Mann et a\ Reproduction and recruitment of Mugil curema 



815 



100 

 g 80 

 o. 60 

 B 40 

 I 20 



100 

 80 

 60 

 40 

 20 

 



Chacopata 



Cariaco Gulf 



Margarita 



MAMJ JA sond;j FMAMJ J 

 1992  1993 



Figure 6 



Percent composition of four maturity stages (I to IV, see text 

 for definitions) of Mwg;/ curema (males and females combined) 

 captured from Margarita, the Cariaco Gulf, and the Chacopata 

 fisher)' zones of northeast Venezuela. 



36 mm) and varied in age from 50 to 70 days (Fig. 9). The 

 cohort oflarger juveniles, referred to as the second cohort, 

 had a mean length of 105 mm (range of 90 to 130 mm), and 

 otolith analysis indicated an age of 160 to 240 days (Fig. 8). 

 This cohort was present until May 1992 and was largely 

 absent thereafter (Fig. 7). A third cohort was first observed 

 in mid October 1992. It measured from 50 to 100 mm in 

 length, overlapping the length distribution of cohort 1. As 

 such, no clear distinction could be made between these two 

 cohorts on these dates. The third cohort became more dis- 

 tinct in December 1992 and January 1993 as individuals 

 from the first cohort left the lagoon. These individuals were 

 aged from 95 to 200 days old in December. This cohort was 

 present until approximately April 1993 and disappeared 

 thereafter (Fig. 9). Finally, a fourth cohort first appeared in 

 March 1993 and consisted offish of similar size and age as 

 the first cohort observed in March of the previous year. 



The back-calculated hatching dates showed that the sec- 

 ond, older cohort observed in the lagoon in March 1992 was 

 composed of mullet that had hatched between August and 

 October 1991 (Fig. 10). The younger cohort in the March 

 1992 sample originated from continuous hatching from 



Table 1 



Validation of daily increment formation in the otoliths of 

 juvenile white mullet (Mugil curema) sampled at 14-day 

 intervals in March and April 1992. /i= number of otoliths in 

 sample, mean age (standard deviation) is given in days on 

 date of capture, and "difference" is the difference in mean 

 age between successive sampling dates. 



Sampling dates 



5 March 

 1992 



19 March 

 1992 



2 April 2 

 1992 



15 20 19 



56.46(4.81) 70.85(9.88) 84.3(11.24) 

 14.39 13.45 



Mean age (SD) 

 Difference 



late December 1991 to late March 1992. The back-calculated 

 hatching dates indicated that larval production of successful 

 recruits was almost absent during April and May 1992 but 

 small increases were observed in June and July 1992. The 

 third cohort, which first appeared in September 1992, was 



