Reproductive biology of the white grunt, Haemulon plumierii, in the coastal waters of the northern Yucatán Peninsula

Abstract

White grunt (Haemulon plumierii) has gained relevance as an alternative resource to fisheries off the northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, however, knowledge of its biology in the region is scarce. Thus, in order to explore the reproductive biology of H. plumierii, a total of 355 specimens were caught with a hand line and bait, from September 2015 to November 2016 to conduct histological analysis of the gonads. The sample was represented by 233 males and 122 females, differing from the 1:1 sex ratio (1 female per 2.1 males). The reproductive season occurred from February to August with a maximum peak in May. The 50% maturity size (L50) was estimated at 15.15 and 15.22 cm TL for males and females, respectively. The batch fecundity ranged from 9,363 to 42,371 eggs per batch, with an average of 26,558 eggs. Several reproductive biology features were observed in H. plumierii, such as spring spawning seasonality, length at sexual maturity, asynchronous oocyte development with an indeterminate fecundity, and batch spawning. This kind of information can guide proposals for further sustainable fishery management measures that may guarantee the continuity of this economically important species in the region.