Spawning and maturity traits of coexisting Platycephalidae (Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus, Platycephalus grandispinis, Platycephalus richardsoni) from southeast Australia.

Abstract

Examination of the spawning and maturity traits of coexisting Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus, Platycephalus grandispinis and Platycephalus richardsoni (Pisces: Platycephalidae) in coastal waters of southeastern Australia identified many commonalities. Each species was gonochoristic, reproductively active for a prolonged period each year, displayed asynchronous oocyte development with indeterminate fecundity and thus likely spawned multiple times throughout each spawning season. Males of all three species matured at smaller total lengths and younger ages than females, with skewed sex ratios reflecting divergent growth characteristics between sexes. Reproductive isolation among species is likely maintained through behavioural and morphological factors as well as species-specific depth-related separation of reproductively active individuals. General similarities in the reproductive strategies of each species and with other sympatric coastal teleosts suggest similar ecological adaptations to a variable coastal environment.