Collins et a I.: Reproductive patterns, sex ratio, and fecundity of Mycteroperca microlepis 
423 
February and March and females were spent 
from December to May. Coleman et al. (1996) 
and Koenig et al. (1996) used GSIs, fresh 
“squashes,” histological examinations, and ju- 
venile otolith daily increments and found peak 
spawning to occur in February-March, but some 
gag were reproductively active from January 
through mid-May in 1991. 
McErlean’s (1963) estimates of (annual) fe- 
cundity in 7-8 yr-old gag (n=3, 930-946 mm TL) 
were somewhat similar to our batch fecundity 
estimates for the same age fish (his and our 
range of estimates were 0.526-1.457 million and 
0.249-0.865 million, respectively) although the 
exact oocyte size and stage counted by McErlean 
are unknown. We can infer, however, from the 
“bright-yellow eggs” he counted (McErlean 3 ) 
that they were vitellogenic (nonhydrated) oocytes 
because fresh hydrated oocytes are clear. We 
counted only hydrated oocytes (n= 12 fish, 860- 
1065 mm TL). McErlean’s ovary weights averaged 
231.1 g, whereas ours averaged 656.7 g. This com- 
parison of ovary weight of similar size and age 
fish strongly suggests that McErlean’s gag were 
not ready to spawn. Gag population changes be- 
tween 1961 (McErlean, 1963) and 1991-94 
(present study) may also have affected length, 
age, ovary weight, and fecundity (Johnson et 
al., 1993). 
Our estimates of gag batch fecundity (0.011- 
0.865 million), spawning frequency by age and 
year (6-71; see Tables 3 and 4), and annual fe- 
cundity (0.065-61.4 million) are similar to those 
of several multiple spawning, demersal marine 
species similar to gag in size and longevity. 
Fitzhugh et al. (1993) estimated mean batch 
fecundity (1.6 million) and spawning frequency 
(46, n = 25) for black drum, Pogonias cromis, 
whereas Nieland and Wilson (1993) estimated 
ranges of batch fecundity (0.510-2.42 million), 
spawning frequency (25-28), and annual fecun- 
dity (13.0-67.0 million, n=41) for the same spe- 
cies. Wilson and Nieland (1994) estimated batch 
fecundity (0.160-3.27 million), and their data 
indicated a spawning frequency of 1-30 (calcu- 
lated by the senior author (LAC) of this paper) 
for red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus (n=51). Re- 
cently, Collins et al. (1996) estimated batch fe- 
cundity (0.001-1.70 million), spawning frequency 
(21-35), and annual fecundity (0.012-59.7 mil- 
lion) for red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus (n= 66). 
Spawning frequencies and possibly GSIs may be 
useful in forecasting trends in fishery production. For 
instance, our estimates of GSI and spawning fre- 
quency were greatest during 1991 and 1993, suggest- 
ing that population reproductive efforts may have 
been greater and gag juveniles may have been more 
3 McErlean, A. J. [retired]. 1997. 4364 Hickory Shores Blvd., 
Gulf Breeze, FL 32561. Personal commun. 
