Abstract
Epinephelus areolatus is a commercially important small-sized grouper widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region. Its age, growth, and reproductive biology were studied in Kagoshima Bay, southern Japan. The maximum size and age were 494 mm total length (TL) and 19 years, respectively. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated as follows: L∞ = 456.4 mm TL, K = 0.334 year−1, and t0 = − 0.553 year. The size and age at 50% female maturity were estimated to be 300 mm TL and 2.9 years, respectively. This species grows faster and attains sexual maturity earlier than other small-sized Epinephelus species inhabiting Japanese coastal waters. The sex ratio was significantly biased toward females (male:female = 1:6.6; P < 0.001). Males (410 ± 55.7 mm TL, 7.8 years) were significantly larger and older than females (268 ± 70.8 mm TL, 2.2 years) (size and age, P < 0.001). The size and age at 50% sex change were 412 mm TL and 5.6 years, respectively. Bisexual-phase gonads were observed in individuals that did not first reach sexual maturity as females, suggesting that all juveniles develop an ovarian phase first and then enter a bisexual-phase gonad. These results strongly suggest that E. areolatus exhibits monandric protogynous hermaphroditism, but primary males may also exist. We determined that active spawning occurred between July and September. Transitional individuals occurred over a prolonged period regardless of the spawning season.
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Data availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Captain Kazuhiro Tani of the research vessel Sakurajima for his help with fish sampling.
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This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI Grant Number 20K06823.
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G. Kume, K. Oyama, K. Hikichi, and H. E. Moritoshi conducted the field surveys. G. Kume, K. Oyama, K. Hikichi, and H. E. Moritoshi conducted all data analyses. G. Kume conducted the literature review.
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Kume, G., Oyama, K., Hikichi, K. et al. Life history characteristics of the protogynous hermaphroditic areolate grouper Epinephelus areolatus in Kagoshima Bay, southern Japan. Environ Biol Fish 106, 1357–1369 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-023-01421-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-023-01421-1