Abstract

Four potential Epinephelus guttatus (red hind spawning) aggregation sites were sampled in the Southeast of Tortola during full moons of January and February 2002. These sites were re-sampled in 2003 with the addition of another site in the North of Tortola. Three of the sites in the South and the one in the North were historical aggregation areas located with the assistance of local fishers. The sites were fished with hand lines, spear guns, and fish traps. Site B produced 67 red hind, many of which were in a mature active reproductive state. The male to female ratio at the site was 1:2.9. A dive on site B revealed a structurally complex habitat dominated by flattened overhanging stony corals and a depth of 40 to 42 meters. The other three sites sampled did not produce as many fish as site B and had much more skewed sex ratios. The size distribution for red hind appears to be fairly similar for BVI, USVI, and Puerto Rico, however more large males were collected during our sampling than have been reported in those areas. Based on gonosomatic indices and reproductive stages, spawning is believed to have occurred during the week of January’s full moon in 2002. Mean size of fish from Northern sites (33.6 ± 6.1 cm TL) was significantly different from fish caught at Southern sites (37.7 ± 6.5 cm TL), but not significantly different from the mean size of red hind landed at the BVI fishing complex (33.9 ± 5.81 cm TL). The following year between January and March, 220 red hind fish were tagged and released at spawning aggregation sites in a preliminary attempt to examine spawning migration distances. No tagged fish were recaptured at the sites nor have they been reported captured in the territory. The results presented here are preliminary and are the initiation of a long-term study to assess the status of the red hind in BVI. Future research will focus on red hind movement within the territory, and migration across territory boundaries on the insular shelf.

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