Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T04:00:34.875Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Life History Traits of Hoplostethus Mediterraneus (Pisces: Beryciformes) From the North-Western Ionian Sea (Mediterranean Sea)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

G. D'onghia
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Bari, Via Orabona, 4–70125 Bari, Italy
A. Tursi
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Bari, Via Orabona, 4–70125 Bari, Italy
C.A. Marano
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Bari, Via Orabona, 4–70125 Bari, Italy
M. Basanisi
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Bari, Via Orabona, 4–70125 Bari, Italy

Extract

The fish Hoplostethus mediterraneus is a bycatch of the deep-water trawling in the north-western Ionian Sea. Data on its life history traits were collected during twelve trawl surveys carried out at two month intervals, between August 1993 and July 1995.

A vertical distribution according to size was observed for this species. The year's young were recruited mainly during the spring-summer period. Sex-ratio changed by size with females larger than males. Mature specimens were found mainly between May and November with a reproductive peak during late summer.

Seasonal growth was detected in the otoliths; the maximum ages of 11 and 10 y were observed in females and males respectively. Von Bertalanffy growth parameters for the whole population were: L3C=287–08 mm, k=0–127 y, to=-2–131. No significant differences were detected between the growth patterns of the sexes. Overall growth perfomance depicted through size-distribution analysis was not significantly different from that obtained by otolith reading.

Estimates of natural mortality rate for the whole population ranged from 0–14 to 0–20. Population structure, growth pattern, age at first maturity and low natural mortality rate indicate a life history mainly constituted by k-strategy characters and regulated by density-dependent mechanisms.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adams, P.B., 1980. Life history pattern in marine fishes and their consequences for fisheries management. Fishery Bulletin. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Washington DC, 78, 112.Google Scholar
Begon, M., 1985. A general theory of life-history variation. Behavioural ecology, (ed. R.M., Sibley & R.H., Smith), pp. 9197. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications.Google Scholar
Bertalanffy, L. von, 1934. Untersuchungen uber die Gesetzlichkeiten des Wachstums. Wilhelm Roux Archiv fur Entwicklungsmechanik der Organismen, 131, 613–52.Google Scholar
Bhattacharya, C.G., 1967. A simple method of resolution of a distribution into Gaussian component. Biometrics, 23, 115135.Google Scholar
Cartes, J.E. & Sarda, F., 1989. Feeding ecology of deep-water aristeid crustacean Aristeus antennatus. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 94, 2734.Google Scholar
Cau, A. & Deiana, A.M., 1982. Contribute alia conoscenza della biologia di Hoplostethus mediterraneus (Valenciennes, 1829) (Osteitti, Bericiformi). Bollettino della Societd Sarda di Scienze Naturali, 21, 185192.Google Scholar
Cushing, D.H., 1981. Fisheries biology, a study in population dynamics, 2nd ed. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.Google Scholar
Cushing, D.H., 1982. Climate and fisheries. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
D'Onghia, G., Matarrese, A., Tursi, A., Sion, L. & Panza, M., 1995. Aspetti della biologia di Hoplostethus mediterraneus (Pisces, Osteichthyes) nel Mar Jonio, riproduzione e accrescimento. Biologia Marina Mediterranea, 2, 251255.Google Scholar
Du Buit, M.H., 1995. Notes preliminaires sur la ponte de l'Hoplostethe (Hoplostethus atlanticus, Trachichthyidae) a l'ouest des lies Britanniques. Cybium, 19, 199200.Google Scholar
Fiorentini, L., Cosimi, G., Sala, A. & Palumbo, V., 1994. Caratteristiche e prestazioni delle attrezzature a strascico impiegate per la Valutazione delle Risorse Demersali in Italia. Biologia Marina Mediterranea, 1, 115134.Google Scholar
Gage, J.D. & Tyler, P. A., 1991. Deep-sea biology. A natural history of organisms at the deep-sea floor. Cambrige University Press.Google Scholar
Giovanardi, O., Romanelli, M. & Fanelli, G., 1989. Distribuzione ed abbondanza degli stadi planctonici di pesci, in particolare clupeiformi, nelle acque del Mar Ionio. Nova Thalassia, 10 Supplement 1, 187194.Google Scholar
Golovan, G.A., 1978. Composition and distribution of the ichthyofauna of the continental slope off north-western Africa. Trudy Instituta Okeanologii. Akademiya Nauk’ SSSR, Kiev, 111, 195258.Google Scholar
Gordon, J.D.M. & Duncan, J.A.R., 1985. The ecology of deep-sea benthic and bentopelagic fish on the slopes of the Rockall Trough, northeastern Atlantic. Progress in Oceanography, 15, 3769.Google Scholar
Gordon, J.D.M. & Duncan, J.A.R., 1987. Aspects of the biology of Hoplostethus atlanticus and H. mediterraneus (Pisces: Berycomorphi) from the slopes of the Rockall Trough and the Porcupine Sea Bight (north-eastern Atlantic). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 67, 119133.Google Scholar
Gunderson, D.R. & Dygert, P.H., 1988. Reproductive effort as a predictor of natural mortality rate. Journal du Conseil, 44, 200209.Google Scholar
Jobling, M., 1995. Enviromental biology of fishes. London: Chapman & Hall. [Fishes and Fisheries Series 16.]Google Scholar
Kotlyar, A.N., 1980. Age and growth speed of the bigheads, Hoplostethus atlanticus Collett and H. mediterraneus Cuvier (Trachichthyidae, Beryciformes). In Fishes of the open ocean (ed. P.V., Shirston), pp. 6888. Moscow: Institute of Oceanography.Google Scholar
Koutsoyiannis, A., 1977. Theory of econometrics: an introductory exposition of econometric methods. Hong Kong: Macmillan Press Ltd.Google Scholar
Macpherson, E., 1983. Ecologia tròfica de peces en las costas de Namibia. I. Hàbitos alimentarios. Resultados Expediciones Cientificas del Buque Oceanografico Cornide de Sauvedra. (Supplemento Investigacion Pesquera), 11, 81137.Google Scholar
Marshall, N.B. & Merrett, N.R., 1977. The existence of a benthopelagic fauna in the deep-sea. Deep-sea research, (Supplement), 483497.Google Scholar
Matarrese, A., D'Onghia, G., Tursi, A. & Basanisi, M., 1996. New information on ichthyiofauna of the south-eastern Italian coasts (Ionian Sea). Cybium, 20, 197211.Google Scholar
Mauchline, J. & Gordon, J.D.M., 1984. Diets and bathymetric distribution of the macrourid fish of the Rockall Trough, northeastern Atlantic Ocean. Marine Biology, 81, 107121.Google Scholar
Maurin, C., 1968. Ecologie ichthyologique des fonds chalûtables Atlantiques (de la baie Ibéro-Marocaine à la Mauritanie et de la Méditerranée occidentale). Revue des Travaux de I'lnstitut des Pêches Maritimes. Paris 32, 1147.Google Scholar
Merret, N.R. & Marshall, N.B., 1981. Observation on the ecology of deep-sea bottom-living fishes collected off north-west Africa (08N27N). Progress in Oceanography, 9, 185–244.Google Scholar
Möller, F., 1979. Manual of methods in aquatic environment research. Part 5. Statistical tests. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper, no. 182, 131 pp.Google Scholar
Munro, J.L. & Pauly, D., 1983. A simple method for comparing growth of fishes and invertebrates. ICLARM Fishbyte, 1, 56.Google Scholar
Nikolsky, G.V., 1963. The ecology of fishes. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Pankhurst, N.W. & Conroy, A.M., 1987. Size-fecundity relationships in the orange roughy, Hoplostethus atlanticus. New Zeland Journal of Marine and Freshwater, 21, 295300.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pankhurst, N.W., Mcmillan, P.J. & Tracey, D.M., 1987. Seasonal reproductive cycles in three commercially exploited fishes from the slope waters off New Zealand. Journal of Fish Biology, 30, 193211.Google Scholar
Papaconstantinou, C. & Caragitsou, E., 1987. The food of hake (Merluccius merluccius) in Greek seas. Vie et Milieu, 37, 2129.Google Scholar
Pauly, D., 1980. On the interrelationships between natural mortality, growth parameters and mean environmental temperature in 175 fish stocks. Journal du Conseil, 39, 175192.Google Scholar
Pauly, D., 1983. Some simple methods for the assessment of tropical fish stocks. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper, no. 234, 52 pp.Google Scholar
Polloni, P., Haedrich, G. Rowe & Clifford, C.H., 1979. The size-depth relationships in deep ocean animals. International Revue der Gesamten Hydrobiologie, 64, 3946.Google Scholar
Rosecchi, E., Tracey, D.M. & Webber, W.R., 1988. Diet of the orange roughy, Hoplostethus atlanticus (Pisces, Trachichthyidae) on Challenger Plateau, New Zeland. Marine Biology, 99, 293306.Google Scholar
Sokal, R.R. & Rohlf, F.J., 1969. Biometry. The principles and practices of statistics in biological research. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman & Co.Google Scholar
Sparre, P., 1987. Computer programs for fish stock assessment. Length-based fish stock assessment (LFSA) for Apple II* computers. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper, no. 101/2, 218 pp.Google Scholar
Sparre, P., Ursin, E. & Venema, S.C., 1989. Introduction to tropical fish stock assessment. Part 1. Manual. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper, no. 306/1, 337 pp.Google Scholar
Taylor, C.C., 1960. Temperature, growth and mortality. The pacific cockle. Journal du Conseil, 26, 117124.Google Scholar
Tortonese, E., 1970. Osteichtyes. In Fauna d'ltalia. Part 1. Pesci Ossei (ed. Calderini, ), pp. 1565. Bologna.Google Scholar
Ware, D.M., 1975. Relation between egg size, growth and natural mortality of larval fish. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 32, 25032512.Google Scholar
Werner, E., 1979. Niche partitioning by food size in fish communities. In Predator and prey system in fisheries management, (ed. H.E., Clepper), pp. 583615. Washington, D.C.: Sport Fishing Institute.Google Scholar