Reproduction of grey snapper (Teleostei: Lutjanidae) in the southern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Snappers exhibit reproductive trait plasticity in response to habitat distribution. Lutjanus griseus is among the most economically important snappers in the western Central Atlantic but has received limited study in the region. Data on the reproductive biology of the L. griseus population were collected on the continental shelf of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Over a nineteen-month period, 1236 specimens were captured monthly in three Yucatan artisanal fishing fleet operational areas. Data were grouped by month to generate an annual analysis. Individual sex and maturation status were identified by gonad histology. Median size did not differ between females (33.2 cm fork length [FL]) and males (33.3 cm FL), and the sex ratio was balanced (F:M=0.98:1.00). Size at maturity was 24.2 cm FL for females (38% of maximum size reported for the species) and 22.8 cm FL for males (36% of maximum size), and the spawning season ran from May to September. The results confirm that this population exhibits the typical reproductive pattern of snappers distributed on continental shelves or in shallow water areas and provide critical data for stock assessment and implementation of management measures for L. griseus stock in the southern Gulf of Mexico.