TITLE:
Somatic Condition, Growth and Reproduction of Hake, Merluccius merluccius L., in the Portuguese Coast
AUTHORS:
Ana Maria Costa
KEYWORDS:
Merluccius merluccius; Portuguese Coast; Biology; Somatic Condition; Spawning Season
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Marine Science,
Vol.3 No.1,
January
25,
2013
ABSTRACT:
Weight/length relationships, condition factor, gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indices, conversion factor for gutted to total weight and spawning season of hake in the Portuguese Coast (36.92 to 42.22 degrees latitude N; 9.61 to 6.07 degrees longitude W) were investigated for the first time, aiming to fill the lack of information on the biology of hake of the Portuguese waters. Data were obtained from commercial samples collected between 2005 and 2010 and pooled by month. Sex ratio observed in fish below 40 cmwas close to 1:1; females were always dominant above50 cmlength. All the parameters were analysed by month and by sex and by combined sexes. The relationships obtained for combined sexes for the entire period concerning the growth in length and weight were: total length-total weight =0.0038L3.172, total length-gutted weight =0.0052L3.059. The relationship total weight-gutted weight was Wt = 15.8112 + 0.8480Wg and the conversion factor was of 1.1524. The growth rate is similar for both sexes but different when based on total weight or gutted weight. The analysis of the condition factor, gonadosomatic index, hepatosomatic index and the monthly distribution of the maturity stages seem to indicate that hake from thePortugueseCoasthas a long spawning season, with three spawning peaks in March, May and August but the start of the spawning season seems independent of the fish length.