Abstract
The testicular and ovarian maturation cycle of thedory snapper, Lutjanus fulviflamma(Forsskål) (Osteichthyes:Lutjanidae), acommercially valuable species in the western IndianOcean, is described macroscopically. The ovary wasalso studied microscopically. L. fulviflammahas one prolonged spawning season which begins fromNovember/December, lasting till April/May. Discontinuous spawning is established by (i) temporalvariation in the relative weight of testis andovaries, (ii) a seasonal occurrence of various maturitystages and, (iii) a seasonal occurrence of developingfish in the samples. Using volumetric andhistological techniques, the fecundity of this specieswas determined at 51,000 to 460,000 (mean: 167,000)oocytes in fish of between 17 to 30 cm total length,respectively. Oocyte recrudescence in the ovary isasyncronous, but the number and size of batches ofeggs released in a single spawning season are yet tobe determined.
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Kaunda-Arara, B., Ntiba, M. The reproductive biology of Lutjanus fulviflamma (Forsskål,1775) (Pisces: Lutjanidae) in Kenyan inshore marine waters. Hydrobiologia 353, 153–160 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003011013136
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003011013136