Determining reproductive parameters for population assessments of two smoothhounds (Mustelus californicus and Mustelus lunulatus) from the northern Gulf of California, Mexico

• Autores: Juan Carlos Pérez-Jiménez, Oscar Sosa Nishizaki
• Localización: Bulletin of Marine Science, ISSN 0007-4977, Vol. 86, Nº. 1, 2010, págs. 3-13
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • We estimated the reproductive parameters needed for assessment of the commercially exploited populations of the grey smoothhound Mustelus californicus (Gill, 1864) and the sicklefin smoothhound Mustelus lunulatus (Jordan and Gilbert, 1883) from the northern Gulf of California. Results indicated that females of M. californicus and M. lunulatus reproduce annually; with a gestation of approximately 11 mo (gestation and vitellogenesis were concurrent). Females and males of M. californicus matured at 862 and 728 mm total length (TL), respectively, and females and males of M. lunulatus matured at 1032 and 915 mm TL, respectively. A linear relationship between maternal TL and litter size was estimated for both species. Litter sizes were 7-16 for M. californicus and 6-19 for M. lunulatus. All near-term gravid and postpartum females of both species were caught in the Biosphere Reserve of the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta (the northernmost region of the gulf) between February and June, which suggests that this area is a pupping ground for both species.