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Age, growth, and reproductive characteristics of dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus in the waters off west Kyushu, northern East China Sea

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Abstract

The growth and reproductive characteristics of dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus collected in the waters off western Kyushu from May 2008 to April 2011 were determined based on scale and otolith readings and gonad histological examinations, respectively. Based on annual increments in scales and daily increments in sagittal otoliths, the von Bertalanffy growth curves in male and females were determined as \( FL_{t} = 1049[1 - \exp \{ - 0.835(t + 6.975 \times 10^{ - 14} )\} ] \) and \( FL_{t} = 938[1 - \exp \{ - 1.029(t + 6.975 \times 10^{ - 14} )\} ] \), respectively, where FL t is the mean fork length (mm) at age t. The spawning period was found to last from June to August for dolphinfish, based on an examination of the monthly changes in the gonadosomatic index and histological observations. Therefore, based on the relationship between the fork length and the developmental stage of the testes or ovaries, male and female dolphinfish were found to reach sexual maturity by the following spawning season after hatching in the northern East China Sea.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. H. Tanaka at the Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute for his cooperation during the study, Mr. E. Kusaba, D. Tawara, Y. Mori and other members of the Takahama Fisherman’s Association, and H. Tsubakiyama of Wakamatsu Fisherman’s Association for collecting the samples. We also thank Dr. G.N. Nishihara, who assisted with the interpretation and the English of the manuscript. This study was supported by the Fisheries Research Agency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nagasaki University, Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki, 852-8521, Japan

    Seishiro Furukawa & Seitaro Tomoe

  2. Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, Fisheries Research Agency, Taira-machi, Nagasaki, 851-2213, Japan

    Seiji Ohshimo & Tetsuro Shiraishi

  3. Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Tokyo, Japan

    Seitaro Tomoe

  4. Okayama Fisheries Promotion Foundation, Urayasu-minami-machi, Okayama, 702-8024, Japan

    Tetsuro Shiraishi

  5. Graduate School of Fisheries Science and Environmental Studies, Nagasaki University, Taira-machi, Nagasaki, 851-2213, Japan

    Naoyuki Nakatsuka & Ryo Kawabe

  6. Service Départemental de Pêche et de la Surveillance de Mbour, Mbour, Republic of Senegal

    Seitaro Tomoe

Authors
  1. Seishiro Furukawa
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  2. Seiji Ohshimo
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  3. Seitaro Tomoe
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  4. Tetsuro Shiraishi
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  5. Naoyuki Nakatsuka
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  6. Ryo Kawabe
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Correspondence to Seishiro Furukawa.

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Furukawa, S., Ohshimo, S., Tomoe, S. et al. Age, growth, and reproductive characteristics of dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus in the waters off west Kyushu, northern East China Sea. Fish Sci 78, 1153–1162 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-012-0557-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-012-0557-6

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