Peak Spawning Time Research Articles

Some biological aspects of chacunda gizzard shad, Anodontostoma chacunda (Hamilton, 1822) from the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh

Anodontostoma chacunda is a commercial fish species in the market and is usually consumed in fresh, smoked, and dried forms. This study investigated the population structure, length-weight relationships (LWR), condition factor (KF), size at sexual maturity (Lm), and breeding season of A. chacunda in the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh, using the data collected from January to December 2020. A total of 1061 individuals were collected in the sampling period with the help of fishers. Total length (TL) and body weight (BW) were measured using a measuring board and an electronic balance. The TL ranged from 12.50 to 26.70 cm. The allometric coefficient (b) value was 3.34, indicating positive allometric growth in this species. The fish is in good condition, evidenced by its condition factor (KF) ranging between 0.88 and 1.73. Maturity size ranged from 15.40 to 16.80 cm (TL) based on three distinguished models. Spawning time lasts from January to May and from September to December. The peak spawning time was December of A. chacunda in the Bay of Bengal. This information could prove valuable for fisheries researchers and biologists, facilitating efforts toward the conservation and sustainable management of this species.

Long-term aquarium records delineate the synchronized spawning strategy of Acropora corals.

Aligning spawning timing with seasonal environmental changes is critical for both terrestrial and aquatic organisms. However, mechanisms to regulate reproductive activity in response to environmental factors are not well understood, partly owing to the technical difficulty in maintaining detailed long-term observational data of the reproductive activities in the same population across years. In this study, we present an application of the aquarium system to examine the long-term spawning properties of corals. Spawning records over a 15-year period at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium revealed that the spawning timing of Acropora corals in aquarium tanks aligned well with that of wild corals from a neighbouring reef. Using the aquarium population as a model, we investigated the relationship between key environmental factors and the timing of the first and peak spawning dates of Acropora corals during a 15-year period. The results suggest that the spawning window of each spawning season is largely influenced by the water temperature and that the timing of peak spawning can be fine-tuned in response to environmental fluctuations. This behavioural feature can prevent synchronous spawning events during unfavourable environmental conditions and increase long-term reproductive reliability.

Reproductive biology and length-weight relationship of the Pool Barb Puntius sophore (Hamilton, 1832) in Mymensingh, Bangladesh

The study was conducted within the Freshwater station of the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute in Mymensingh from November 2019 to October 2020. The main objectives were to acquire additional knowledge regarding length-weight connection, condition factor, sex ratio, gonadosomatic index, and fecundity of P. sophore. It was possible to determine the spawning season each month by comparing the levels of the gonadosomatic index for the two sexes. Both sexes of the P. sophore species showed negative allometric growth, as indicated by the length-weight relationships of TW=0.0165TL2.852 for females and TW=0.035TL2.956 for males. For females, the average condition factor was 1.17±0.096, while for males, it was 3.24±0.19. Both times, the condition factor's value was high (>1), demonstrating that both sexes are in good health. From collected fish, 147 (55.12%) of the 264 fish samples that were taken were females, whereas 117 (44.88%) were males (Females: Males=1:0.82). The chi-square test showed that the male-to-female ratio during the sample months was not significantly different from 1:1 (χ2= 0.15, p>0.05). The spawning season extended from May through July, with June representing both sexes' peak spawning time. According to the study, the month of June had the highest absolute fecundity, which was 7829 and the absolute fecundity value was found to be lowest in the month of October 803 with an average value of about 3560 throughout the study period. For the management and protection of this species, this data will be valuable to researchers and those who decide on fisheries policy.

Spawning of Decapterus macrosoma (Bleeker, 1851) “Galunggong” in Tablas Island, Romblon, Philippines: with Inferences on its Reproductive Ecology and Management

Despite its significant contribution as a cheap source of protein and support to a large fishery industry, the biology and ecology of D. macrosoma (Galunggong) remain poorly understood. This study investigates the spawning characteristics vis a vis fisheries management of D. macrosoma in the waters of Romblon Province. The spawning peak in Romblon Pass is during the Hot (May) and Cold (December-January) Seasons, while during Rainy (October) and Hot (May) Seasons in Tablas Strait. The timing of peak spawning of D. macrosoma around Tablas Island varies with that of the South Sibuyan Sea, but generally similar to the breeding traits in Palawan Waters, Manila Bay, and other shortfin scads’ populations in Asian Waters. Initial findings argue that the variations in spawning characteristics of populations in this study are influenced by the rate of exploitation. Areas in Romblon Pass, Southwest Philippine Sea, and North Sulu Sea – show no sign of heavy exploitation. The common peak spawning months in MIMAROPA Waters are May and December, while May, October, and December in Romblon Waters. This can be used as the basis for management decisions to regulate the fishing efforts of D. macrosoma in the Fisheries Management Area no. 5. Keywords : Spatial distribution, reproductive strategies, fisheries management areas

Spawn Timing of Winter-Run Chinook Salmon in the Upper Sacramento River

Spawn timing in anadromous Pacific salmon may be especially sensitive to environmental cues such as river temperature and flow regimes. In this study, we explored correlations between peak spawn timing and water temperature in endangered Sacramento River winter-run Chinook Salmon. In recent drought years, rising water temperatures during egg incubation have negatively affected the winter-run Chinook Salmon population. This paper seeks to understand how winter-run spawn timing may be affected by temperatures during the staging period prior to spawning, and how water releases from Shasta Dam might affect these dynamics. We fit a proportional-odds logistic regression model to evaluate annual spawn timing as a function of average temperatures in April and May below Keswick Dam. While the start date of spawning remains relatively constant from year to year, the timing of peak spawning varies annually. Cool springtime temperatures trigger winter-run Chinook Salmon to spawn earlier, whereas warm springtime temperatures trigger fish to spawn later. Before dam construction, winter-run Chinook Salmon spawned in cool, spring-fed streams that are now inaccessible to migrating salmonids. In their natal spawning grounds, temperature-driven spawn timing would have primarily ensured sufficient time for egg maturation in cool years, while secondarily preventing egg and alevin mortality in warm years. In the current winter-run spawning grounds, the relationship between temperature and spawn timing may have important applications to management of Shasta Dam water releases, especially during conditions when thermal mortality can affect developing winter-run Chinook Salmon eggs.

Spawn Timing of Winter-Run Chinook Salmon in the Upper Sacramento River

Spawn timing in anadromous Pacific salmon may be especially sensitive to environmental cues such as river temperature and flow regimes. In this study, we explored correlations between peak spawn timing and water temperature in endangered Sacramento River winter-run Chinook Salmon. In recent drought years, rising water temperatures during egg incubation have negatively affected the winter-run Chinook Salmon population. This paper seeks to understand how winter-run spawn timing may be affected by temperatures during the staging period prior to spawning, and how water releases from Shasta Dam might affect these dynamics. We fit a proportional-odds logistic regression model to evaluate annual spawn timing as a function of average temperatures in April and May below Keswick Dam. While the start date of spawning remains relatively constant from year to year, the timing of peak spawning varies annually. Cool springtime temperatures trigger winter-run Chinook Salmon to spawn earlier, whereas warm springtime temperatures trigger fish to spawn later. Before dam construction, winter-run Chinook Salmon spawned in cool, spring-fed streams that are now inaccessible to migrating salmonids. In their natal spawning grounds, temperature-driven spawn timing would have primarily ensured sufficient time for egg maturation in cool years, while secondarily preventing mortality in warm years. In the current winter-run spawning grounds, the relationship between temperature and spawn timing may have important applications to management of Shasta Dam water releases, especially during conditions when thermal mortality can affect developing winter-run Chinook Salmon eggs.

Spawning marker patterns of Engraulis ringens of northern Chile

The procedures used to estimate the daily spawning fraction of northern Chile anchovy (Engraulis ringens) have been revised based on information from 17 Daily Egg Production Method (DEPM) survey estimates of the anchovy spawning biomass. The most commonly used spawning marker is postovulatory follicles (POFs). POFs are transitory remnants of the ovulated follicles that remain within the ovary after spawning, until they are fully resorbed. As the process of Postovulatory Follicles (POF) degeneration is continuous, the assignment of POF stages to daily cohorts of spawners can be imprecise. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to review the criteria used to assign females to daily spawning cohorts in anchovy (Engraulis ringens) located off northern Chile. For our first step, we review the peak spawning time using recently fertilized eggs. To study the POF duration, we divided the POF degenerative process into seven stages and then fitted a gamma probability distribution to the hourly POF stage fractions in a daily cycle. This approach is a quantitative, objective way to define the range of time during which the POF stages are present in the samples, as well as the overlap between daily cycles. The hourly distribution of recently fertilized eggs (Stage 1) indicated a strong daily spawning time synchrony that peaked at 4:00 GMT (00:00 local time). We found that the class Day1 cohort (females that spawn on the night before their capture) belongs primarily to POF Stages 1 to 3, with some proportions belonging to POF Stages 4 and 5 according to the capture time. The migratory nucleus (MN) and hydrated (H) phases correspond to the cohort that spawns on the night of capture. The daily spawning fraction estimates the based on the POF or MN and H phases did not show significant differences. Our results indicated an average spawning frequency of four days (S = 0.27 day−1). The prevalence of POFs according to female size follow an asymptotic model of the von Bertalanffy type, indicating an asymptote around 0.27 day−1. The POF presence was higher during cold periods, probably due to a longer period of decay. A general linear model analysis showed that body weight, time of catch and mean temperature significantly influenced the spawning fraction.

Reproductive strategies of Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.) forms in Kiryalta lakes, Transbaikalia, Russia

The divergence of reproductive strategies is an important development toward intraspecific diversification. We describe contrasting spawning patterns of parapatric and sympatric Arctic charr forms in two interconnected lakes Kiryalta-3 and Kiryalta-4 in Transbaikalia for comparison to charr reproduction in nine more lakes of this region. In each Kiryalta lake, two charr forms (small and large) differing in growth and diet are present, in Kiryalta-3 they are morphologically more distinct than in Kiryalta-4. In Kiryalta-3, the spawning of the small form was recorded in autumn and spring suggesting two subpopulations; spawning time of the large form is unknown. In Kiryalta-4, both forms spawn in autumn. Overall, reproductive patterns of Transbaikalian charr vary greatly in spawning time, duration, location, depth, and bottom substrate. Different populations and sympatric forms spawn in early or late autumn, spring, summer, or during more than one season, including the littoral or profundal zone, over rocks or silt, and from 1–2 weeks to at least 7 months. Peak spawning time difference between sympatric forms can reach up to 5 months, and is correlated with morphological and genetic differences. Diversification of reproductive strategies largely contributed to the emergence of exceptionally high diversity of Transbaikalian charr.

Spawning behaviour of Allis shad Alosa alosa: new insights based on imaging sonar data.

Spawning behaviour of Alosa alosa was observed by high resolution imaging sonar. Detected clouds of sexual products and micro bubbles served as a potential indicator of spawning activity. Peak spawning time was between 0130 and 0200 hours at night. Increasing detections over three consecutive nights were consistent with sounds of mating events (bulls) assessed in hearing surveys in parallel to the hydro acoustic detection. In 70% of the analysed mating events there were no additional A. alosa joining the event whilst 70% of the mating events showed one or two A. alosa leaving the cloud. In 31% of the analysed mating events, however, three or more A. alosa were leaving the clouds, indicating that matings are not restricted to a pair. Imaging sonar is suitable for monitoring spawning activity and behaviour of anadromous clupeids in their spawning habitats.

Validation of age determination using otoliths of the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus L.) in the Bay of Biscay

Validation of the age determination procedure using otoliths of European anchovy in the Bay of Biscay was achieved by monitoring very strong year-classes in successive spring catches and surveys, as well as the seasonal occurrence of edge types. Historical corroboration of the ageing method was obtained by cross-correlation between successive age groups by year-classes in catches and surveys (1987–2013). Summary annual growth in length is also presented. Yearly annuli consist of a hyaline zone (either single or composite) and a wide opaque zone, disrupted occasionally by some typical checks (mainly at age-0 and age-1 at peak spawning time). Age determination, given a date of capture, requires knowledge of the typical annual growth pattern of otoliths, their seasonal edge formation by ages and the most typical checks. Most opaque growth occurs in summer and is minimal (translucent) in winter. Opaque zone formation begins earlier in younger fish (in spring), and this helps distinguish age-1 from age-2+.

Reproductive biology of Caspian vimba, Vimba vimba (L.), in the coastal waters of the southwestern Caspian Sea

Abstract The reproduction biology of Caspian vimba, Vimba vimba (L.), was investigated on the southwestern coast of the Caspian Sea using 712 fish specimens collected at three fisheries catch stations located in Talesh, Anzali, and Kiashahr over a two-year period from April 2012 through June 2013. Seasonal changes in the gonadosomatic index, gonad histological status, size frequency distribution of oocytes, and the fecundity of the species were studied. The peaks of the gonadosomatic index (GSI) were observed both in females and males in June 2012 and May 2013 indicating the variable peak spawning time of this species. Histological examinations and oocyte frequency distribution patterns showed synchronous oocyte development in the Caspian vimba. Absolute fecundity ranged from 5873 to 35421 eggs. The size at first maturity for females was 120 mm FL. We concluded that the Caspian vimba is a total spawner with variable spawning dependent on environmental factors.

REPRODUCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF INDONESIA MAHSEER (Tor tambroides, Bleeker, 1854), IN TWO DIFFERENT RIVERS IN WESTERN SUMATERA

The reproductive characteristics of mahseer, Tor. tambroides, were studied in Manna River and Batang Tarusan River, which are located on each side of Western Sumatera River. The reproductive period of T. tambroides is largely consistent with that described for the species in other areas, however monthly variations in the extent and timing of peak spawning are recorded. The analysis of the sex ratio indicates an increase in the percentage of females with size, more marked in largest sizes. Seasonal patterns in the occurrences of spawning showed that the spawning season in Manna River lasted was similar with that in Batang Tarusan River, although a second prominent increase of GSI was observed in April and September in Manna River, meanwhile the GSI of Batang Tarusan River fish were below 2 without an apparent variation. L50s of Manna River and Batang Tarusan River mahseer were estimated as 24.5 cm and 20.66 cm, respectively, indicating a high variability in size at first maturity of the mahseer population. Our study provides some important information on the reproductive biology of T. tambroides that will be helpful in similar studies and contributed to fisheries management of this species.

Ecosystem scale acoustic sensing reveals humpback whale behavior synchronous with herring spawning processes and re-evaluation finds no effect of sonar on humpback song occurrence in the Gulf of Maine in fall 2006.

We show that humpback-whale vocalization behavior is synchronous with peak annual Atlantic herring spawning processes in the Gulf of Maine. With a passive, wide-aperture, densely-sampled, coherent hydrophone array towed north of Georges Bank in a Fall 2006 Ocean Acoustic Waveguide Remote Sensing (OAWRS) experiment, vocalizing whales could be instantaneously detected and localized over most of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem in a roughly 400-km diameter area by introducing array gain, of 18 dB, orders of magnitude higher than previously available in acoustic whale sensing. With humpback-whale vocalizations consistently recorded at roughly 2000/day, we show that vocalizing humpbacks (i) were overwhelmingly distributed along the northern flank of Georges Bank, coinciding with the peak spawning time and location of Atlantic herring, and (ii) their overall vocalization behavior was strongly diurnal, synchronous with the formation of large nocturnal herring shoals, with a call rate roughly ten-times higher at night than during the day. Humpback-whale vocalizations were comprised of (1) highly diurnal non-song calls, suited to hunting and feeding behavior, and (2) songs, which had constant occurrence rate over a diurnal cycle, invariant to diurnal herring shoaling. Before and during OAWRS survey transmissions: (a) no vocalizing whales were found at Stellwagen Bank, which had negligible herring populations, and (b) a constant humpback-whale song occurrence rate indicates the transmissions had no effect on humpback song. These measurements contradict the conclusions of Risch et al. Our analysis indicates that (a) the song occurrence variation reported in Risch et al. is consistent with natural causes other than sonar, (b) the reducing change in song reported in Risch et al. occurred days before the sonar survey began, and (c) the Risch et al. method lacks the statistical significance to draw the conclusions of Risch et al. because it has a 98–100% false-positive rate and lacks any true-positive confirmation.

Linking lipid dynamics with the reproductive cycle in Baltic cod Gadus morhua

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 471:215-234 (2012) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps10012 Linking lipid dynamics with the reproductive cycle in Baltic cod Gadus morhua Maria C. Røjbek1,*, Charlotte Jacobsen2, Jonna Tomkiewicz1, Josianne G. Støttrup1 1National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Charlottenlund Castle, 2920 Charlottenlund, Denmark 2National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark *Email: mar@aqua.dtu.dk ABSTRACT: This study describes lipid composition and antioxidants of Baltic cod Gadus morhua L. during the reproductive cycle, and investigates whether they reflect its dominant prey and whether levels of fatty acids important for reproductive performance were low. Reasons for a shift in peak spawning time of Baltic cod from spring/early summer to midsummer since the early 1990s remain unresolved and may partly be diet related. This study demonstrated that a substantial amount of lipid was invested in cod ovarian development, and that lipid composition varied substantially with the reproductive cycle. Selective retention of the essential fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) in ovaries during maturation was evident, but despite mobilization from the liver, ARA levels were low in ovaries during late maturation and spawning. Astaxanthin and α-tocopherol accumulated in cod ovaries and decreased in late maturing and spawning fish, most likely due to their antioxidant protection activity. The fatty acid composition of cod liver reflected its clupeid prey. The ratio of 18:1n-9 to DHA was almost twice as high in sprat as in herring and indicated the ratio of sprat and herring in cod diet, while the level of 16:1n-7 and astaxanthin indicated the presence of the isopod Saduria entomon in cod diet. It is likely that food web alterations in the Baltic ecosystem related to environmental and hydrographic changes caused a decrease in ARA availability. Low ARA content coincides with cod ovarian development in the central Baltic Sea, and may be associated with the delay in spawning and affect egg and larval survival; however, this needs further verification in experimental studies. KEY WORDS: Arachidonic acid · Astaxanthin · Baltic Sea · Fatty acid composition · Maturation · Predator–prey relationship · Reproduction · Trophic interaction Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Røjbek MC, Jacobsen C, Tomkiewicz J, Støttrup JG (2012) Linking lipid dynamics with the reproductive cycle in Baltic cod Gadus morhua. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 471:215-234. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps10012 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 471. Online publication date: December 19, 2012 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2012 Inter-Research.

Shifts in the timing of spawning in sole linked to warming sea temperatures

Phenotypic traits such as peak spawning time may vary within and differ between populations in relation to environmental factors, such as temperature. Sole (Solea solea) is a valuable, commercially exploited species that spawns in late winter or spring. The date of peak spawning was estimated for each year for seven stocks from monthly fish samples collected from commercial fisheries since 1970. Four out of seven stocks showed a significant long-term trend towards earlier spawning (Irish Sea, east-central North Sea, southern North Sea, eastern English Channel) at a rate of 1.5weeks per decade. The other three stocks (Bristol Channel, western English Channel and western-central North Sea) failed to show a relationship, but the available time series were limited for these stocks (<10years). Sea surface temperature during winter significantly affected the date of peak spawning, although the effect differed between stocks. The implications of the effect of winter temperature on the timing of spawning for the population dynamics are discussed.

Spatial and interannual variability in Baltic sprat batch fecundity

Absolute and relative batch fecundity of Baltic sprat ( Sprattus sprattus balticus S.) during peak spawning time was investigated for several years over the last two decades by applying the hydrated oocyte method. Batch fecundity was analysed for three important spawning areas of sprat in the central Baltic Sea, namely the Bornholm Basin, Gdansk Deep and Southern Gotland Basin. Environmental parameters such as hydrography, fish condition and stock density were tested in order to investigate the observed variability in sprat fecundity. Absolute batch fecundity was found to be positively related to fish length and weight. Significant differences in absolute and relative batch fecundity of Baltic sprat among areas and years were detected, and could partly be explained by hydrographic features of the investigated areas. A non-linear multiple regression model taking into account fish length and ambient temperature explained 70% of variability in absolute batch fecundity. Oxygen content and fish condition were not related to sprat batch fecundity. Additionally, a negative effect of stock size on sprat batch fecundity in the Bornholm Basin was revealed. The obtained data and results are important to assess the stock reproductive potential of this important Baltic fish stock.

A re-evaluation of the spawning fraction estimation procedures for Bay of Biscay anchovy, a species with short interspawning intervals

The estimation procedures of the spawning fraction (S) of the Bay of Biscay anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), a species with short spawning intervals, have been revised using the samples collected in 14 surveys for the application of the daily egg production method in the period 1990–2007. Towards this aim, the procedure to assign mature females to daily spawning classes was first improved by incorporating all the available knowledge on final oocyte maturation and degeneration of post-ovulatory follicles (POFs) in a matrix system which defines the probabilities of females with either of these histological indicators belonging to pre- and post-spawning daily classes according to the time of capture. Subsequently several S estimators and their biases were evaluated: The proportion of day_0 and day_1 spawners showed a high consistency over a 24-hour cycle around the mean S value of 0.395 (CV=18%), although some oversampling of day_0 females, up to 0.48, was observed around peak spawning time (at 23:00 hours). Individual daily spawning classes had a clumped distribution, resulting in strong negative correlation (−0.73) between day_0 and day_1 spawners. For all these features the mean proportion of day_0 and day_1 S(0+1), was practically unbiased and slightly more precise than the traditional S(1) corrected estimator (based upon the proportion of day_1 females, corrected for oversampling of day_0). The new estimates were very similar throughout the study period and were independent of the fishing gear or sampling time. Female size had a small but significant influence on S. In support of the high spawning fraction recorded, it is shown that many females received a double allocation to a pre and a post spawning daily class; this allowed an alternative estimation of S based upon the reciprocal of the individual spawning frequencies of females which produced a result very consistent with the other S estimators.

Fishery biology of the jumbo flying squid &lt;i&gt;Dosidicus gigas&lt;/i&gt; off the Exclusive Economic Zone of Chilean waters

The jumbo flying squid Dosidicus gigas is widely distributed in the eastern Pacific Ocean and supports an important fishery. Although many studies have been carried out on the biology of this species, limited biological information is available in the waters outside the Exclusive Economic Zone of Chile (EEZ) (20°S-41°S and 74°30’W-84°W). Three surveys were conducted in this area by the Chinese squid jigging vessels during the period from April 2006 to May 2008. The majority of the catch in the survey was from the two areas defined by 37°30’-41°S and 78°30’-80°W and by 25°-30°S and 76°-77°30’W. The sex ratio (M: F) of the catch was 1: 2.48. The mean mantle length (ML) was 376 mm for males with a range of 257-721 mm and 388.7 mm for females with a range of 236-837 mm. Two distinguished size classes, medium- and large-sized groups, were identified in this study with the medium-sized group (350-450 mm ML) consisting of 89% of the total catch. The sizes at first sexual maturity were 638 mm ML for females and 565 mm ML for males. This study suggests that all the individuals examined were hatched from March 2007 to February 2008, indicating that D. gigas might spawn all year around with a peak spawning time from November 2007 to January 2008. Most of the stomachs analyzed had food remains. The preys included three major groups: fish (mainly lanternfish), cephalopods and crustaceans, but D. gigas was the dominant species in the stomach contents, showing strong evidence of cannibalism. The information obtained from this study improves our understanding of the fishery biology of D. gigas off Chile.

Synchronous reproduction may facilitate introgression in a hybrid mussel ( Mytilus) population

Mussel populations on the Irish Atlantic coast comprise an interbreeding mixture of the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis (L.) and the Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lmk.). The occurrence of hybrid genotypes varies between sites but can be as high 80%. This study compares the reproductive cycle of M. edulis, M. galloprovincialis and their hybrids to determine if the extensive hybridisation observed at Irish Atlantic coast sites is linked to spawning synchrony between the two taxa. Mussels (40–45 mm size class) were collected monthly from a sheltered shore in Galway Bay from January to December 2005. Two major spawning events (March–June and September–October) were observed and gametogenesis took place throughout the year. The spawning cycles of the three taxa were largely overlapping. Small differences were observed in the timing of peak spawning which occurred in March and October in M. galloprovincialis and in May–June and September in M. edulis. Spawning of hybrid individuals was intermediate between the parental genotypes. Fecundity was slightly higher in M. galloprovincialis females compared to the other taxa (up to 30% difference, P < 0.05). This advantage, which is not shared by males, may be offset by high numbers of hybrid genotypes releasing gametes during peak spawning of M. galloprovincialis. There was no evidence of the increased mortality in hybrid males; sex ratios did not deviate from the 1:1 ratio. The results show that in this region of the hybrid zone the timing of reproduction does not present a barrier to gene flow between M. edulis and M. galloprovincialis. However, there are small differences in the timing of peak spawning between the taxa thus preventing the complete introgression of the genotypes. Hybrids outnumber the parental genotypes, undergo complete gametogenesis and show no evidence of depressed fitness (i.e. hybrids are reproductively successful) suggesting a high degree of introgression.

DISENTANGLING THE EFFECTS OF EVOLUTIONARY, DEMOGRAPHIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS INFLUENCING GENETIC STRUCTURE OF NATURAL POPULATIONS: ATLANTIC HERRING AS A CASE STUDY

The spatial structuring of intraspecific genetic diversity is the result of random genetic drift, natural selection, migration, mutation, and their interaction with historical processes. The contribution of each has been typically difficult to estimate, but recent advances in statistical genetics have provided valuable new investigative tools to tackle such complexity. Using a combination of such methods, we examined the roles of environment (i.e., natural selection), random genetic processes (i.e., drift), and demography and life histories (e.g., feeding migrations) on population structure of a widely distributed and abundant marine pelagic fish of economic importance, Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus). Individuals were collected during peak spawning time from 19 spawning locations spanning the region from the western North Sea to the eastern Baltic Sea (N= 1859, eight microsatellite loci). We carried out separate analyses of neutral and selected genetic variation, which allowed us to establish that the two most important factors affecting population structure were selection due to salinity at spawning sites and feeding migrations. The genetic signal left by the demographic history of herring, on the other hand, seems to have been largely eroded, which is not surprising given the large reproductive potential and presumed enormous local effective population sizes of pelagic fish that constrain the effect of stochastic processes. The approach we used can in principle be applied to any abundant and widely distributed aquatic or terrestrial species.