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The reproductive biology of the grey triggerfish Balistes capriscus (Pisces: Balistidae) in the Gulf of Gabès (south-eastern Mediterranean Sea)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 June 2014

Hichem Kacem  and
Lassâd Neifar
Hichem Kacem*
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, Département des Sciences de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sfax, BP 1171, 3000 Sfax, Tunisie
Lassâd Neifar
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, Département des Sciences de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sfax, BP 1171, 3000 Sfax, Tunisie
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: H. Kacem, Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, Département des Sciences de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sfax, BP 1171, 3000 Sfax, Tunisia email: hichemkacem2007@yahoo.fr
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Abstract

Fundamental information on the reproductive biology of the grey triggerfish Balistes capriscus from the Gulf of Gabès (south-eastern Mediterranean Sea) is based on 751 specimens, collected between June 2005 and May 2010, from commercial catches at different fishing ports at Chebba (34°14′N 11°06′E), Kerkennah (34°45′N 11°17′E) and Zarzis (33°41′N 11°48′E). The species were caught in this area using pelagic trawl nets. The calculation of the gonadosomatic index suggested that the spawning season of grey triggerfish occurred mainly between July and mid-September with a peak in July, coinciding with summer time. The first maturation occurred at 20.26 cm fork length for females and 21.3 cm fork length for males. The monthly values of hepatosomatic index and condition factor (K) indicated that the liver was the most severely stressed organ in the reproduction process of energy transfer. The absolute fecundity (F) ranged from 290,120 to 984,990 eggs per female. The fecundity of the species was determined by the size and weight of the individuals.

Keywords

Balistes capriscusfirst maturityfecundityGulf of GabèsTunisia
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 94 , Issue 7 , November 2014 , pp. 1531 - 1537
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2014 

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