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Reproductive biology of blue marlin Makaira nigricans around Yonaguni Island, southwestern Japan

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Abstract

We studied the spawning seasonality and gonadal development of blue marlin Makaira nigricans using specimens captured around Yonaguni Island in southwestern Japan between February 2003 and February 2006. The mean (±SD) lower jaw–fork length of females (234 ± 24 cm) was greater than that of males (191 ± 12 cm). The smallest mature female and male were 183 and 160 cm, respectively. Most of the 717 females had immature ovaries. However, in March and from May to September, the ovaries of 26 females contained oocytes with yolk globules, hydrated oocytes, or postovulatory follicles. Most males had testes with a large amount of spermatozoa throughout the year. The occurrence of mature blue marlin at Yonaguni Island suggests that spawning occurs here. The mean condition factors (fatness of the fish) of both sexes decreased from March to June or July, presumably as they expended energy to reproduce. We discuss our results in the context of migration theory for blue marlin in the western North Pacific Ocean.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to K. Agena, H. Agena, and the fishermen of Yonaguni Island for recording data and helping with the sampling of blue marlin. We thank J. Uchiyama, R. Humphreys Jr. (NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service) and anonymous reviewers for reviewing and improving the manuscript. This research was supported by a grant from the Japan Fisheries Agency, and partially supported by the 21st Century COE program of the University of the Ryukyus.

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  1. Tamaki Shimose

    Present address: National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries, Fisheries Research Agency, Shizuoka, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Fisheries Biology and Coral Reef Studies, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan

    Tamaki Shimose, Maki Fujita & Katsunori Tachihara

  2. National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries, Fisheries Research Agency, 5-7-1 Orido, Shimizu, Shizuoka, 424-8633, Japan

    Kotaro Yokawa & Hirokazu Saito

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  1. Tamaki Shimose
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  2. Maki Fujita
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  5. Katsunori Tachihara
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Correspondence to Tamaki Shimose.

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Shimose, T., Fujita, M., Yokawa, K. et al. Reproductive biology of blue marlin Makaira nigricans around Yonaguni Island, southwestern Japan. Fish Sci 75, 109–119 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-008-0006-8

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