Abstract

Epinephelus guttatus represents a resource slightly exploited in Los Roques. The present study is oriented to determine its annual potential fecundity and frequency of spawning. A total of 819 specimens, commercially captured among January (12) and February (20) of 2003, were examined. The size of 645 females captured oscillated between 265 and 520 mm LT (385.3 ± 55.7 mm). It was observed that the females of January were significantly larger than those of February (H(1, N = 645) = 119,62; p = 0,0000). A sample of 353 females, whose size was above the size to which 50% are reproductively mature (380 mm), were employed to determine the mean daily values of the Gonodosomatic Index, that reached the maximum levels in the days close to the full moon of each month. For those days, the variation in the frequency of diameter of the ovocitos in 97 ovaries was analyzed, being observed a unimodal distributional pattern, except in the days of full moon, where it was registered the simultaneous presence hydrated and vitellogenic oocytes. The spawning, around the full moon of January and February, was confirmed with the histological analysis of 24 gonads, that revealed the presence of post-ovulatory follicles. The annual potential fecundity was determined in 1.470.803 ± 176.356,81 oocytes, being found that the values estimated in January surpass to those of February. It is concluded that the fecundity of this species is determined, being suspected that the females of greater size release all their eggs between January and February, while the smallest females could be being relegated to spawn in February. It is recommended that population dynamics studies and the implementation of fishery models use the mean average fecundity estimates of January.

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