Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T08:29:43.490Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Some aspects of the reproductive biology of albacore Thunnus alalunga from the western Mediterranean Sea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2015

Sámar Saber ,
Josetxu Ortiz de Urbina ,
María José Gómez-Vives  and
David Macías
Sámar Saber*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain
Josetxu Ortiz de Urbina
Affiliation:
Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Puerto pesquero s/n, 29640 Fuengirola (Málaga), Spain
María José Gómez-Vives
Affiliation:
Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Puerto pesquero s/n, 29640 Fuengirola (Málaga), Spain
David Macías
Affiliation:
Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Puerto pesquero s/n, 29640 Fuengirola (Málaga), Spain
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: S. Saber, Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain email: samar.saber@uma.es
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Thunnus alalunga is an important commercial tuna species widely distributed in the three major oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean population is currently classified as a data-poor stock and little is known about its basic life history parameters. This study provides the first detailed information on some aspects of the reproductive biology of T. alalunga from the western Mediterranean Sea. A total of 16 104 specimens were measured between 2005 and 2012. The overall sex ratio of females to males was 1.1:1, although the ratio was female biased in fish <70 cm fork length (LF) and male biased in those >75 cm LF. Histological analysis of the ovaries (N = 587) and the monthly variation of the gonadosomatic index for both sexes showed that spawning occurred from June to August, which is a much shorter period than the 7 months reported for T. alalunga in tropical oceanic waters. Thunnus alalunga caught during June and July are capable of spawning daily. The gonadosomatic index values for T. alalunga from the western Mediterranean were up to eight times higher than those of T. alalunga from other oceans. Histological examination of the ovaries showed that the minimum length at sexual maturity of females was 56 cm LF, which is considerably smaller than those estimated for other stocks.

Keywords

Size distributionsex ratiogonadosomatic indexhistologysexual maturityspawning season
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 95 , Issue 8 , December 2015 , pp. 1705 - 1715
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Akayli, T., Karakulak, F.S., Oray, I.K. and Yardimci, R.E. (2013) Testes development and maturity classification of albacore (Thunnus alalunga (Bonaterre, 1788)) from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 29, 901–905.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Albaina, A., Iriondo, M., Velado, I., Laconcha, U., Zarraonaindia, I., Arrizabalaga, H., Pardo, M.A., Lutcavage, M., Grant, W.S. and Estonba, A. (2013) Single nucleotide polymorphism discovery in albacore and Atlantic bluefin tuna provides insights into worldwide population structure. Animal Genetics 44, 678–692.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Alemany, F., Quintanilla, L., Velez-Belchí, P., García, A., Cortés, D., Rodríguez, J.M., Fernández de Puelles, M.L., González-Pola, C. and López-Jurado, J.L. (2010) Characterization of the spawning habitat of Atlantic bluefin tuna and related species in the Balearic Sea (western Mediterranean). Progress in Oceanography 86, 21–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anonymous. (2012) Report of the 2011 ICCAT South Atlantic and Mediterranean albacore stock assessment sessions. Collective Volume of Scientific Papers ICCAT 68, 387–491.Google Scholar
Aranda, G., Medina, A., Santos, A., Abascal, F.J. and Galaz, T. (2013) Evaluation of Atlantic bluefin tuna reproductive potential in the western Mediterranean Sea. Journal of Sea Research 76, 154–160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arena, P., Potoschi, A. and Cefali, A. (1980) Resultati preliminari di studi sull'età, l'accrescimento a la prima maturità sessuale dell'alalunga Thunnus alalunga (Bonn. 1788) del Tirreno. Memorie di Biologia Marina e di Oceanografia 10, 71–81.Google Scholar
Arocha, F. (2007) Swordfish reproduction in the Atlantic Ocean: an overview. Gulf and Caribbean Research 19, 21–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arocha, F. and Lee, D.W. (1996) Maturity at size, reproductive seasonality, spawning frequency, fecundity and sex ratio in swordfish from the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Collective Volume of Scientific Papers ICCAT 45, 350–357.Google Scholar
Arrizabalaga, H., Costas, E., Juste, J., González-Garcés, A., Nieto, B. and López-Rodas, V. (2004) Population structure of albacore Thunnus alalunga inferred from blood groups and tag-recapture analyses. Marine Ecology Progress Series 282, 245–252.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bello, G. (1999) Cephalopods in the diet of albacore, Thunnus alalunga, from the Adriatic Sea. Journal of Molluscan Studies 65, 233–240.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cardona, L., Álvarez de Quevedo, I., Borrell, A. and Aguilar, A. (2012) Massive consumption of gelatinous plankton by Mediterranean apex predators. PLoS ONE 7, e31329. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031329.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen, K.S., Crone, P. and Hsu, C.C. (2006) Reproductive biology of female pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis from south-western North Pacific Ocean. Fisheries Science 72, 985–994.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, K.S., Crone, P.R. and Hsu, C.C. (2010) Reproductive biology of albacore Thunnus alalunga. Journal of Fish Biology 77, 119–136. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2010.02662.x.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen, K.S., Shimose, T., Tanabe, T., Chen, C.-Y. and Hsu, C.C. (2012) Age and growth of albacore Thunnus alalunga in the North Pacific Ocean. Journal of Fish Biology 80, 2328–2344. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2012.03292.x.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Collette, B.B. and Nauen, C.E. (1983) An annotated and illustrated catalogue of tunas, mackerels, bonitos and related species known to date. FAO species catalogue, Vol. 2. Scombrids of the world. Rome: FAO Fisheries Synopsis, no. 125 (2), 137 pp.Google Scholar
Consoli, P., Romeo, T., Battaglia, P., Castriota, L., Espósito, V. and Andaloro, F. (2008) Feeding habits of the albacore tuna Thunnus alalunga (Perciformes, Scombridae) from central Mediterranean Sea. Marine Biology 155, 113–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davies, C.A., Gosling, E.M., Was, A., Brophy, D. and Tysklind, N. (2011) Microsatellite analysis of albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga): population genetic structure in the North-East Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Marine Biology 158, 2727–2740.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De la Serna, J.M., Ortiz de Urbina, J.M. and Macías, D. (1996) Observations on sex-ratio, maturity and fecundity by length-class for swordfish (Xiphias gladius) captured with surface longline in the western Mediterranean. Collective Volume of Scientific Papers ICCAT 45, 115–139.Google Scholar
De Ruggieri, P., Vlora, A., Pastorelli, A.M. and Marano, G. (1997) Thunnus alalunga (Osteichthyes, Scombridae): ritrovamento di larve nell'Adriatico meridionale. Biologia Marina Mediterranea 4, 591–593.Google Scholar
Dicenta, A. (1977) Zonas de puesta del atún (Thunnus thynnus, L.) y otros túnidos del Mediterráneo occidental y primer intento de evaluación del stock de reproductores de atún. Boletín Instituto Español de Oceanografía 234, 111–135.Google Scholar
Dicenta, A., Piccinetti, C. and Piccinetti-Manfrin, G. (1975) Observaciones sobre la reproducción de los túnidos en las islas Baleares. Boletín Instituto Español de Oceanografía 204, 27–37.Google Scholar
Di Natale, A., Mangano, A., Potoschi, A. and Valastro, M. (2011) Albacore (Thunnus alalunga) fisheries in the Tyrrhenian Sea and in the South-Central Mediterranean: fishery pattern, size frequencies, length-at-age, CPUEs. Collective Volume of Scientific Papers ICCAT 66, 1897–1912.Google Scholar
Farley, J.H. and Davis, T.L.O. (1998) Reproductive dynamics of southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii. Fishery Bulletin 96, 223–236.Google Scholar
Farley, J.H., Hoyle, S.D., Eveson, J.P., Williams, A.J., Davies, C.R. and Nicol, S.J. (2014) Maturity ogives for South Pacific albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) that account for spatial and seasonal variation in the distributions of mature and immature fish. PLoS ONE 9, e83017. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083017.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Farley, J.H., Williams, A.J., Hoyle, S.D., Davies, C.R. and Nicol, S.J. (2013) Reproductive dynamics and potential annual fecundity of South Pacific albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga). PLoS ONE 8, e60577. doi: 10.1371/jounal.pone.0060577.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
García, A., Alemany, F., De la Serna, J.M., Oray, I., Karakulak, S., Rollandi, L., Arigò, A. and Mazzola, S. (2005) Preliminary results of the 2004 bluefin tuna larval surveys off different Mediterranean sites (Balearic Archipelago, Levantine Sea and the Sicilian Channel). Collective Volume of Scientific Papers ICCAT 58, 1420–1428.Google Scholar
García-Barcelona, S., Ortiz de Urbina, J.M., De la Serna, J.M., Alot, E. and Macías, D. (2010) Seabird bycatch in Spanish Mediterranean large pelagic longline fisheries, 2000–2008. Aquatic Living Resources 23, 363–371.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goñi, N., Logan, J., Arrizabalaga, H., Jarry, M. and Lutcavage, M. (2011) Variability of albacore (Thunnus alalunga) diet in the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Marine Biology 158, 1057–1073.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hajjej, G., Hattour, A., Allaya, H., Jarboui, O. and Bouain, A. (2010) Biology of little tunny Euthynnus alletteratus in the Gulf of Gabes, Southern Tunisia (Central Mediterranean Sea). Revista de Biología Marina y Oceanografía 45, 399–406.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hunter, J.R. and Macewicz, B.J. (1985) Measurement of spawning frequency in multiple spawning fishes. In Lasker, R. (ed.) An egg production method for estimating spawning biomass of pelagic Fish: application to the northern anchovy, Engraulis mordax. La Jolla, CA: Reuben Lasker. NOAA Technical Report NMFS 36, pp. 79–94.Google Scholar
Hunter, J.R., Macewicz, B.J. and Sibert, J.R. (1986) The spawning frequency of skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, from the South Pacific. Fishery Bulletin 84, 895–903.Google Scholar
ICCAT (2010). Manual de ICCAT. Primera edición. Madrid, España: ICCAT. Available at http://www.iccat.int/en/ICCATManual.htm.Google Scholar
Itano, D.G. (2000) The reproductive biology of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) in Hawaiian waters and the western tropical Pacific Ocean: project summary. JIMAR Contribution 00-328. University of Hawaii, Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, 69 pp.Google Scholar
Juan-Jordá, M.J., Mosqueira, I., Freire, J. and Dulvy, N.K. (2013) The conservation and management of tunas and their relatives: setting life history research priorities. PLoS ONE 8, e70405. doi: 10.1371/jounal.pone.0070405.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karakulak, F., Özgür, E., Gökoğlu, M. and Emecan, I. (2011) Age and growth of albacore (Thunnus alalunga Bonnaterre, 1788) from the eastern Mediterranean. Turkish Journal of Zoology 35, 801–810.Google Scholar
Kikawa, S. and Ferraro, F.G. (1967) Maturation and spawning of tunas in the Indian Ocean. Proceedings Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council 12, 65–78.Google Scholar
Marano, G., De Zio, V., Pastorelli, A., Rositani, L. and Ungaro, N. (2005) Drifting longline fishery in the southern Adriatic Sea (GFCM Geographical Sub-Area 18). Report of the AdriaMed Technical Consultation on Adriatic Sea Small-Scale Fisheries. Split, Croatia, 14–15 October 2003. FAO-MiPAF Scientific Cooperation to Support Responsible Fisheries in the Adriatic Sea, GCP/RER/010/ITA/TD15: 15, 184 pp.Google Scholar
Medina, A., Abascal, F.J., Aragón, L., Mourente, G., Aranda, G., Galaz, J.M., Belmonte, A., De la Serna, J.M. and García, S. (2007) Influence of sampling gear in assessment of reproductive parameters for bluefin tuna in the western Mediterranean. Marine Ecology Progress Series 337, 221–230.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Medina, A., Abascal, F.J., Megina, C. and García, A. (2002) Stereological assessment of the reproductive status of female Atlantic northern bluefin tuna during migration to Mediterranean spawning grounds through the Strait of Gibraltar. Journal of Fish Biology 60, 203–217.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Megalofonou, P. (1990) Size distribution, length-weight relationships, age and sex of albacore (Thunnus alalunga) in the Aegean Sea. Collective Volume of Scientific Papers ICCAT 33, 154–162.Google Scholar
Megalofonou, P. (2000) Age and growth of Mediterranean albacore. Journal of Fish Biology 57, 700–715.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mejuto, J. (2007) Aspectos biológicos y pesqueros del pez espada (Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758) del Océano Atlántico, con especial referencia a las áreas de actividad de la flota española [Biological and fishery aspects of swordfish (Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758) from the Atlantic Ocean, with special reference to the areas of activity of the Spanish fleet]. PhD thesis. University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.Google Scholar
Mele, S., Merellab, P., Macias, D., Gómez, M.J., Garippab, G. and Alemany, A. (2010) Metazoan gill parasites of wild albacore Thunnus alalunga (Bonaterre, 1788) from the Balearic Sea (western Mediterranean) and their use as biological tags. Fisheries Research 102, 305–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Montes, I., Iriondo, M., Manzano, C., Arrizabalaga, H., Jiménez, E., Pardo, M.Á., Goñi, N., Davies, C.A. and Estonba, A. (2012) Worldwide genetic structure of albacore Thunnus alalunga revealed by microsatellite DNA markers. Marine Ecology Progress Series 471, 183–191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nakadate, M., Viñas, J., Corriero, A., Clarke, S., Suzuki, N. and Chow, S. (2005) Genetic isolation between Atlantic and Mediterranean albacore populations inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers. Journal of Fish Biology 66, 1545–1557.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nikaido, H., Miyabe, N. and Ueyanagi, S. (1991) Spawning time and frequency of bigeye tuna, Thunnus obesus. Natural Resources Institute Far Seas Fisheries Bulletin 28, 47–73.Google Scholar
Otsu, T. and Hansen, N. (1962) Sexual maturity and spawning of the albacore in the central south Pacific Ocean. Fishery Bulletin 62, 151–161.Google Scholar
Otsu, T. and Uchida, R.N. (1959) Sexual maturity and spawning of albacore in the Pacific Ocean. Fishery Bulletin 59, 287–305.Google Scholar
Partlo, J.M. (1955) Histological studies in albacore (Thunnus alalunga) gonads from the eastern Pacific. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 12, 61–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Piccinetti, C., Piccinetti-Manfrin, G. and Soro, S. (1996) Larve di Tunnidi in Mediterraneo. Biologia Marina Mediterranea 3, 303–309.Google Scholar
Poisson, F. and Fauvel, C. (2009) Reproductive dynamics of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in the southwestern Indian Ocean (Reunion Island). Part 1: oocyte development, sexual maturity and spawning. Aquatic Living Resources 22, 45–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Potoschi, A., Cavallaro, G., Sturiale, P. and Lo Duca, G. (1994) Uova e larve di pescespada (Xiphias gladius L. 1758), tonno (Thunnus thynnus L. 1758) ed alalunga (Thunnus alalunga Bonn. 1788) pescate nello Ionio della Sicilia orientale. Biologia Marina Mediterranea 1, 119–124.Google Scholar
Ramon, D. and Bailey, K. (1996) Spawning seasonability of albacore, Thunnus alalunga, in the South Pacific Ocean. Fishery Bulletin 94, 725–733.Google Scholar
Ratty, F.J., Laurs, R.M. and Kelly, R.M. (1990) Gonad morphology, histology, and spermatogenesis in South Pacific albacore tuna Thunnus alalunga (Scombridae). Fishery Bulletin U.S. 88, 207–216.Google Scholar
R Core Team (2013) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna: R Foundation for Statistical Computing. Available at: http://www.R-project.org/.Google Scholar
Salman, A. and Karakulak, F.S. (2009) Cephalopods in the diet of albacore, Thunnus alalunga, from the eastern Mediterranean. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 89, 635–640.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schaefer, K.M. (1996) Spawning time, frequency, and batch fecundity of yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares, near Clipperton Atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Fishery Bulletin 94, 98–112.Google Scholar
Schaefer, K.M. (1998) Reproductive biology of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission Bulletin 21, 205–272.Google Scholar
Schaefer, K.M. (2001) Reproductive biology of tunas. In Block, B.A. and Stevens, E.D. (eds) Fish physiology. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, pp. 225–270.Google Scholar
Schaefer, K.M., Fuller, D.W. and Miyabe, N. (2005). Reproductive biology of bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) in the eastern and Pacific Ocean. Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission Bulletin 23, 1–31.Google Scholar
Ueyanagi, S. (1957) Spawning of the albacore in the Western Pacific. Nankai Regional Fisheries Research Laboratory (Report), no. 6, 12 pp.Google Scholar
Vargas-Yáñez, M., García Martínez, M.C., Moya, F., Tel, E., Parrilla, G., Plaza, F., Lavín, A., García, M.J., Salat, J., López-Jurado, J.L., Pascual, J., García Lafuente, J., Gomis, D., Álvarez, E., García Sotillo, M., González Pola, C., Polvorinos, F., Fraile Nuez, E., Fernández de Puelles, M. L. and Zunino, P. (2010) Cambio Climático en el Mediterráneo español. Segunda edición. Madrid: Instituto Español de Oceanografía. Available at http://www.ma.ieo.es/gcc/cambio_climatico_reedicion.pdf.Google Scholar
Williams, A.J., Farley, J.H., Hoyle, S.D., Davies, C.R. and Nicol, S.J. (2012) Spatial and sex-specific variation in growth of albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) across the South Pacific Ocean. PLoS ONE 7, e39318. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039318.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wu, C.-L. and Kuo, C.-L. (1993) Maturity and fecundity of albacore, Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre) from the Indian Ocean. Journal of Fisheries Society Taiwan 20, 135–152.Google Scholar
Zudaire, I., Murua, H., Grande, M. and Bodin, N. (2013) Reproductive potential of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) in the western Indian Ocean. Fishery Bulletin 111, 252–264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar