Reproductive Biology of Male European Hake (Merluccius merluccius) in Central Mediterranean Sea: An Overview from Macroscopic to Molecular Investigation.

ABSTRACT: The improvement of scientific knowledge about overexploited fishery resources allow us to provide scientific advice for their management and stock protection. By using a multidisciplinary approach, the aim of the study was to characterize, for the first time in the Central Mediterranean Sea (GSA 17), the reproductive biology of males of M. merluccius, currently highly exploited. A multi-year sampling from January 2017 to December 2019 was performed to exhaustively evaluate the sex ratio of the stock, while the 2018 annual sampling was selected to investigate the reproductive pattern of males. Individuals in spawning conditions were found every month, proving that M. merluccius is an asynchronous species, reproducing all year round, with a seasonal reproductive peak in spring/

SUBMITTER: Mascoli A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10136159 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature