Reproduction of the flatfish Achirus lineatus (Pleuronectiformes: Achiridae) in Paranaguá Bay, state of Paraná, a subtropical region of Brazil

C. de Oliveira, EltonFernando Fávaro, Luís

The present study characterizes the oogenesis and the ovarian maturation scale, and determines the reproductive period, type of spawning, recruitment period, and population variations in the reproductive process of the flatfish Achirus lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758). Specimens were sampled on a monthly basis in the shallow near shore area of the Paranaguá Bay, state of Paraná, Brazil, from March 2006 to February 2007. The specimens collected were measured for morphometric data (total length and total weight) and their gonads were exposed for macroscopic evaluation. The gonads were subsequently removed, weighed and processed for microscopic analyses. Six phases of the ovarian follicle development were defined, as well as five ovarian development stages. Growth patterns differed between the sexes: negative allometry for females and positive allometry for males. Based on the seasonal assessments of the distribution of individual GSI values, the distribution of stages of gonadal development, individual body size, sex ratio, the ratio of juveniles to adults, and histological examination of the ovaries, reproduction was found to occur in the spring (spawning in batches), and recruitment in the autumn. These results show that A. lineatus is an estuarine-resident species that uses the study area for reproduction and recruitment, providing an argument in favor of the need to conserve the estuarine environment in order to preserve stocks.

1. reproductive period
2. type of spawning
3. sex ratio
4. maturity scale
5. Oogenesis