Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 18.
Selected examples of age/size at maturation and spawning patterns in teleosts
Species/Reference
Age/Size at maturity
Remarks
Oryzias latipes,
seasonal
spawner (see Lam, 1983)
O. javonicus,
annual spawner
(see Lam, 1983)
Spawns every day
Danio rerio,
Balasubramani and
Pandian (2008a)
120 ± 5 days
Spawns once a week
Betta splendens,
Balasubramani
and Pandian (2008b)
140 days
Spawns every fortnight
Morone saxatilis
Holland et al. (2000)
♂ 1-3 years
♀ 3-7 years
Puberty initiated in 65% ♂
Puberty initiated in 65% ♀
Acipenser schrencki,
Wei (1997)
Bernstein et al. (1997)
♂ 7-8 years
♀ 9-10 years
Spawns once every 4 years
A. medirostris
Erickson and Webb (2007)
♂ 153-188 cm
♀ 167-192 cm
A. sinensis
Wei et al. (1997), Deng et al.
(1991)
♂ 14 years
♀ 21 years
86% ♂ milted at 14+ years
76% ♂ spawned at 21 years;
season/multiple spawner
Argyrozona argyrozona
Brouwer and Griffi ths (2005)
♂ 30-40 cm
♀ 30-40 cm
Spawning frequency decreases
from 9 to 4 times, as size
increases
Nothobranchius rachovi
(see Pandian, 2010)
6 week
Spawns once in life time
Coregonus lavaretus
Bernet et al. (2009)
♂ 78-981 dph
15-19 cm
♀ 678-981 dph
19-21 cm
cyprinodontids (Pandian, 2010). The iteroparous species employ one or
the other of the following strategies: (i) the annual single spawners, i.e.,
species which spawn repeatedly during their life time: e.g.,
D. rerio,
and
(ii) the annual multiple spawners, i.e., species which have a long life span
and spawn once or several times during the breeding season of each year
of their life time (Nunez and Duponchelle, 2009).
The onset of sexual maturity represents a critical transition in the life
of an individual, as allocation of time and resources has to be provided
for reproduction, besides survival and growth. Indeed maturation marks
metamorphic changes in 'endocrine climate'. As age and size at maturity
can have signifi cant consequences, it is important to know whether the
age or body size determines sexual maturation. Using adequate data on
growth, fecundity and life span of populations of 19 fi sh species, Stearns and
Crandall (1984) developed a model to predict whether age or size determines
sexual maturity in fi sh. The model accounts for 82% of the variants in the
age/size of maturity. Accordingly, when growth is either rapid or slow, the
fi sh may have a fi xed size, at which they mature. Conversely, when growth
