GRANT
NUMBER:
NA77FD0074
NMFS NUMBER: 96-SER-047
REPORT
TITLE:
Reproductive Parameters Needed to Evaluate Recruitment
Overfishing of Spotted Sea Trout in the Southeastern U.S.
AUTHOR:
Lowerre-Barbieri,
Susan K.; and Barbieri, Luiz R. R.
PUBLISH
DATE:
March 29, 1999
AVAILABLE
FROM:
National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Region, 9721
Executive Center Drive, St Petersburg, FL 33702.
TELEPHONE: (813) 570-5324
ABSTRACT
The study was
conducted to provide detailed reproductive information
on spotted sea trout. The research determined that spotted
sea trout spawning begins at dusk and it took place from
late April through mid-September in 1997. Most spawning
occurred from June through August. It was found that spotted
sea trout mature at age one at a small size (228 mm-240
mm total length) and that 94% of the reproductively active
females were age one. Batch fecundity ranged from 55,640
to 417,394 eggs/female and significantly increase with
fish size. Spawning frequency estimates ranged from once
every 2-3 days to once every 6-7 days leading to an average
annual fecundity of 3.6 to 8.5 million eggs/female.
