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Some aspects of reproductive biology of Gobius paganellus (Gobiidae) on the north-eastern coasts of Tunisia (Bizerta lagoon)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 August 2013

Ibtissem Louiz ,
Mossadok Ben Attia  and
Oum Kalthoum Ben Hassine
Ibtissem Louiz*
Affiliation:
Unité de Recherche de Biologie Intégrative et Écologie Évolutive et Fonctionnelle des Milieux Aquatiques, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis-El-Manar, 2092 El Manar, Tunisie Laboratoire de Biosurveillance de l'Environnement, Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, 7021 Zarzouna, Tunisie
Mossadok Ben Attia
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Biosurveillance de l'Environnement, Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, 7021 Zarzouna, Tunisie
Oum Kalthoum Ben Hassine
Affiliation:
Unité de Recherche de Biologie Intégrative et Écologie Évolutive et Fonctionnelle des Milieux Aquatiques, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis-El-Manar, 2092 El Manar, Tunisie
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: I. Louiz, Unité de Recherche de Biologie et Écologie, Évolutive et Fonctionnelle des Milieux Aquatiques, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis-El-Manar, 2092 El-Manar, Tunisie email: louizibtissim@yahoo.fr
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Abstract

The rock goby, Gobius paganellus one of the most common gobiid fish in Bizerta lagoon (north-east of Tunisia), is a gonochoric species that belongs to the Gobiidae family. This study provides the first detailed information of its reproductive biology in lagoon environments. Gobius paganellus was sampled monthly from January 2005 to December 2006 involving 1486 specimens. Total length distribution ranged between 38 and 125 mm. The maximum recorded total lengths were, respectively, 122 mm and 125 mm for female and male. Over the entire population, the sex-ratio was unbalanced in favour of females. According to months, a predominance of females sex-ratio was recorded during the spawning period while according to body size, males were dominating among larger size-classes. In both sexes, the variation of the gonadosomatic index (GSI) was independent of size. Macroscopic and microscopic examination of the gonads added to the monthly monitoring of gonadosomatic index and hepatosomatic index showed that gonads development begins in October and spawning period extends from December to March. The cyclic pattern of gonads development was determined by histology. Results indicated that G. paganellus exhibits a group-synchronous oocyte development. The sizes of first sexual maturity related to 50% of mature individuals were 78.3 mm (CI95: 77–84 mm) for males and 79 mm (CI95: 75–85 mms) for females. The discussion part underlined the impacts of some environmental factors and antropization of this lagoon on sexual cycle of G. paganellus.

Keywords

Gobius paganellusreproductiongonad structuresex-ratiosize at sexual maturityenvironmental factorsBizerta lagoon

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 93 , Issue 8 , December 2013 , pp. 2235 - 2246
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2013 

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