Brule et al : Reproduction in Mycteroperca bonaci 



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mature or resting females. Stage! anii -II oocytes, yellow 

 bodies, and sometimes bundles of muscle and connective 

 tissue were present within the lamellae. Intermixed with 

 the female tissue, these gonads contained a few nests of 

 spermatogonia, spermatocytes, or spermatozoa, although 

 degeneration of female germinal tissue was not observed 

 (Fig. 3C). These transitional specimens were captured in 

 September, November, and December 1997 and in January 

 and March 1998. 



Sexual cycle 



Females captured from inshore waters during January, 

 February, March, May, November, and December were 

 immature and had low individual GSI values (GSI range 

 0.01-0.18%), and only oogonia and previtellogenic oocytes 

 were observed in their ovaries. 



Mean GSI for mature females caught in offshore waters 

 began to increase in December (0.5%), reached a maximum 



value in February (2.2%), and declined to a near minimum 

 level in March (0.7%) and April (0.6%) (Fig. 4). Highest in- 

 dividual GSI values for females were observed in October 

 (4.9%), December (6.0%), January (6.7%), and February 

 (9.6%). Mean GSI for males caught in offshore waters in- 

 creased in December (0.13% ) and January (0.14% ) — reach- 

 ing a maximum value in February (0.22%) and declining 

 from March (0.12%) to August (0.11%) (Fig. 4). Highest in- 

 dividual GSI values for males were observed in September 

 (0.43%) and February (0.39%). 



Ripening females, with stage-Ill, -IV, and -V vitellogenic 

 oocytes in their ovaries, were observed year-round, but 

 dominated in collections made between December and 

 March (42-56% of females) (Fig. 5). Advanced vitellogenic 

 oocytes undergoing final oocyte maturation were noted on- 

 ly for some females captured between January and March 

 (Fig. 6A). Ripe-running females, with hyaline oocytes or 

 postovulatory follicles (or with both) in their ovaries, were 

 recorded between October and June, and peaked in occur- 



