Age and reproductive investment in grass goby females in the Venice lagoon

Franco, Anita; Malavasi, Stefano; Pranovi, Fabio; Franzoi, Piero; Torricelli, Patrizia

Abstract

The present work describes the relationship between age and reproductive investment in the grass goby females in the Venice Lagoon. Age was estimated by otoliths reading, while reproductive investment was assessed by either the relative number of mature females across the breeding season and their gonadosomatic index. Females from different size/age classes differed in the timing and level of reproductive investment. The oldest females (3+ years old) appeared earlier in the spawning habitat, investing more at the beginning of the breeding season. In turn a later arrival in the spawning habitats has been observed for younger females (0+) and smaller individuals of 1+ and 2+ age classes. Present results gave evidence of an earlier age/size at sexual maturity of the grass goby in the Venice Lagoon compared to previous information on the species from the same lagoon and from other Mediterranean areas. Results were discussed in the light of previous data on reproductive strategy of nesting males and of the relationship between fishing pressure and life history traits in the Venice lagoon. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Citation

Franco, A., Malavasi, S., Pranovi, F., Franzoi, P., & Torricelli, P. (2012). Age and reproductive investment in grass goby females in the Venice lagoon. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 93(3), 419-425. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-011-9931-y

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 19, 2011
• Online Publication Date: Oct 20, 2011
• Publication Date: 2012-02
• Deposit Date: Feb 7, 2018
• Journal: Environmental Biology of Fishes
• Print ISSN: 0378-1909
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 93
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 419-425
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-011-9931-y
• Keywords: Aquatic Science; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/534937
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10641-011-9931-y