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Swordfish (Xiphias gladius, Teleostea: Xiphiidae) surface behaviour during reproductive period in the central Mediterranean Sea (southern Tyrrhenian Sea)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2009

Teresa Romeo ,
Pierpaolo Consoli ,
Silvestro Greco ,
Simone Canese  and
Franco Andaloro
Teresa Romeo*
Affiliation:
ICRAM, Central Institute for Marine Research, Via dei Mille 44, 98057 Milazzo (ME), Italy
Pierpaolo Consoli
Affiliation:
ICRAM, Via E. Amari 124, 90139 Palermo, Italy
Silvestro Greco
Affiliation:
ICRAM, Via di Casalotti 300, 00166 Roma, Italy
Simone Canese
Affiliation:
ICRAM, Via di Casalotti 300, 00166 Roma, Italy
Franco Andaloro
Affiliation:
ICRAM, Via E. Amari 124, 90139 Palermo, Italy
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Teresa Romeo, ICRAM, Central Institute for Marine Research, Via dei Mille 44, 98057 Milazzo (ME), Italy email: t.romeo@icram.org
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Abstract

Swordfish in the Mediterranean Sea have been caught with harpoon since 1000 BC, when, from May to August, these animals come to the surface often in male–female pairs. At this time, swordfish exhibit a variety of swimming behaviours largely only known by fishermen targeting swordfish. Over four years from 2002 to 2005, we observed the behaviour of swordfish in surface waters from the sighting platform of a harpoon fishing boat. The behaviour of 207 swordfish pairs, 73 single females and 124 single males, were recorded. On the basis of behaviours identified by the fishing fleet, we classified a priori, the behaviour of single males, single females and pairs of swordfish across seven categories. After capture, the maturity stage of each fish was determined macrocospically and assigned to a gonadosomatic index (GSI). Both male and female of a higher GSI were more frequently observed in surface waters during June and July (analysis of variance (ANOVA) F(3,276) = 70.107; P = 0.001) and individual GSI was observed to be associated with differing behavioural grouping. The most frequent behaviours observed were: a female that swam rectilinear closely followed by the male, or two fish that swam near the surface and turn out going full circle. Both behaviours were associated with the maturity Stage IV. Our data suggest that reproductive behaviour of swordfish involve a long lasting surface courtship display with different phases influenced by gonad development.

Keywords

Swordfishswimming behaviourTyrrhenian Seaspawning
Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 2 , January 2009 , e45
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2009

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