Size and age at onset of sexual maturity of female Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus L. (Crustacea: Nephropidae) in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.1998.62n1-2151Abstract
The reproductive cycle of the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) female was investigated to determine the size and age at onset of sexual maturity (SOM), as a baseline to establish the minimum catchable size. Samples were gathered in four seasonal (Spring 1986 - Winter 1987) trawl surveys on the Italian side of the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea). The relative frequency of females in different stages of maturation and in berried conditions was observed. According to the ovary stages, gonadal maturation is attained during Spring and Summer; berried animals occur almost exclusively in Summer and Autumn, in about 40% of the sample. Length structure changes slightly by location and by season; recruitment to the gear occurs more or less continuously. Gaussian components appear to be highly overlapped; the resolution of the length frequency distribution values leads to the identification of multiple cohorts, five of which were well represented. The population attains 50% of maturity at 30-32 mm CL, corresponding to an age of 5 years. The mean size of the first Gaussian component from the catch (about 22 mm CL) is well below the estimated size at 50% maturity, suggesting a precocious recruitment to the fishery.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
Downloads
Published
1998-06-30
How to Cite
1.
Bianchini ML, Di Stefano L, Ragonese S. Size and age at onset of sexual maturity of female Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus L. (Crustacea: Nephropidae) in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea). scimar [Internet]. 1998Jun.30 [cited 2023Oct.4];62(1-2):151-9. Available from: https://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/956
Issue
Section
Articles
License
Copyright (c) 1998 Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
© CSIC. Manuscripts published in both the printed and online versions of this Journal are the property of Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and quoting this source is a requirement for any partial or full reproduction.All contents of this electronic edition, except where otherwise noted, are distributed under a “Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International” (CC BY 4.0) License. You may read here the basic information and the legal text of the license. The indication of the CC BY 4.0 License must be expressly stated in this way when necessary.
Self-archiving in repositories, personal webpages or similar, of any version other than the published by the Editor, is not allowed.