Colmenero et al.: Reproductive strategy of Lophius piscatorius in Mediterranean waters 
67 
i! Dll I3III bIV dV 
D 
•GSI -o-HSI 
Figure S 
Monthly distribution of maturity phases of gonads for (A) males (n=251) and (B) females (n=278) and monthly 
changes in the mean gonadosomatic (GSI) and hepatosomatic (HSI) indices for (C) males (n=135) and (D) females 
(n=202) of white anglerfish {Lophius piscatorius) collected from the northwestern Mediterranean Sea between June 
2007 and December 2010. On the basis of macroscopic examination, specimens were assigned to the following 5 
phases: immature (phase I), developing or regenerating (phase II), spawning capable (phase III), actively spawning 
(phase IV), and regressing (phase V). Error bars indicate standard error of the mean. 
been found for white anglerfish in other areas (Ofstad 
and Laurenson®) and for other species of anglerfish. Fe- 
male black anglerfish, for example, mature at 48.2 cm 
TL, whereas males attain first maturity at 33.4 cm TL 
(Colmenero et ah, 2013), and female devil anglerfish 
reach sexual maturity at 58.2 cm TL, whereas males of 
this species mature at 39.9 cm TL (Maartens and Booth, 
2005). For the goosefish, L 50 for females and males was 
estimated at 48.5 and 36.9 cm TL, respectively (Arm- 
strong et ah, 1992), and female yellow goosefish mature 
at 56.7 cm TL and males of this species mature at 36.2 
cm (Yoneda et ah, 2001). This dissimilarity in size at 
maturity is usually associated with a trade-off between 
life history traits, where early maturity involves a larg- 
I er size but a slower growth (Stearns and Koella, 1986; 
I Charnov, 2008). 
Reproductive strategy 
' The reproductive strategy of white anglerfish is one of 
' discontinuous oogenesis with synchronous development 
® Ofstad, L. H., and C. Laurenson. 2007. Biology of angler- 
fish Lophius piscatorius in Faroese waters. ICES Council 
Meeting (C.M.) Documents 2007/K:07, 16 p. 
of vitellogenic oocytes and is, therefore, this species is 
considered a total spawner (Afonso-Dias and Hislop, 
1996). The oocytes ovulate at once, and the eggs are 
released in either a unique event or over a short period 
of time, as part of a single episode during the spawning 
season (Murua and Saborido-Rey, 2003; Pavlov et ah, 
2009). This pattern of oocyte development and spawn- 
ing patterns is also found in other species of Lophius 
(Leslie and Grant, 1990; Armstrong et ah, 1992; Col- 
menero et ah, 2013). Yoneda et ah (2001) suggested 
that yellow goosefish may have the potential to spawn 
more than once a year, on the basis of the observation 
of a captive specimen that released several infertile 
egg masses. However, this spawning behavior cannot 
be considered normal. 
Female anglerfish spawn their eggs in a mucoid 
veil that floats near the surface. The veil consists of 
individual chambers that contain 1-3 eggs and has an 
opening that provides water circulation. In our study, 
we recognized in some chambers the presence of 2 eggs 
sharing the same chamber. Although this way of re- 
leasing eggs is not common among fish species, some 
Scorpaeniformes, such as the shortfin turkeyfish (Den- 
drochirus brachypterus) (Fishelson, 1978) or the short- 
