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Spatial–temporal pattern of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus L. 1758) gonad maturation across the Mediterranean Sea

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Abstract

Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT; Thunnus thynnus) is a migrating species straddling the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. It is assumed that this species is divided into a western and an eastern stock, which spawn in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea, respectively. To learn more about the reproductive behavior of the eastern BFT stock, we tracked gonadal development in adult fish that were sampled between April and July during three consecutive years (2003–2005). Sampling campaigns were carried out using common fishing methods at selected locations within the Mediterranean Sea, namely Levantine Sea, Malta, and Balearic Islands. An additional sampling point, Barbate, was situated northwest of the Straits of Gibraltar along the Atlantic coast. Morphometric parameters such as the total body mass (M B) and the weights of the gonads (M G) were recorded, and the respective gonadosomatic index (GSI) values were calculated. The data collected revealed two important trends: (1) GSI values are higher in fish caught in the eastern rather than the western locations across the Mediterranean Sea, and (2) the GSI reaches maximum values between late May and early June in Levantine Sea (eastern Mediterranean Sea), and only 2 and 4 weeks later in the central (Malta) and western (Balearic Islands) locations, respectively. The advanced gonadal development in BFT correlates well with higher sea surface temperatures. Our findings also distinguish the northern Levantine Sea BFT population (mean M B 78.41 ± 4.13 kg), and the Barbate BFT population with the greatest M B (all fish sampled > 100 kg). These data reflect a situation in which the eastern Mediterranean basin may function as a habitat for young BFT, until they gain a larger M B and are able to move to the Atlantic Ocean. However, the existence of genetically discrete BFT populations in the Mediterranean Sea cannot be ruled out.

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Acknowledgments

This study was undertaken as part of the REPRODOTT project (EU Q5RS-2002-01355). The research complies with the current laws of the countries in which the study was conducted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Center for Mariculture, P.O. Box 1212, 88112, Eilat, Israel

    Gilad Heinisch, Hanna Rosenfeld & Hillel Gordin

  2. Department of Animal Health and Well-being, University of Bari, Str. Prov. per Casamassima Km 3, 70010, Valenzano, BA, Italy

    Aldo Corriero & Gregorio De Metrio

  3. Department of Biology, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cadiz, Av República Saharaui, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain

    Antonio Medina

  4. Istituto Español de Oceanografia, C.O. Canarias, Ap. 1373, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

    Francisco J. Abascal

  5. Istituto Español de Oceanografia, Centro Oceanográfico de Malaga, Apartado 285, 29640 Fuengirola, 4 IEO, Malaga, Spain

    Jose-Miguel de la Serna

  6. Malta Centre for Fisheries Sciences, Fort San Lucjan, Marsaxlokk, BBG06, Malta

    Robert Vassallo-Agius

  7. Tuna Graso, S.A., Carretera de la Palma Km 7, Paraje la Estrella, 30593, Cartagena (Murcia), Spain

    Antonio Belmonte Ríos

  8. Istituto Español de Oceanografia, Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, Ctra. de la Azohía s/n, 30860, Puerto de Mazarrón (Murcia), Spain

    Antonio García & Fernando de la Gándara

  9. Station Expérimentale d’Aquaculture, Chemin de Maguelone, Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer, 34250, Palavas les Flots, France

    Christian Fauvel

  10. Heinrich-Heine Universität, Institut für Zoophysiologie, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Christopher R. Bridges

  11. Institute of Aquaculture, Hellenic Center for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Constantinos C. Mylonas

  12. Faculty of Fisheries, Istanbul University, Ordu cad. No. 200, TR-Laleli-Istanbul, Turkey

    Saadet F. Karakulak & Isik Oray

Authors
  1. Gilad Heinisch
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  2. Aldo Corriero
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  3. Antonio Medina
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  4. Francisco J. Abascal
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  5. Jose-Miguel de la Serna
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  8. Antonio García
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  9. Fernando de la Gándara
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  10. Christian Fauvel
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  11. Christopher R. Bridges
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  12. Constantinos C. Mylonas
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  13. Saadet F. Karakulak
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  14. Isik Oray
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  15. Gregorio De Metrio
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  16. Hanna Rosenfeld
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  17. Hillel Gordin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gilad Heinisch.

Additional information

Communicated by A. Mclachlan.

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Heinisch, G., Corriero, A., Medina, A. et al. Spatial–temporal pattern of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus L. 1758) gonad maturation across the Mediterranean Sea. Mar Biol 154, 623–630 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-008-0955-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-008-0955-6

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