Reproduction of Mugil cephalus and M. curema (Pisces: Mugilidae) from a coastal lagoon in the Gulf of Mexico

This paper describes the reproduction of the mullets, Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Mugil curema (Valenciennes, 1836), from the north part of the Mexican Gulf of Mexico. The male/female ratio was 1:1.1 for M. cephalus and 1:1.4 for M. curema. Spawning period occurred from November–February for M. cephalus, and coincided with the northern winds in the Gulf of Mexico. For M. curema, spawning occurred from February–May. Mugil cephalus males and females reach sexual maturation (L₅₀ ) at a mean size of 373 ± 7.3 and 377 ± 9.3 mm total length (TL), respectively (6 yrs of age for both sexes). For M. curema, mean length at first spawning (L₅₀) was 274 ± 9.3 and 278 ± 8.3 mm TL for both sexes respectively (corresponding to age 3). The minimum size of spawning for males and females was 280 and 299 mm TL, and 181 and 208 mm TL for M. cephalus and M. curema, respectively. Values for the gonadosomatic, liver fat deposit, and condition factor indices were determined. Fecundity for M. cephalus ranged from 540,706–1,483,056 oocytes and mean relative fecundity was 1680 ± 215 oocytes g^–1. Fecundity for M. curema ranged from 82,278–379,992 oocytes and mean relative fecundity was 1064 ± 355 oocytes g^–1. Results suggest a change in harvesting season would enhance stock conservation and production.