Work

Growth and Overfishing Indicators Applied to the Protandrous Hermaphrodite Fat Snook ( Centropomus parallelus ) in the South Atlantic

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT The fat snook Centropomus parallelus is a protandrous hermaphrodite teleost of artisanal and recreational value in the South Atlantic, vulnerable to fishing pressure and size‐selective gears. We evaluated exploitation status using size and age based overfishing indicators from recreational fishing championships and artisanal landings along the southern Brazilian coast, from southern São Paulo to northern Rio Grande do Sul. Age and growth parameters were estimated from 209 sagittal otoliths, and size‐frequency data from 9708 individuals sampled between 2006 and 2024. Ages ranged from 0 to 13 years (16–76 cm), and growth followed the von Bertalanffy model ( L ∞ = 57.92 cm, k = 0.17 year −1 , t 0 = −2.01 years). The average age at first maturation ( A 50 ) was 1.8 years, while sex change occurred at 4.4 years and 31.7 cm ( Ls 50 ). Size‐based indicators revealed few mega‐spawners and a high exploitation rate (44%) by artisanal fisheries. We recommend adopting Ls 50 as the minimum capture size to protect sex‐changing individuals and sustain reproductive capacity.

Source: Fisheries Management and Ecology

DOI: 10.1111/fme.70111

Authors: Julia Maria Maccari, Matheus Oliveira Freitas, Domingos Garrone‐Neto, Pietro Moro, Vinicius Abilhoa

Institutions: Universidade Federal do Paraná, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)

Language: English

Topic: Marine and fisheries research

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life below water

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,430