Is the current fishery for protogynous fish resources appropriate?: Examination of the appropriate fishing regulations based on the reproductive ecology

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24780195
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General fisheries
• Research Institution: Fisheries Research Agency
• Principal Investigator: SATO Taku 独立行政法人水産総合研究センター, 西海区水産研究所, 研究員 (20455504)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 雌性先熟魚類 / 漁業管理 / ベラ / 性転換

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Protogynous fishes are important fishery resources in tropical and subtropical areas. To understand effects of current size selective harvesting (i.e., size limits) in the protogynous fish resources on their reproductive potentials, the present study examined pattern of sex change in black-spot tuskfish Choerodon schoenleinii , one of the large protogynous fish species, after removal of male from its harem in laboratory. As a result, a sex change from female to sexually functional male took a long time to complete. In addition, most females exhibited no signs of sex change in behaviors, body color, and concentrations of sex hormones after removal of male although they were the largest female in each harem. These results indicated that black-spot tuskfish females cannot immediately response to disappear of male from their harem. Therefore, fishing males from harem just before and during the reproductive season can sharply decreased reproductive output of this species.

Free Research Field

行動生態学