Abstract
I examined the annual and seasonal growth of dark chub, Zacco temmincki, in a Japanese river. Investigation of opercular rings showed that the fish reached a maximum age of 8 years. There was no significant sexual size difference at younger ages (3–5 years), but males were larger than females at older ages (6–7 years). Annual increments of length and weight for males that were recaptured were also larger than those for females. The fish spawn from June to August. Females grew for a short period from April to May, but males on average grew for a longer period from April to August. There was no sexual difference in growth rate except during the spawning period. Annual growth rate was negatively correlated with fish length in each sex. The sexual size differences at older ages of the fish might be due to the polygynous mating system in which most mature males could not obtain females and invested for somatic growth in the spawning period, and a short growing season that was overlapped considerably with the spawning period.
Similar content being viewed by others
References cited
Akagawa, I., Y. Tsukamoto M. Okiyama. 1995. Sexual dimorphism and pair spawning into a sponge by the filefish, Brachaluteres ulvarum, with a description of the eggs and larvae. Japan. J. Ichthyol. 41: 397–407.
Al-Daham, N.K. N.K. Wahab. 1991. Age, growth and reproduction of the greenback mullet, Liza subviridis (Valenciennes), in an estuary in Southern Iraq. J. Fish Biol. 38: 81–88.
Allen, J.R.M. R.J. Wootton. 1982. The effect of ration and temperature on the growth of the three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus L. J. Fish Biol. 20: 409–422.
Andersson, M. 1994. Sexual selection. Princeton University Press, Princeton, 599 pp.
Berg, O.K. B. Jonsson. 1990. Growth and survival rates of the anadromous trout, Salmo trutta, from the Vardnes River, northern Norway. Env. Biol. Fish. 29: 145–154.
Brett, J.R. 1979. Environmental factors and growth. pp. 599–675. In: W.S. Hoar, D.J. Randall J.R. Brett (ed.) Fish Physiology, Vol. 8, Academic Press, London.
Casselman, J.M. 1983. Age and growth assessment of fish from their calcified structures — techniques and tools. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Nat. Mar. Fish. Serv. Technical Report 8: 1–17.
Deacon, L.I. J.A. Keast. 1987. Patterns of reproduction in two populations of pumpkinseed sunfish, Lepomis gibbosus, with differing food resources. Env. Biol. Fish. 19: 281–296.
Deniel, C. 1990. Comparative study of growth of flatfishes on the west coast of Brittany. J. Fish Biol. 37: 149–166.
Diana, J.S. R. Salz. 1990. Energy storage, growth, and maturation of yellow perch from different locations in Saginaw Bay, Michigan. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 119: 976–984.
East, P. P. Magnan. 1987. The effect of locomotor activity on the growth of the brook chair, Salvelinus fontinalis Mitchill. Can. J. Zool. 65: 843–846.
Elliott, J.M. 1975. The growth rate of brown trout (Salmo trutia L.) fed on reduced rations. J. Anim. Ecol. 44: 823–842.
Gross, M.R. 1982. Sneakers, satellites and parentals: polymorphic mating strategies in North American sunfishes. Z. Tierpsychol. 60: 1–26.
Heins, D.C. J.A. Baker. 1989. Growth, population structure, and reproduction of the percid fish Percina vigil. Copeia 1989: 727–736.
Herrera, M. C. Fernández-Delgado. 1994. The age, growth and reproduction of Chondrostoma polylepis willkommi in a seasonal stream in the Guadalquivir River basin (southern Spain). J. Fish Biol. 44: 11–22.
Katano, O. 1985. Aggressive behaviour and dominance relationships of the dark chub, Zacco temmincki, with special reference to their individual recognition. Japan. J. Ichthyol. 32: 225–238.
Katano, O. 1987. Social structure of the dark chub, Zacco temmincki, in a small pond in relation to individual differences. Physiol. Ecol. Japan 24: 1–132.
Katano, O. 1990a. Seasonal, sexual and individual variations in gonad weight and secondary sexual characters of the dark chub, Zacco temmincki. Japan. J. Ichthyol. 37: 246–255.
Katano, O. 1990b. Dynamic relationships between the dominance of male dark chub, Zacco temmincki, and their acquisition of females. Anim. Behav. 40: 1018–1034.
Katano, O. 1992. Cannibalism on eggs by dark chub, Zacco temmincki (Temminck Schlegel) (Cyprinidae). J. Fish Biol. 41: 655–661.
Katano, O. 1993. Factors affecting mating status of the male dark chub, Zacco temmincki. Physiol. Ecol. Japan 29: 118–131.
Katano, O. K. Maekawa. 1995. Individual differences in egg cannibalism in female dark chub (Pisces: Cyprinidae). Behaviour 132: 237–253.
Kramer, D.L. 1987. Dissolved oxygen and fish behaviour. Env. Biol. Fish. 18: 81–92.
Maki, I. 1976. Seasonal changes of population numbers, growth and productivity of Kawamutu (Zacco temmincki, Pisces, Cyprinidae) in a small tributary of the River Kishigawa, Wakayama. Mem. Fac. Edu., Wakayama Univ., Nat. Sci. 25: 5–14 (in Japanese).
Mann, R.H.K. 1980. The growth and reproductive strategy of the gudgeon, Gobio gobio (L.), in two hard-water rivers in southern England. J. Fish Biol. 17: 163–176.
Miyadi, D., H. Kawanabe N. Mizuno. 1976. Coloured illustrations of freshwater fishes of Japan (2nd ed.). Hoikusha, Osaka. 462 pp. (in Japanese).
Nakamura, M. 1969. Cyprinid fishes of Japan. Research Institute for Natural Resources, Tokyo. 455 pp. (in Japanese).
Parker, G.A. 1992. The evolution of sexual size dimorphism in fish. J. Fish Biol. 41(Supplement B): 1–20.
Rubenstein, D.I. 1981. Individual variation and competition in the Everglades pygmy sunfish. J. Anim. Ecol. 50: 337–350.
Schaffer, W.M. 1974. Optimal reproductive effort in fluctuating environments. Amer. Nat. 108: 783–790.
Simpfendorfer, C.A. 1993. Age and growth of the Australian sharpnose shark, Rhizoprionodon taylori, from north Queensland, Australia. Env. Biol. Fish. 36: 233–241.
Smith, B.D. G.A. McFarlane. 1990. Growth analysis of Strait of Georgia lingcod by use of length-frequency and length-increment data in combination. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 119: 802–812.
Takemoto, K. 1979. On the population density and the growth of Kawamutu (Zacca temmincki, Cyprinidae) in a rivulet, Asegawa, Wakayama. Nanki Seibutsu 21: 72–77 (in Japanese).
Tanaka, S. (ed.) 1993. Fishes in rivers and lakes of Toyama. C.A.P., Toyama. 289 pp. (in Japanese).
Treasurer, J.W. 1994. The distribution, age and growth of wrasse (Labridae) in inshore waters of west Scofland. J. Fish Biol. 44: 905–918.
Trivers, R. 1985. Social evolution. Benjamin Cummings, Menlo Park. 462 pp.
Velasco, J.C., P.A. Rineón J. Lobón-Cerviá. 1990. Age, growth and reproduction of the cyprinid Rutilus lemmingii (Steindachner, 1866) in the River Huebra, Central Spain. J. Fish Biol. 36: 469–480.
Williams, G.C. 1966. Natural selection, the costs of reproduction, and a refinement of Lack's principle. Amer. Nat. 100: 687–690.
Wootton, R.J. 1990. Ecology of teleost fishes. Chapman Hall, London, 404 pp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Katano, O. Growth of dark chub, Zacco temmincki (Cyprinidae), with a discussion of sexual size differences. Environmental Biology of Fishes 52, 305–312 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007348826218
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007348826218