Aspects of the biology of four Species of Sciaenidae from the East Coast of South Africa
In: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. Academic Press: London; New York. ISSN 0272-7714; e-ISSN 1096-0015, more
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| Keywords |
Chordata > Vertebrates > Fishes > Osteichthyes > Perciformes > Sciaenidae
Marine/Coastal |
| Abstract |
The biology of four Indo-Pacific sciaenid species, Otolithes ruber (Schneider, 1801), Atrobucca nibe (Jordan & Thompson1911), Johnius dussumieri (Cuvier, 1830) and Johnius amblycephalus (Bleeker, 1855), occurring off the KwaZulu-Natalcoast, is described. Samples were collected from prawn trawlers, beach-seine netters and boat anglers from May 1989 toFebruary 1994. Biological data include: length composition, length-weight relationships, sex ratios, spawning seasons,sizes at 50%-maturity and feeding. All four species are relatively small, particularly those individuals caught byshallow-water prawn trawlers. Females outnumbered males in all four species. Spawning seasons are lengthy, occurringin spring and summer months. Most of the fish caught by shallow-water trawlers are below their size at 50%-maturity.The results show that shallow, turbid, continental shelf waters are nursery areas for these four sciaenids. |
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