Population structure and reproductive behavior of Sinaloa cichlid Cichlasoma beani (Jordan, 1889) in a tropical reservoir

• Main Authors: Melgen A. García-Lizárraga, Francisco Enrique Soto-Franco, Javier Marcial de Jesús Ruiz Velazco-Arce, José Iván Velázquez-Abunader, Jorge Saúl Ramírez-Pérez, Emilio Peña-Messina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia
• Series: Neotropical Ichthyology
• Subjects: Cichlidae; Condition index; Length at maturity; Length frequency; Reproduction
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-62252011000300012&lng=en&tlng=en

The population structure and reproductive condition of the Sinaloa cichlid Cichlasoma beani from samples obtained from June 2000 to July 2001 were determined. Samples in the first week each month from the largest trader of tilapia in the Aguamilpa Reservoir in Mexico and were caught in gillnets (9.6 and 11.4 cm stretch-mesh size). Of 596 specimens, there were 427 males and 169 females; monthly sex ratio, frequency of lengths by the multinomial distribution, timing of reproduction, condition index, and size at first maturity was determined. Differences in the sex ratio and monthly totals were significant, favoring males, except for September 2000 and March 2001. From one (August 2000) to three modal groups (July 2000 and June 2001) were identified by size. There were no significant differences in standard length weight relationships by sex, which indicated that a shared model for both genders is appropriate, and isometric growth was detected. Based on the proportion of mature and partially matures fish, the main reproductive period was April through June; size at first maturity was 18.9 cm. Water temperature was not significantly related to the percentage of mature and partially matures Sinaloa cichlids or spawning. These findings provide information for regulating the Cichlasoma beani fishery in this region such minimum legal size and non-fishing period.