642 



Fishery Bulletin 94(4), 1 996 



All vermilion snapper in this study were mature. 

 Of the 750 females (Table 6) and 254 males (Table 7) 

 examined histologically, the smallest female was 165 

 mm FL (186 mm TL) and smallest male 179 mm FL 

 (197 mm TL). Ages of 176 females ranged from 2 

 to 10 yr; 87 males ranged from 3 to 11 yr (Tables 6 

 and 7). 



Owing to gear selectivity, fish under two years old 

 were not found in the present study; however, three- 

 and four-year old fish were about the size of those 

 found by Grimes (1976) (Fig. 6). After age four, fish 

 in the present study were dramatically smaller than 

 fish in the study by Grimes ( 1976). 



The spawning season of vermilion snapper was 

 from April to September (Fig. 7). The mean gonado- 

 somatic index (GSI) for females increased in April 



and was high through August, decreasing in Septem- 

 ber. Mean GSI values remained constant from Octo- 

 ber through March. Spawning was first evident his- 

 tologically on 15 April 1992 and no longer evident in 

 sections taken at the end of September 1992. Gonad 

 index (GI) values of Grimes (1976) for 1973-74 

 showed trends similar to those for GI values from 

 this study (Fig. 8). 



Reproductive activities of males began earlier in 

 the year and lasted longer in the season than did the 

 reproductive activity of females (Fig. 9). Percentages 

 of active males and females were similar for July, 

 August, and September. There were reproductively 

 active portions of the population present from April 

 through October (during which period there were 

 correspondingly higher GSI values for females). 



