New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Reproductive biology of Mustelus lenticulatus from Kaikoura and Nelson

Malcolm P. Francis

Zoology Department, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 1, New Zealand

and

James T. Mace*

Fisheries Management Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Private Bag, Nelson, New Zealand

Abstract Mustelus lenticulatus is a non-placental ovoviviparous shark with a gestation period of about 11 months. Young are born at a total length of 30-32 cm from September to December. Copulation, and ovulation of a further set of eggs, rapidly follows parturition. Fecundity increases with the length of the female; the most eggs found in one female was 24; the mean for all females was 10.73. Males mature at about 85 cm total length and females at 95 cm at Kaikoura. Nelson males probably mature at a smaller size than do Kaikoura males. Nelson females mature at about 85 cm. Maximum observed lengths were 137 cm for females and 115 cm for males.

Keywords reproduction; Elasmobranchii; Mustelus lenticulatus; Kaikoura; Nelson.

New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research, 1980, 14(3): 303-311
Received 14 March 1980; revision received 28 May 1980 ïTo whom correspondence should be addressed

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (641K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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