Reproductive season and first maturity size of the spotted rose snapper Lutjanus guttatus (Steindachner, 1869) in the Pacific of Guatemala: A baseline for fishery management

• Published in: Latin american journal of aquatic research 2024-11, Vol.52 (5), p.777
• Main Authors: Velez-Arrellano, Nurenskaya, Hernandez-Padilla, Juan Carlos, Garcia-Dominguez, Federico, Colunga-Reyes, Pablo, Capetillo-Pinar, Norberto, Ortiz-Aldana, Jose Roberto, Gijon-Yescas, Neftaly, Velazquez-Abunader, Ivan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0718-560X; 0718-560X
• DOI: 10.3856/vol52-issue5-folltext-3238

The spotted rose snapper (Lutjanus guttatus) is a commercially important species that provides economic income to small-scale fisheries in the Pacific coastal regions of Guatemala; however, there are no studies on this species that establish a baseline of knowledge on their reproductive aspects and potential management measures. The present study was carried out to obtain the first knowledge on the reproductive behavior of this resource, which will contribute to the establishment of future management strategies for the fisheries. Aspects of gonadal-maturity phases and reproductive indicators such as the condition factor, gonadosomatic index, and temporal oocyte diameter were analyzed to estimate reproductive development and the size at first maturity. The results suggest that the spotted rose snapper has two well-defined reproductive periods - from October to December and March to May. These periods were closely related to temperatures that ranged from 29 to 31[degrees]C. In addition, according to the monthly monitoring of the oocyte diameter density distribution, it is suggested that spotted rose snapper in the region could participate in up to three spawning events during the reproductive season, with gamete development occurring throughout most of the entire study period. The first size at maturity was a total length (TL) of 33.49 cm (confidence interval = 30.95-36.14 cm). This information is important for sustainable fishery management and provides a baseline for future research.