Reproductive Biology of Fistularia commersonii (Rüppell, 1838) from the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Alexandria, Egypt | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||||
| Article 114, Volume 28, Issue 5, September and October 2024, Page 1972-1985 PDF (434.99 K) | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2024.389786 | ||||
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| Author | ||||
| Ragheb et al. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| This study is the first to examine the reproductive aspects of the non-indigenous species Fistularia commersonii in the Mediterranean Sea, specifically in Egyptian waters. Monthly variations in maturity stages indicated a prolonged spawning season lasting six months, from June to December. The highest gonado-somatic index (GSI) values were recorded in July, with females averaging 7.768 ± 3.568 and males 0.826 ± 0.261, showing multiple peaks during the season. The highest average hepato-somatic index (HSI) also occurred during the spawning season. The overall sex ratio was F= 1:1.16, showing no significant difference between the sexes (χ² = 3.756; df = 1; P > 0.05). However, during spawning, the Chi-square test revealed a significant difference (χ² = 5.538; df = 1; P < 0.05), with a sex ratio of 1:1.26 for females to males. The length at first sexual maturity (Lm) was 55.215cm total length (TL) for males and 60.0cm TL for females. The reproductive load was determined to be 0.405 for males and 0.441 for females. Absolute fecundity (Fa) ranged from 76,167 to 281,325 for lengths between 60.0 and 100.0 cm TL, with a relationship expressed as Fa = 1.9812 L².55 (R² = 0.947). Relative fecundity (Fr) varied between 1,269 and 2,813 ova per unit length of the fish in centimeters, with the relationship described as Fr = 1.9812 L¹.55 (R² = 0.864). Ova diameter ranged from 0.3 to 3.0mm (mean = 1.00 ± 0.605), displaying a poly-modal distribution. This reproductive study revealed multiple spawning events and a prolonged, indefinite spawning period. With its high fecundity rate and extended spawning season, Fistularia commersonii has become the most dominant non-indigenous species in the Egyptian Mediterranean Sea. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Fistularia commersonii; Sex ratio; Gonadosomatic index; Fecundity; Length at first sexual maturity; Mediterranean Sea; Egypt | ||||
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