New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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SIZE AT FIRST MATURITY OF TWO SPECIES OF FLOUNDERS IN THE HAURAKI GULF, NEW ZEALAND

J. A. COLMAN

Fisheries Research Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract The length at first maturity of the sand flounder, Rhombosolea plebeia (Richardson), and the yellow-belly flounder, Rhombosolea leporina Gunther, (Teleostei: Heterosomata) in the Hauraki Gulf was investigated by the incidence of sexually tnature and immature fish grouped at 1-cm length intervals. All male sand flounders and yellow-bellies were sexually mature at sizes considerably less than the legal minima of 22.9 cm (9 in.) and 25.4 cm (10 in.) respectively. About 95% of female sand flounders and about 15% of female yellow-bellies matured before reaching the respective minimum legal sizes. Most (i.e., over 50%) female sand flounders and yellow-bellies were mature when they reached lengths of 18 cm and 26 cm respectively.

N.Z. Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 6 (3) : 240 - 5
(Received for publication 9 December 1970)

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (252K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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