Spawning area of the tropical Skipjack Tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis (Scombridae), in the western Mediterranean Sea

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.05292.051

Keywords:

Skipjack, reproductive biology, spawning season, sexual maturity, gonadosomatic index, Mediterranean

Abstract


Skipjack is an important commercial species with a tropical distribution, although captures in the Mediterranean Sea have been recorded for decades. The western Mediterranean Sea, specifically the Balearic Sea, is a spawning area for several tuna species. We hypothesized that the western Mediterranean warming in the last few decades could lead to the expansion of skipjack tuna spawning areas from tropical areas to the Mediterranean Sea. We analysed 454 individuals (41.8-81 cm straight fork length) caught by sport fishing vessels in offshore trolling championships in Spanish Mediterranean waters during summer months from 2014 to 2019. Analysis of the gonadosomatic index and microscopic examination of the ovaries (n=192) showed that the skipjack is reproductively active in the western Mediterranean, particularly in the Balearic Sea. These results indicate that the skipjack has expanded its distribution and spawning area from tropical waters to the Mediterranean, probably owing to the gradual warming detected in the area in the last few decades. This new spawning activity in the area should be monitored in the near future to study the possible impact on other tuna species that share the distribution range and spawning area with skipjack tuna in the western Mediterranean.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alemany F., Quintanilla L., Velez-Belchi P., et al. 2010. Characterization of the spawning habitat of Atlantic bluefin tuna and related species in the Balearic Sea (Western Mediterranean). Progr. Oceanogr. 86: 21-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2010.04.014

Andrade H.A., Santos J.A.T. 2004. Seasonal trends in the recruitment of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) to the fishing ground in the southwest Atlantic. Fish. Res. 66: 185-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-7836(03)00199-1

Ashida H. 2020. Spatial and temporal differences in the reproductive traits of skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis between the subtropical and temperate western Pacific Ocean. Fish. Res. 221: 105352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2019.105352

Ashida H., Tanabe T., Suzuki N. 2017. Difference on reproductive trait of skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis female between schools (free vs FAD school) in the tropical western and central Pacific Ocean. Environ. Biol. Fish. 100: 935-945. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-017-0621-2

Benevenuti J., Monteiro-Neto C., Rodrigues M., et al. 2019. Size structure, reproduction, and growth of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) caught by the pole-and-line fleet in the southwest Atlantic. Fish. Res. 212: 136-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2018.12.011

Brown-Peterson N.J., Wyanski D.M., Saborido-Rey F., et al. 2011. A Standardized Terminology for Describing Development in Fishes. Mar. Coast. Fish. 3(1): 52-70. https://doi.org/10.1080/19425120.2011.555724

Cayre P., Farrugio H. 1986. Biologie de la reproduction du listao (Katsuwonus pelamis) del ocean Atlantique. In: Symmons P.E.K., Miyaque P.M., Sahagawa G.T. (eds), Proc. ICCAT Conf. Int. Skipjack Year Program, Int. Comm. Conser. Atl. Tunas, Madrid, Spain, pp. 252-272.

Collete B.B., Nausen C.E. 1983. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 2. Scombrids of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of tunas, mackerels, bonitos and related species known to date. Rome: FAO. FAO Fish. Synop. 125: 1-137.

Dueri S., Bopp L., Maury O. 2014. Projecting the impacts of climate change on skipjack tuna abundance and spatial distribution. Global Change Biol. 20: 742-753. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12460 PMid:24464855

FAO. 2022. El estado mundial de la pesca y la acuicultura 2022. Hacia la transformación azul. Roma, FAO.

Farley J.H., Williams A.J., Hoyle S.D., et al. 2013. Reproductive dynamics and potential annual fecundity of South Pacific albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga). PloS ONE 8(4): e60577. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0060577 PMid:23565258 PMCid:PMC3614989

Gibson R.N, Ezzi I.A. 1980. The biology of the scaldfish, Arnoglossus laterna (Walbaum) on the west coast of Scotland. J. Fish Biol. 17: 565-575. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1980.tb02788.x

Goldberg S.R., Au D.W. 1986. The spawning of skipjack tuna from the southern Brazil as determinated from histological examination of ovaries. In: Symmons P.E.K., Miyaque P.M., Sahagawa G.T. (eds), Proc. ICCAT Conf. Int. Skipjack Year Program, Int.

Comm. Conser. Atl. Tunas, Madrid, Spain, pp. 277-284.

Grande M., Murua H., Zudaine I., Korta M. 2012. Oocyte development and fecundity type of the skipjack Katsuwonus pelamis, in the Western Indian Ocean. J. Sea Res. 73: 117-284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2012.06.008

Grande M., Murua H., Zudaine I., et al. 2014. Reproductive timing and reproductive capacity of the Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) in the western Indian Ocean. Fish. Res. 156: 14-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2014.04.011

Hartaty H., Setyadji B., Fahmi Z. 2020. Reproductive biology of Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) in Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone. IOTC-2020-WPTT22(AS)-8.

Hunter J.R., 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. NOAA Tech. Rept. NMFS 36, pp. 79-94.

ICCAT. 2021. International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas - Access to ICCAT statistical databases. Task I. https://ICCAT.int/en/accesingdb.html.

ICCAT. 2019. International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas - Report of the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS). 459 pp.

Macías D., Gómez-Vives M.J., García S., Ortiz de Urbina J.M. 2005. Reproductive characteristics of Atlantic Bonito (Sarda sarda) from the south-western Spanish Mediterranean. Col. Vol Sci. Pap. ICCAT 58: 470-483.

McBride R.S., Somarakis S., Fitzhugh G.R., et al. 2015. Energy acquisition and allocation to egg production in relation to fish reproductive strategies. Fish Fish. 16: 23-57. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12043

Margulies D., Suter J.M., Hunt S.L., et al. 2007. Spawning and early development of captive yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares). Fish. Bull. 105: 249-265.

Matsumoto W.M., Skillman R.A., Dixon A.E. 1984. Synopsis of biological data on skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis. U.S. Nat. Mar. Fish. Serv. Nat. Oceanic Atmos. Adm. Tech. Rep. NMFS Circ., vol 451. U.S. Department of Commerce.

Medina A., Abascal F.J., Megina C., 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. J. Fish Biol. 60: 217-230. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2002.tb02398.x

Otsu T., Uchida R. 1959. Study for age determination by hard parts of albacore from central Pacific and Hawaiian waters. U.S. Fish. Bull. 59: 353-363.

R Core Team. 2017. R: A language and environmental for analysis computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria.

Reglero P., Ciannelli L., Álvarez-Berasategui D., et al. 2012. Geographically and environmentally driven spawning distributions of tuna species in the western Mediterranean Sea. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 463: 273-284. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09800

Reglero P., Tittesor D.P., Álvarez-Berasategui D., et al. 2014. Worldwide distributions of tuna larvae: revising hypotheses on environmental requirements for spawning habitats. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 501: 207-224. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps10666

Reynolds R.W., Rayner N.A., Smith T.M., et al. 2002. An improved in situ and satellite SST análisis for climate. J. Climate 15: 1609-1625. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(2002)015<1609:AIISAS>2.0.CO;2

Saber S., Gómez-Vives M.J., García-Barcelona S., et al. 2012. Recreational catch rates and biology of Skipjack tuna from the western Mediterranean Sea. In: Morris E.P., Mañanes R., Fernández M.C., Gómez J. (eds), Libro de resúmenes del III Simposio Internacional de Ciencias del Mar (ISMS12), Cádiz, ISBN: 978-84-695-1394-1, p. 112.

Saber S., Muñoz P., Ortiz de Urbina J., et al. 2015. Análisis de las tendencias de las capturas de atún listado Katsuwonus pelamis (Linnaeus, 1758) de la pesca deportiva en el Mediterráneo occidental (2006-2014). In: Díaz del Río V., Bárcenas P., Fernández-Salas L.M., et al. (eds), Volumen de Comunicaciones presentadas en el VIII Simposio sobre el Margen Ibérico Atlántico (MIA15). Málaga, Spain, 21-23 September 2015. Ediciones Sia Graf, Málaga, pp. 517-520.

Saber S., Ortiz de Urbina J., Lino P.G., et al. 2018. Biological aspects of little tunny Euthynnus alletteratus from Spanish and Portuguese waters. Collect. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT. 75: 95-110.

Saber S., Macías D., Gómez-Vives M.J., et al. 2020. Standardized catch rates of Skipjack from the Mediterranean Spanish recreational fishery (2006-2018). Collect. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT 76(6): 867-873.

Schaefer K.M. 1998. Reproductive biology of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacores) in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Inter-Am. Trop. Tuna Comm. Bull. 21: 205-272.

Schaefer K.M. 2001a. Assessment of skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis spawning activity in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Fish. Bull. 99: 343-350.

Schaefer K.M. 2001b. Reproductive biology of tunas. In: Block B.A., Stevens E.D. (eds), Tuna physiology, ecology and evolution. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, pp. 225-272. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1546-5098(01)19007-2

Schaefer K.M., Fuller D.W. 2019. Spatiotemporal variability in the reproductive dynamics of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Fish. Res. 209: 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2018.09.002

Stequert B., Ramcharrun B. 1995. The fecundity of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) from the western Indian Ocean. Aquat. Liv. Res. 8: 79-89. https://doi.org/10.1051/alr:1995006

Stequert B., Ramcharrun B. 1996. La reproduction du listao (Katsuwonus pelamis) dans le bassin ouest de l'ocean Indien. Aquat. Liv. Res. 9: 235-247. https://doi.org/10.1051/alr:1996027

Timohina O.I., Romanov E.V. 1996. Characteristics of ovogenesis and some data on maturation and spawning of skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis (Linnaeus, 1758), from the western part of the equatorial zone of the Indian Ocean. Indian Ocean Tuna Commission 24.

Varela J.L., Cañavate J. P., Medina A. Mourente G. 2019. Inter-regional variation in feeding patterns of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) inferred from stomach content, stable isotope and fatty acid analyses. Mar. Env. Res. 152: 104821. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.104821 PMid:31653436

Vargas-Yañez M., García M.C., Moya F., et al. 2010. Cambio Climático en el Mediterráneo español. Segunda edición. Instituto Español de Oceanografía. 176 pp.

Vargas-Yañez M., García M.C., Moya F., et al. 2019. Estado de los ecosistemas marinos en el Mediterráneo español en un contexto de cambio climático. Instituto Español de Oceanografía. 284 pp.

Wickhman H. 2016. ggplot2: Elegant Graphics for Data Analysis. Springer-Verlag. New York.

Wood S.M. 2017. Generalized Additive Models: An Introduction with R (2nd ed.) Chapman and Hall/CRC. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315370279

Worm B, Sandow M., Oschlies A., et al. 2005. Global patterns of predator diversity in the open oceans. Science 309: 1365-1369. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1113399 PMid:16051749

Published

2022-12-14

How to Cite

1.
Puerto MA, Saber S, Ortiz de Urbina JM, Gómez-Vives MJ, García-Barcelona S, Macías D. Spawning area of the tropical Skipjack Tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis (Scombridae), in the western Mediterranean Sea. Sci. mar. [Internet]. 2022Dec.14 [cited 2024Mar.28];86(4):e051. Available from: https://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/1940

Issue

Section

Articles

Funding data

Instituto Español de Oceanografía
Grant numbers GPM 17-21