Reproductive biology of the Endangered white‑spotted sand bass Paralabrax albomaculatus endemic to the Galapagos Islands

Abstract

ESR Endangered Species Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials ESR 34:301-309 (2017) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00858 Reproductive biology of the Endangered white‑spotted sand bass Paralabrax albomaculatus endemic to the Galapagos Islands P. Salinas-de-León1,*, A. Bertolotti1,2, C. Chong-Montenegro1, M. Gomes-Do-Régo3, R. F. Preziosi4 1Department of Marine Sciences, Charles Darwin Research Station, Av Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador 2School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK 3Departamento de Morfología e Fisiologia Animal, Universiadae Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil 4Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5GD, UK *Corresponding author: pelayo.salinas@fcdarwin.org.ec ABSTRACT: The white spotted sand bass Paralabrax albomaculatus is a member of the subfamily Serraninae and is endemic to the Galapagos Islands. Locally known as camotillo, it is an important component of the local artisanal fishery that is permitted in the Galapagos Marine Reserve. Despite its Endangered status on the IUCN Red List, and its local socio-economic importance, nothing is known about its life history. The reproductive biology of P. albomaculatus was studied from samples collected between February 2013 and March 2014. Histological examination confirmed functional gonochoristic sexual reproduction. Sex ratios were biased towards females (4.36:1), and although the size distribution of males and females overlapped, the mean ± SD total length (TL) of males (45.9 ± 8.4 cm) was significantly larger than that of females (41.5 ± 7.6 cm). Length at first maturity for females was 37 cm TL. Monthly gonado-somatic indices and the presence of eggs in the hydrated sub-phase suggest a spawning season between October and March, with a reproductive peak between November and January. Given its restricted range and continuous levels of exploitation, a management plan that includes minimum and maximum landing sizes and a seasonal closure during the reproductive season is urgently required for this Endangered Galapagos endemic. KEY WORDS: Camotillo · Serranidae · Small-scale fisheries · Galapagos Marine Reserve · MPA · Management Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Salinas-de-León P, Bertolotti A, Chong-Montenegro C, Gomes-Do-Régo M, Preziosi RF (2017) Reproductive biology of the Endangered white‑spotted sand bass Paralabrax albomaculatus endemic to the Galapagos Islands. Endang Species Res 34:301-309. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00858 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in ESR Vol. 34. Online publication date: November 07, 2017 Print ISSN: 1863-5407; Online ISSN: 1613-4796 Copyright © 2017 Inter-Research.