Volume 52
Preliminary Results on the Reproductive Cycle of the Black Grouper, Mycteroperca bonaci, from the Southern Gulf of Mexico
Authors
Renán, X.; Brulé, T.; Colás-Marrufo, T.E.; Hauyon, Y.; Déniel, C. Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 1999
Pages: 1-14
Event: Proceedings of the Fifty Second Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: Key West, Florida
Country: USA
Abstract
The Black Grouper, Mycteroperca bonaci, locally known as "Negrillo" is one of the 17 grouper species found on the Campeche Bank. Its importance relies on being after the Epinephelus morio, the largest catching volume specie and a very important source of food for the state of Yucatán. Mexico. In spite of this fact, the M. bonaci has not been well studied and little is know about its biology, not only in this particular zone but also tbroughout all ist distribution area. This paper presents results on sex determination. sexuality and sexual maturation of M. bonaci. After three years of sampling Campeche Bank a gonadic histologycal analysis was done. It included more than 800 samples of individuals between 50 to 130 cm (FL). Sex determination studies included 605 females. 205 males and five individuals in sexual inversion. Results confirm that M. bonaci is a protogynous hermaphrodite. Considering the sexual classes and seasonal variation in mean of GSI, gonadal activity was found to be from December to March, with a spawning period clearly identified in January to March.