Rare data on a rocky shore fish reproductive biology: sex ratio, length of first maturation and spawning period of Abudefduf saxatilis (Linnaeus, 1758) with notes on Stegastes variabilis spawning period (Perciformes: Pomacentridae) in São Paulo, Brazil

Bessa, Eduardo; Dias, June Ferraz; Souza, Ana Maria de

Abstracts

This study presents data on the reproduction of Abudefduf saxatilis, a rocky shore inhabitant at the northern coast of São Paulo State. A total of 73 individuals were collected using hooks and baits. They were measured, weighed and dissected, sex and maturation stage were analysed, first macroscopically, then part of the material was taken for microscopical confirmation. Visual censuses were also done for underwater observation of egg's presence. Results showed equivalence of males and females in the population, first maturation occurring between 101 and 115mm of total length, spawning period occurs from November to February for Abudefduf saxatilis and October to January for Stegastes variabilis. Reproductive period for A. saxatilis was positively related to air temperature and thermic amplitude, but the environmental clue most likely to influence this rhythm is photoperiod. Transects with visual census of males guarding eggs were also a reliable tool for finding reproductive period in these demersal, egg-guarder species.

Pomacentrid; Damselfish; Reproductive period; Visual census; Reproduction; São Sebastião; Sergeant major

Esse estudo apresenta dados sobre a reprodução de Abudefduf saxatilis, uma espécie habitante de costões rochosos no litoral norte do estado de São Paulo. Os peixes foram coletados com anzol e isca num total de 73 indivíduos, foram medidos, pesados, dissecados, seu sexo e maturidade gonadal foram analisados, primeiro macroscopicamente, depois parte desse material foi levado para confirmação microscópica. Censos visuais também foram feitos para observar a presença de ovos. Os resultados apontam para uma equivalência entre o número de machos e fêmeas na população, a primeira maturação ocorre entre 101 e 115 mm de comprimento total, a desova ocorre entre os meses de novembro a fevereiro em Abudefduf saxatilis e outubro a janeiro em Stegastes variabilis. O período reprodutivo de A. saxatilis está positivamente relacionado à temperatura do ar e amplitude térmica, mas o indicador ambiental mais provável de influenciar o ritmo reprodutivo é o fotoperíodo. Os censos visuais feitos com a transecção mostraram-se uma ferramenta confiável para encontrar o período de desova nessas espécies demersais que guardam seus ovos.

Pomacentrídios; Donzela; Período reprodutivo; Censu visual; São Sebastião-SP; Sargento

References

ALBRECHT, H. Behavior of four species of Atlantic damselfish from Columbia, South America, (Abudefduf saxatilis,A. taurus,Chromis multilineata,C. cyanea, Pomacentridae). Zeis. Tierpsychol., v. 26, p. 662-676, 1969.
BREDER, C. M.; COATES, C. W. Reproduction and eggs of Pomacentrus leucoris Gilbert. Am. Mus. Nov., v. 612, p. 1-6, 1933.
BREDER JR., C. M.; ROSEN, D. E. Modes of reproduction in fishes: how fish breEd. Jersey City: TFH, 1966. 941 p.
BUSTON, P. Size and growth modification in clownfish. Nature, v. 424, p. 145-146, 2003.
DEVLIN, R. H.; NAGAHAMA, Y. Sex determination and sex differetiation in fish: an overview of genetic, physyological, and environmental influences. Aquaculture, v. 208, p. 191-364, 2002.
DIAS, J. F. et al. Análise macroscópica dos ovários de teleósteos: problemas de classificação e recomendações de procedimentos. Rev. bras.. Biol., v. 58, n. 1, p. 55-69, 1998.
DIAS, J. F. et al Reproductive and population dynamics of the Bay whiff Citharichthys spilopterus Günther, 1862 (Paralichthyidae) in the Mamanguá inlet, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Neotropical Ichthyol., v. 3, n. 3, p. 411-419, 2005.
EMERY, A. R. Comparative ecology and functional osteology of fourteen species of the damselfish (Pisces: Pomacentridae) at Alligator Reef, Florida Keys. Bull. Mar. Sci., v. 23, n. 3, p. 649-770, 1973.
HAMILTON, W. D. Extraordinary sex ratios. Science, v. 156, p. 477-488, 1967.
HELFRICH, P. Observations on the reproductive behaviour of the maomao, a hawaiian damsel fish. Proc. Hawaii. Acad. Sci., v.34, p. 22, 1959.
HOESE, H. D.; MOORE, R. H. Fishes of the gulf of Mexico, Texas, Lousiana, and adjacent waters Texas, A: M. University Press, College Station, 1977. 327 p.
KNAPP, R. A.; SIKKEL, P. C.; VREDENBURG, V. T. Age of clutches in the nest and the within-nest spawning-site preferences of three damselfish species (Pomacentridae). Copeia, n. 1, p. 78-88, 1995.
MARQUES, M. D. Mecanismos de temporização em unicelulares, plantas e invertebrados. In: MARQUES, N.; MENNA-BARRETO, L. (Ed.) Cronobiologia: princípios e aplicações. São Paulo: EDUSP, 2003. 435 p.
MARQUES, N.; MENNA-BARRETO, L. Cronobiologia: princípios e aplicações. São Paulo: EdUSP, 2003. p. 163-190.
MCALARY, F. A.; MCFARLAND, W. N. The effects of light and darkness on hatching in the pomacentrid Abudefduf saxatilis Environ. Biol. Fish., v. 37, p. 237-244, 1993.
MOURA, R. L.; FIGUEIREDO, J. L.; MENEZES, N. A. Pomacentridae . In: BUCKUP, P.A.; MENEZES, N.A. Catálogo dos Peixes Marinhos e de Água Doce do Brasil 2. ed. (Rio de Janeiro: Museu Nacional) 2005. Disponível em: <http://www.mnrj.ufrj.br/catalogo/>.Acesso em: 14 Jul 2006.
MYRBERG JR., A. A.; BRAHY, B. D.; EMERY, A. R. Field observations on reproduction of the damselfish, Chromis multilineata (Pomacentridae), with additional notes on general behaviour. Copeia, v. n. 4, p. 818-827, 1967.
NELSON, J. S. Fishes of the world 3. ed. New York: John Wiley, 1994. 600 p.
PAJUELO, J. P. et al On the population ecology of the zebra seabrean Diplodus cervinus cervinus (Lowe 1838) from the coasts of the Canarian Archipelago, Northwest Africa. Environ. Biol. Fish., v. 67, p. 407-416, 2003.
PRAPAS, J. M.; GREENE, L. E.; WHITE, E. Reproductive behaviour of the sergeant major, Abudefduf saxatilis, within a closed system aquarium. Environ. Biol. Fish., v. 31, p. 33-40, 1991.
PRIVITERA, L. A. Reproductive biology of the coral-reef goby, Asterropteryx semipunctata, in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Environ. Biol. Fish., v. 65, n. 3, p. 289-310, 2002.
RANDALL, J. E. Caribbean reef fishes Neptune City: TFH, 1968. 318 p.
ROSS, R. M. Reproductive Behaviour of the anemonefish Amphiprion melanopus on Guam. Copeia, n. 1, p. 103-107, 1978.
RUSSELL, B. C. Underwater observations on the reproductive activity of the of the demoiselle Chromis dispilus (Pisces: Pomacentridae). Mar. Biol., v. 10, p. 22-29, 1971.
TZIOUMIS, V.; KINGSFORD, M. J. Reproductive biology and growth of the temperate Damselfish Parma microlepis Copeia, n. 2, p. 348-361, 1999.
VAZZOLER, A. E. A. M. Biologia da reprodução de peixes teleósteos: teoria e prática Maringá, PR: EdUEM,1996. 169 p.
ZAR, J. H. Biostatistical Analysis 4. ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999. 829 p.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
06 Nov 2007
Date of issue
Sept 2007

History

Reviewed
22 Aug 2006
Received
09 Aug 2006
Accepted
13 Apr 2007

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

[1] ALBRECHT, H. Behavior of four species of Atlantic damselfish from Columbia, South America, (Abudefduf saxatilis,A. taurus,Chromis multilineata,C. cyanea, Pomacentridae). Zeis. Tierpsychol., v. 26, p. 662-676, 1969.

[2] BREDER, C. M.; COATES, C. W. Reproduction and eggs of Pomacentrus leucoris Gilbert. Am. Mus. Nov., v. 612, p. 1-6, 1933.

[3] BREDER JR., C. M.; ROSEN, D. E. Modes of reproduction in fishes: how fish breEd. Jersey City: TFH, 1966. 941 p.

[4] BUSTON, P. Size and growth modification in clownfish. Nature, v. 424, p. 145-146, 2003.

[5] DEVLIN, R. H.; NAGAHAMA, Y. Sex determination and sex differetiation in fish: an overview of genetic, physyological, and environmental influences. Aquaculture, v. 208, p. 191-364, 2002.

[6] DIAS, J. F. et al. Análise macroscópica dos ovários de teleósteos: problemas de classificação e recomendações de procedimentos. Rev. bras.. Biol., v. 58, n. 1, p. 55-69, 1998.

[7] DIAS, J. F. et al Reproductive and population dynamics of the Bay whiff Citharichthys spilopterus Günther, 1862 (Paralichthyidae) in the Mamanguá inlet, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Neotropical Ichthyol., v. 3, n. 3, p. 411-419, 2005.

[8] EMERY, A. R. Comparative ecology and functional osteology of fourteen species of the damselfish (Pisces: Pomacentridae) at Alligator Reef, Florida Keys. Bull. Mar. Sci., v. 23, n. 3, p. 649-770, 1973.

[9] HAMILTON, W. D. Extraordinary sex ratios. Science, v. 156, p. 477-488, 1967.

[10] HELFRICH, P. Observations on the reproductive behaviour of the maomao, a hawaiian damsel fish. Proc. Hawaii. Acad. Sci., v.34, p. 22, 1959.

[11] HOESE, H. D.; MOORE, R. H. Fishes of the gulf of Mexico, Texas, Lousiana, and adjacent waters Texas, A: M. University Press, College Station, 1977. 327 p.

[12] KNAPP, R. A.; SIKKEL, P. C.; VREDENBURG, V. T. Age of clutches in the nest and the within-nest spawning-site preferences of three damselfish species (Pomacentridae). Copeia, n. 1, p. 78-88, 1995.

[13] MARQUES, M. D. Mecanismos de temporização em unicelulares, plantas e invertebrados. In: MARQUES, N.; MENNA-BARRETO, L. (Ed.) Cronobiologia: princípios e aplicações. São Paulo: EDUSP, 2003. 435 p.

[14] MARQUES, N.; MENNA-BARRETO, L. Cronobiologia: princípios e aplicações. São Paulo: EdUSP, 2003. p. 163-190.

[15] MCALARY, F. A.; MCFARLAND, W. N. The effects of light and darkness on hatching in the pomacentrid Abudefduf saxatilis Environ. Biol. Fish., v. 37, p. 237-244, 1993.

[16] MOURA, R. L.; FIGUEIREDO, J. L.; MENEZES, N. A. Pomacentridae . In: BUCKUP, P.A.; MENEZES, N.A. Catálogo dos Peixes Marinhos e de Água Doce do Brasil 2. ed. (Rio de Janeiro: Museu Nacional) 2005. Disponível em: <http://www.mnrj.ufrj.br/catalogo/>.Acesso em: 14 Jul 2006.

[17] MYRBERG JR., A. A.; BRAHY, B. D.; EMERY, A. R. Field observations on reproduction of the damselfish, Chromis multilineata (Pomacentridae), with additional notes on general behaviour. Copeia, v. n. 4, p. 818-827, 1967.

[18] NELSON, J. S. Fishes of the world 3. ed. New York: John Wiley, 1994. 600 p.

[19] PAJUELO, J. P. et al On the population ecology of the zebra seabrean Diplodus cervinus cervinus (Lowe 1838) from the coasts of the Canarian Archipelago, Northwest Africa. Environ. Biol. Fish., v. 67, p. 407-416, 2003.

[20] PRAPAS, J. M.; GREENE, L. E.; WHITE, E. Reproductive behaviour of the sergeant major, Abudefduf saxatilis, within a closed system aquarium. Environ. Biol. Fish., v. 31, p. 33-40, 1991.

[21] PRIVITERA, L. A. Reproductive biology of the coral-reef goby, Asterropteryx semipunctata, in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Environ. Biol. Fish., v. 65, n. 3, p. 289-310, 2002.

[22] RANDALL, J. E. Caribbean reef fishes Neptune City: TFH, 1968. 318 p.

[23] ROSS, R. M. Reproductive Behaviour of the anemonefish Amphiprion melanopus on Guam. Copeia, n. 1, p. 103-107, 1978.

[24] RUSSELL, B. C. Underwater observations on the reproductive activity of the of the demoiselle Chromis dispilus (Pisces: Pomacentridae). Mar. Biol., v. 10, p. 22-29, 1971.

[25] TZIOUMIS, V.; KINGSFORD, M. J. Reproductive biology and growth of the temperate Damselfish Parma microlepis Copeia, n. 2, p. 348-361, 1999.

[26] VAZZOLER, A. E. A. M. Biologia da reprodução de peixes teleósteos: teoria e prática Maringá, PR: EdUEM,1996. 169 p.

[27] ZAR, J. H. Biostatistical Analysis 4. ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999. 829 p.