• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.350-356
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• 2022

This study aims to estimate the smallest size of mature individuals that can be exploited. Fish samples of Coryphaena hippurus were collected from Kalinaun fishermen's catches in the Molucca Sea. They were sexed, then the fork length (FL) and maturity stage were recorded. Results showed that C. hippurus in the Molucca Sea had a sex ratio of 1:1.94 (p < 0.05). Males had a length range of 499-831 mm FL and females were in the length range of 481-813 mm FL. Size at first maturity was estimated as 529 mm FL for males with a range of 475-588 mm FL and 405 mm FL for females. This study provided basic information for future management needs of the dolphinfish, especially in the Molucca Sea.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.313-323
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• 2013

Gonad development, the reproductive cycle, first sexual maturty and size at 50% of group sexual maturity (the biological minimum size) of Gomphina (Macridiscus) veneriformis were investigated for clams collected from the coastal waters of Donghae City, the East Sea of Korea by histological, and morphometric analysis. Monthly variations of the gonad index showed a pattern similar to that of the reproductive cycle. The reproductive cycle with the gonad developmental stages in female and male G. (M.) veneriformis can be classified into five successive stages: early active stage (December to March), late active stage (March to June), ripe stage (June to July), partially spawned stage (June to August), and spent / inactive stage (September to December). The spawning period continued from June to August, with a peak between July and August when the seawater temperature exceeds $20^{\circ}C$. The percentages of first sexual maturities of female and male clams ranging from 25.1 to 30.0 mm were 56.3% in females and 61.1% in males, and for clams over 30.1 mm shell length, it was 100%. Shell lengths at 50% of group sexual maturity (biological minimum size, $RM_{50}$) were 27.71 mm in females and 26.31 mm in males. Because harvesting clams < 26.31 mm in shell length could potentially cause a drastic reduction in recruitment, a measure indicating a prohibitory fishing size should be taken for adequate fisheries management.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.65-76
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• 2013

We investigated the gametogenic cycle and spawning seasons of the male Chlamys (Azumapecten) farreri nipponensis by qualitative and quantitative analyses, and also the size at 50% of group sexual maturity was calculated by the data of first sexual maturity. In this study, the male gametogenic cycle of this species by qualitative analysis was divided into five successive stages: early active stage (January to March), late active stage (March to April), ripe stage (April to August), partially spawned stage (July to September), and spent/inactive stage (August to January). The male gametogenic cycle showed similar patterns with monthly changes in the gonadosomatic index and condition index. Particularly, spawning in male scallop occurred once a year from July to September, unlike the spawning period of this species (from June to August) reported by the previous researchers. In quantitative statistical analysis using an image analyzer system, the patterns of monthly changes in the percent (%) of the areas occupied by spermatogenic stages to the testis areas in males showed a maximum in June, and then sharply dropped from July to September, 2006. From these data, it is apparent that the spawning season of C. (A.) farreri nipponensis occurred once per year from July to early September, indicating a unimodal gametogenic cycle during the year. Shell heights at 50% of group sexual maturity (RM50) fitted to an exponential equation were estimated to be 49.90 mm in males (considered to be one year old), and it was 100% for male scallops over 61.0 mm (considered to be two years old).

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.50-56
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• 2020

Determination of the precise size at sexual maturity is very important for science-based stock assessment and fisheries resource management. In this study, two different models, (1) a visual method and (2) a gonadosomatic index (GSI) method, were employed to estimate length at sexual maturity of the small yellow croaker Larimichthys polyactis in the Yellow Sea of Korea. The visual method is a common qualitative method using visual gonadal identification. Conversely, the GSI method is a quantitative method using the GSI, which can be easily and precisely collected. We compared results from these methods to determine the best approach, and to examine the practicality of the GSI method. Logistic regression of the maturity ogive was conducted using a general linear model (GLM) with the R statistics program. Also, the bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals of all estimates were calculated. The best-fit model was the visual method (R_Mc²=0.805, AUC=0.989, L₅₀=15.1). Among models using the GSI method, the model computing GSI_ref=0.94 was the best-fit model (R_Mc²=0.792, AUC=0.989, L₅₀=15.2). There was no significant difference between the two models, evidencing the effectiveness and accuracy of the GSI method.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.161-168
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• 1983

Age composition and reproductive period o the shad, Konosirus punctatus, in Cheonsu Bay were determined though analysis of sizi, ane and maturity of fish. Sampses were collected with trap in the bay mouth from May, 1981 to December, 1982. Shads start entering the bay for feeding and spawning in spring when water temperature exceeds 8$^{\circ}C$. They stay in inner part of the bay in summer nad move out to sea in autumn before water trmperature decreasea to 8$^{\circ}C$. Fish grows very rapidly during first summer after birth. Mean lengthes of 1-4 year old fishes were 12.2cm, 15.8cm, 17.6cm and 20.9cm, respectively. The largest and oldrst fish pbserved was 22.0cm long with age 4. Shads of Cheonsu Bay reach maturity at 2 years old at the size greater then 14cm. Data on size and age at first maturityindicate thzt maturity of shad depends on size and not on age. Spawning occurs from late April to late May when water temperature is between 8$^{\circ}C$ and 15$^{\circ}C$.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.227-234
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• 2007

Spermatogenesis, the reproductive cycle, and the size at first sexual maturity in male Mactra chinensis were investigated by cytological and histological observations. The spermatozoon exhibits a primitive type morphology and is similar to those of other bivalves in that it contains a short midpiece with four mitochondria surrounding the centrioles. The morphologies of the sperm nucleus type and the acrosome shape of this species are cylindrical and modified cap-like, respectively. The spermatozoon is approximately $40-45\;{\mu}m$ in length including the sperm nucleus (about $1.46\;{\mu}m$), acrosome (about $1.20\;{\mu}m$) and tail flagellum. The axoneme of the sperm tail flagellum consists of nine pairs of microtubules at the periphery and a pair at the center. The axoneme of the sperm tail shows a 9+2 structure. The spawning period of this species lasts from June to September, and the main spawning occurs in July and August, when the seawater temperature is greater than $20^{\circ}C$. The percentage of individual male clams at first sexual maturity was 56.5% for those whose shell lengths were 35.1-40.0 mm, and 100% for over 45.1 mm. Accordingly, harvesting clams <35.1 mm in shell length could potentially cause a drastic reduction in recruitment, and a measure indicating a prohibitory fishing size should be taken for adequate fisheries management.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.277-283
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• 1993

In the present study, observations were made on the life-history of Lymnaea viridis under laboratory conditions, involving incubation period of the eggs and their hatching rate, shell length of the newly hatched snails, sexual maturity, size of the snails when the snail produced the first egg-mass, the number of eggs in each egg-mass, egg-laying, ovipostion, growth rate of the snails, and longevity of the snail. At temperatures between $19.8^{\circ}C$ to $22.5^{\circ}C$, incubation period of the eggs occupied 10~12 days, and after beginning of hatching, all young snails emerged completely from the egg-mass within 5 days. The hatching rate was 88%. The average shell length of the newly hatched snails was about 0.064cm. The rate of growth was extraordinarily rapid under good laboratory conditions. When two snails were reared in one culture vessel($20{\times}15{\times}5cm$) with blue-green algae at about $22^{\circ}C$, snail growth was optimal, taking 37 days to reach 1.2cm in shell length. Sexual maturity reached in about 19 days. The size of the snails at sexual maturity was $0.78{\pm}0.05cm$ in length and $0.47{\pm}0.04cm$ in width. The first egg-masses produced were $0.59{\pm}0.22cm$ in length and $0.34{\pm}0.08cm$ in width, and contained 7~38 eggs. The eggs are usually laid in water. The egg-laying was affected by food and temperature. Snails fed with blue-green algae at about $22^{\circ}C$ produced larger egg-masses than the snails fed with fish food at about $26^{\circ}C$. Under conditions of continuous activity and growth, the maximum expectation of life appears to be 109~350(mean 230) days. And the shell length of snails at death were 1.39~1.64cm.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.205-217
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• 2012

The ovarian cycle, the biological minimum size, and artificial spawning frequency by artificial spawning induction of the female hard clam, Meretrix petechialis, were investigated by histological observations and morphometric data. The ovarian cycle of this species can be classified into five successive stages: early active stage, late active stage, ripe stage, partially spawned stage, and spent/inactive stage. The spawning period was from June to September, and the main spawning occurred between July and August when the seawater temperature exceeds over $20^{\circ}C$. The biological minimum size (shell length at 50% of first sexual maturity) in females were 40.39 mm in shell length (considered to be two years of age), and all clams over 50.1 mm in shell length sexually matured. In this study, the mean number of the spawned eggs by spawning induction increased with the increase of size (shell length) classes. In case of artificial spawning induction for the clams > 40.39 mm, the number of spawned eggs from the clams of a sized class was gradually decreased with the increase of the number of the spawning frequencies (the first, second, and third spawning). In the experiments of artificial spawning induction during the spawning season, the interval of each spawning of this species was estimated to be 15-18 days (approximately 17 days).

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.363-375
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• 2012

The gametogenic cycle, the number of spawning seasons per year and first sexual maturiity of the pen shell, Atrina (Servatrina) pectinata, were investigated by quantitative statistical analysis using an Image Analyzer System. Compared two previous results (the spawning periods in the reproductive cycles in 1998 and 2006) by qualitative histological analysis with the present results by quantitative statistical analysis, there are some differences in the spawning periods: the spawning period (June to September) by quantitative statistical analysis was one month longer than those of two previous reports (June to July or June to August) by qualitative histological analysis. However, the number of spawning seasons studied by the qualitative and quatitative analyses occurred once per year. In quantitative statistical analysis using an image analyzer system, the patterns of monthly changes in the percent (%) of the areas occupied by follicles to the ovary area in females (or that of the areas occupied by spermatogenic stages to the testis area in males) showed a maximum in May, and then sharply droped from June to September, 2006. From these data, it is apparent that the spawning season of A. (S.) pectinata occurred once a year from June to September, indicating a unimodal gametogenic cycle during the year. Shell heights of sexually mature pen shells (size at 50% of group sexual maturity, $GM_{50}$) that were fitted to an exponential equation were 15.81 cm in females and 15.72 cm in males (considered to be one year old).

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.380-392
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• 2023

Groupers (Family Epinephelidae) are commonly caught in data-poor small-scale multi-species fisheries for sale on both export and domestic markets. This study presents data on the species composition and size/life-stage structure of Epinephelus spp. groupers caught by small-scale fishers and sold locally in the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. Data were collected from fishing ports and local markets at 12 sites representing the three seaways around South Sulawesi (Makassar Strait, Flores Sea, Gulf of Bone). Each specimen (n = 3,398) was photographed alongside an object of known length, and total length (TL) was obtained using the Rapid Scaling on Object (RASIO). Of the 23 species identified, four (Epinephelus areolatus, Epinephelus ongus, Epinephelus quoyanus, and Epinephelus fasciatus) collectively comprised 69% of the catch, while the 13 least abundant species contributed less than 5%. The catch was dominated (67%) by the subadult life-stage, with just under 20% in the adult class. Juveniles dominated the catch of Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, a valuable export commodity. Observations of early maturity as well as the sizeable gap between length at first capture (Lc) and length at first maturity (Lm) indicate recruitment overfishing of most species, with the notable exception of Epinephelus rivulatus. The proportion of adult fish was low (≈5%-30%) for the twelve most abundant species (E. areolatus, E. ongus, Epinephelus quoyanus, E. fasciatus, Epinephelus coioides, Epinephelus faveatus, Epinephelus sexfasciatus, Epinephelus maculatus, Epinephelus bleekeri, Epinephelus corallicola, E. fuscoguttatus, Epinephelus polyphekadion). For two moderately abundant species (E. faveatus and E. malabaricus), TL < Lm for all specimens. The limited data available indicate spawning ratio is lower than reported from deep-water fisheries of E. areolatus and E. coioides. The results call for targeted research to fill knowledge gaps regarding the biology and ecology of groupers exploited mainly for domestic markets; highlight the need for species-level data to inform management policies such as minimum legal size regulations; and can contribute towards species-level status assessments.