Abstract
The fisheries and biology of the dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus were studied between August 1994 and December 1996, using data obtained from the fishery fleet that operates in the area known as Panama Bight. The data showed a seasonal pattern of total catches with peaks from December through April and a total catch during three years of 1322.30 t., demonstrating the migratory pattern of the species. Based on the sex ratio (1 male: 0.96 female) and the reproductive index, the migration was spawning related. The diet is based on fishes (Exocoetidae, Scombridae, and Signathidae), mollusks (Loliginidae) and crustaceans (Portunidae). The relationship of fork length (fl) and total weight for the species was modeled based on the equation Wt = 0.0224 x (fl) 2.78 reflecting allometric growth. The frequency histograms showed lengths between 29 and 197 cm of fork length (35 and 238 cm of total length) with a mode around 105 cm and average length of 98.21 cm. The growth parameters were L ? = 194 cm, K = 0.91 cm/year and t 0 = - 0.1049. Data on C. equiselis , the other species of the same family, are reported.
Highlights
The dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus (Linnaeus, 1758), a migratory pelagic fish with a world distribution and a relatively fast growth, usually lives on oceanic and tropical coastal waters with temperatures over 21°C (Scherbachev, 1973)
The catches of Coryphaena represented a total of 1322.30 t between 1994 and 1996, being the second most important resource on the Pacific coast of Colombia after the snapper (Lutjanidae) and above sharks (Carcharhinidae), which are simultaneously capTHE DOLPHINFISH RESOURCE IN THE PANAMA BIGHT 387 tured
The present study examined the fleet landings in different harbors of the Pacific coast of Colombia, and principally the biology of Coryphaena hippurus in the Panama Bight, between
Summary
The dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus (Linnaeus, 1758), a migratory pelagic fish with a world distribution and a relatively fast growth, usually lives on oceanic and tropical coastal waters with temperatures over 21°C (Scherbachev, 1973). One of the stocks occurs in the area of the Panama Bight, extending from the Ecuador to Costa Rica along the west coast of Central America. The catches of Coryphaena represented a total of 1322.30 t between 1994 and 1996, being the second most important resource on the Pacific coast of Colombia after the snapper (Lutjanidae) and above sharks (Carcharhinidae), which are simultaneously capTHE DOLPHINFISH RESOURCE IN THE PANAMA BIGHT 387 tured. The latter has as local name: toyo blanco
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