Growth and reproductive biology of chub mackerel Scomber japonicus off the Canary Islands

Abstract

A total of 1 142 chub mackerel Scomber japonicus was collected south-west of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) from March 1988 to June 1989. Fish ranged in size between 13,7 and 42,1 cm total length and weighed between 15,9 and 746,6 g. The length-mass relationship for the whole sample can be described by the parameters a = 0,003 and b = 3,309. The overall sex ratio did not significantly depart from 1:1. The reproductive season extended from November to March, spawning peaking between December and January. The total lengths at 50% maturity were 19,8 and 19,9 for males and females respectively. Fish aged 0–7 years were present in the samples. There was no difference in the lengths-at-age between males and females. The parameters of the Von Bertalanffy growth equation estimated for all fish were: L∞ = 52,4 cm, k = 0, 19·year−l, and to = −1,61 years.