelk fishery in Massachusetts.

Maturity, ovarian cycle, fecundity, and age-specific parturition of black rockfish (Sebastes melanops)

From 1995 to 1998, we collected female black rockfish (Sebastes melanops) off Oregon in order to describe their basic reproductive life history and determine age-specific fecundity and temporal patterns in parturition. Female black rockfish had a 50% probability of being mature at 394 mm fork length and 7.5 years-of-age. The proportion of mature fish age 10 or older significantly decreased each year of this study, from 0.511 in 1996 to 0.145 in 1998. Parturition occurred between mid-January and mid-March, and peaked in February. We observed a trend of older females extruding larvae earlier in the spawning season and of younger fish primarily responsible for larval production during the later part of the season. There were differences in absolute fecundity at age between female black rockfish with prefertilization oocytes and female black rockfish with fertilized eggs; fertilized-egg fecundity estimates were considered superior. The likelihood of yolked oocytes reaching the developing embryo stage increased with maternal age. Absolute fecundity estimates (based on fertilized eggs) ranged from 299,302 embryos for a 6-year-old female to 948,152 embryos for a 16-year-old female. Relative fecundity (based on fertilized eggs) increased with age from 374 eggs/g for fish age 6 to 549 eggs/g for fish age 16.

Geographic and temporal patterns in size and maturity of the longfin inshore squid (Loligo pealeii) off the northeastern United States

Analysis of 32 years of standardized survey catches (1967–98) indicated differential distribution patterns for the longfin inshore squid (Loligo pealeii) over the northwest Atlantic U.S. continental shelf, by geographic region, depth, season, and time of day. Catches were greatest in the Mid-Atlantic Bight, where there were significantly greater catches in deep water during winter and spring, and in shallow water during autumn. Body size generally increased with depth in all seasons. Large catches of juveniles in shallow waters off southern New England during autumn resulted from inshore spawning observed during late spring and summer; large proportions of juveniles in the Mid-Atlantic Bight during spring suggest that substantial winter spawning also occurs. Few mature squid were caught in survey samples in any season; the majority of these mature squid were captured south of Cape Hatteras during spring. Spawning occurs inshore from late spring to summer and the data suggest that winter spawning occurs primarily south of Cape Hatteras.

Length and age at maturity of female petrale sole (Eopsetta jordani) determined from samples collected prior to spawning aggregation

The problem of bias in female petrale sole age and length-at-maturity relationships caused by sampling from spawning aggregations was investigated. Samples were collected prior to aggregation, and histological methods were used to determine maturity status. Mature and immature fish were classified by inspecting oocytes for the presence of yolk in September, when substantial divergence in yolked and unyolked oocyte diameters had been observed. Comparison of macroscopic and microscopic assessment of maturity showed that maturity status cannot be determined accurately by using macroscopic inspection during the summer. Female petrale sole from the central Oregon coast were 50% mature at 33 cm and 5 years of age. Comparison of data from our study with data used in recent petrale sole stock assessments showed that both sampling bias and the use of samples from sea-sons when status cannot be accurately determined have likely caused errors in fitted maturity relationships.