Reproductive biology of the damselfish, Stegastes fuscus Cuvier, in the coastal rocky reefs of northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Reproductive biology of the damselfish, Stegastes fuscus Cuvier, 1830 (Perciformes: Pomacentridae), was studied in the coastal rocky reefs of Búzios Beach, Nísia Floresta, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The fish were captured on a monthly basis, and were measured, weighed, dissected and the gonads were removed, weighed and examined in order to separate males and females. Macroscopic characterization of the stages of gonadal maturation was carried out. A total of 549 samples were captured from October 2004 to September 2005. A higher frequency of females (78%) was registered in relation to males (22%). It was observed that 50% of the population of females and males initiated gonadal maturation with a body size of 6.2 cm and 7.0 cm respectively. In relation to absolute fecundity, the number of vitelogenic oocytes ranged from 1790 to 14780, with mean of 6832. The analysis of gonadosomatic relation indicated that the period of February to August was associated to a long phase of gonadal resting in males and females. Two peaks of partial spawning were registered during January and September-October. Five stages of gonadal maturation were identified through macroscopic analysis: immature, in maturation, mature, spent and resting.