Reproductive biology of the wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri (Teleostei: Scombridae) in the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago, Brazil

The wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri, a cosmopolitan species distributed in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, is often caught by commercial fishing vessels in the vicinity of the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago (SPSPA) (Brazil). The aim of the present study was to investigate the reproductive biology of wahoo caught around the SPSPA, between July 1998 and June 2006. During this period, a total of 1,500 specimens were measured and 1,162 were sexed (610 males and 552 females), among which 774 had their gonads collected and fixed in a 10% formaldehyde solution. Fork length of the sampled specimens ranged from 63 cm to 197 cm. The results suggest that the peak of reproductive activity in the area occurs in April-May. Size at first maturity was estimated at 110 cm FL for females and 102 cm FL for males. The estimated batch fecundity was equal to 1,317.235 oocytes, ranging from 287,040 to 2,494.512. Spawning seems to be multiple and protracted throughout several months between February and September, with a clear seasonal reproduction cycle.