First Report on the Reproductive Biology of Saurida tumbil in Jizan Waters, Saudi Arabia Based on Histological Analysis
Reproductive Biology of Saurida tumbil in Jizan Waters
Downloads
A scientific study on Saurida tumbil is essential, particularly concerning fishing activities. The current study aimed to investigate the reproductive biology of Saurida tumbil through monthly sampling. Fish were dissected to determine sex and gonadal maturity stages, with gonads furthermore preserved in a 10% formalin solution. Reproductive parameters, including sex ratio, gonad maturity, length at first sexual maturity, gonadosomatic index (GSI), and fecundity, were analysed, followed by length at first capture analysis. Histological techniques were applied to assess gonadal maturity at a microscopic level. The peak reproductive period of Saurida tumbil in Jizan waters was identified between February and April (winter–spring), with the highest GSI values recorded for females (3.6) and males (0.96). Reproductive activity declined between October and December (autumn–winter). The estimated length at first sexual maturity was 23.49 cm for females and 23.94 cm for males. Both values were lower compared to length at first capture (22.75 cm). Absolute fecundity averaged 42528 eggs, ranging from 4485 to 225549 eggs. Identifying optimal fishing areas and seasons simultaneously in Jizan waters is crucial for maximising sustainable fisheries.
Abaszadeh, A., Keivany, Y., Soofiani, N.M. and Falahatimarvast, A., 2013. Reproductive biology of the greater lizardfish, Saurida tumbil (Bloch, 1795), in Bushehr coastal waters of Iran. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 37(6), pp.717–722. https://doi.org/10.3906/zoo-1301-23
Bakhsh, A.B., 1996. Reproductive biology of lizardfish, Saurida tumbil (Forskal) in the Jizan region of the Red Sea. Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Sciences, 7, pp.169–178. https://www.kau.edu.sa/files/320/researches/48121_19362.pdf
Bloch, M.E., 1795. Naturgeschichte der ausländischen Fische (Vol. 9). Berlin, Verfasser. pp.397–429.
Cochrane, K.L. and Garcia, S.M., 2009. A fishery manager’s guidebook. 2nd ed. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, p.544.
FAO, 2021. FishStatJ fisheries and aquaculture statistical time series. [online] Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Available at: https://www.fao.org/fishery/en/topic/166235/en
Fofandi, M.D., 2011. Investigations on some biological aspects of lizardfish (Saurida tumbil) landed along Veraval Coast. Journal of Fisheries International, 6(3), pp.62–66. https://doi.org/10.3923/jfish.2011.62.66
Gabr, M.H. and Mal, A.O., 2017. Stock assessment of the lizardfish Saurida tumbil (Bloch, 1795) in Jizan fisheries, Saudi Arabia. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research, 43(2), pp.147–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejar.2017.05.001
Garcia, S.M., 2003. The ecosystem approach to fisheries: issues, terminology, principles, institutional foundations, implementation and outlook (No. 443). Rome: FAO, p.84.
Genten, F., Terwinghe, E. and Danguy, A., 2009. Atlas of fish histology. CRC Press.
Gunderson, D.R., Callahan, P. and Goiney, B., 1980. Maturation and fecundity of four species of Sebastes. Marine Fisheries Review, 42(3-4), pp.74–79. https://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/content/maturation-and-fecundity-four-species-sebastes
Hart, P.J.B. and Reynolds, J.D., 2002. Handbook of fish biology and fisheries. Oxford: Blackwell, p.424.
Hartono, S., Abualreesh, M.H. and Gabr, M.H., 2024. Growth, feed, and food habits of Saurida tumbil (Bloch, 1795) in Jizan fisheries, Saudi Arabia. Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Sciences, 34(1), pp.67–85. https://doi.org/10.4197/Mar.34-1.6
Hartono, S., 2024. Growth, reproduction, and feeding habits of greater lizardfish Saurida tumbil (Bloch, 1795) in Jizan fisheries, in the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia. MSc thesis. King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah.
Kalhoro, M.A., Liu, Q., Valinassab, T., Waryani, B., Abbasi, A.R. and Memon, K.H., 2015. Population dynamics of greater lizardfish, Saurida tumbil from Pakistani waters. Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 47(4), pp.921–931. http://www.zsp.com.pk/pdf47/921-931%20(3)%20PJZ-2119-14_21-5-15%20Muhsan%20Abbasi_Saurida%20PJZ.pdf
King, M., 2007. Fisheries biology, assessment, and management. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, p.341.
Kirschbaum, F. and Formicki, K., 2020. The histology of fishes. Boca Raton: CRC Press, p.456.
Mali, K.S., Kumar, M.V., Farejiya, M.K., Rao, K.R. and Bhargava, A.K., 2017. Reproductive biology of Saurida tumbil (Bloch 1795) and Saurida undosquamis (Richardson 1848) inhabiting the northwest coast of India. International Journal of Pure & Applied Bioscience, 5(6), pp.957–964. https://doi.org/10.18782/2320-7051.6080
McMillan, D.B., 2007. Fish histology: female reproductive systems. Dordrecht: Springer, p.598.
Mendenhall, W., Beaver, R. and Beaver, B., 2013. Introduction to probability and statistics. 14th ed. Boston: Richard Stratton, p.753.
Metar, S.Y., Chakraborty, S.K., Jaiswar, A.K. and Telvekar, P.A., 2009. Maturity, spawning, and fecundity of Saurida tumbil (Bloch, 1795) from Mumbai waters. Journal of Indian Fisheries Association, 36. https://epubs.icar.org.in/index.php/JIFA/article/view/56751
Miller, B. and Kendall, A.W., 2009. Early life history of marine fishes. Berkeley: University of California Press, p.376.
Mirzaei, M.R., Valinasab, T., Khalil, M. and Mirzaei, S., 2015. Reproductive cycle and spawning patterns of lizardfish, Saurida tumbil (Bloch, 1795) in southern waters of Iran. International Journal of Biosciences, 6(6), pp.110–118. https://dx.doi.org/10.12692/ijb/6.6.110-118
Mokhtar, D.M., 2021. Fish histology: from cells to organs. 2nd ed. Oakville: Apple Academic Press, p.442.
Mostarda, E., Japp, D., Heinecken, C., Stiassny, M., Clerkin, P., Ebert, D.A., Xavier, J. And Tracey, D., 2016. Marine species biological data collection manual. Rome: FAO, p.62. https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/i6353en
Motlagh, S.A.T., Vahabnezhad, A., Shabani, M.J., Nazari, M.A. and Hakimelahi, M., 2012. Studies on the reproductive biology of the female Saurida tumbil in the Arabian Gulf (Bushehr Province, Iran). World Journal of Fish and Marine Sciences, 4(4), pp.400–406. https://doi.org/10.5829/idosi.wjfms.2012.04.04.62191
Najmudeen, T.M., Sivakami, S., Seetha, P.K., Kishore, T.G., Divya, N.D. and Zacharia, P.U., 2015. Lizardfish fishery of Kerala with some aspects of the stock characteristics of the greater lizardfish Saurida tumbil (Bloch, 1795). Indian Journal of Fisheries, 62(4), pp.31–36. http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/id/eprint/10604
NASA, 2023. Direct data access. [online] Available at: https://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Ramadan, W.S., Abdel-Hamid, G.A., Al-Karim, S. and Abbas, A.T., 2017. Histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural study of secondary compressed spinal cord injury in a rat model. Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica, 55(1), pp.11–20. https://doi.org/10.5603/fhc.a2017.0001
Rao, K.V., 1983. Maturation and spawning of lizardfishes (Saurida spp.) from the northwestern part of the Bay of Bengal. Indian Journal of Fisheries, 30(1), pp.27–45. http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/id/eprint/472
Soofiani, N.M., Keivany, Y. and Shooshtari, A.M., 2006. Contribution to the biology of the lizardfish, Saurida tumbil (Teleostei: Aulopiformes), from the Arabian Gulf. Zoology in the Middle East, 38(1), pp.49–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/09397140.2006.10638164
Tadena, A.S., 2021. Fish population analysis. Canada: Delve Publishing, p.236.
Wang, H.I., Manolas, C. and Xanthidis, D., 2022. Statistical analysis with Python. In Handbook of computer programming with Python (pp.373-408). Chapman and Hall/CRC.
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Aquaculture and Fish Health
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
1. The copyright of this journal belongs to the Editorial Board, based on the author's consent, while the moral rights of the publication belong to the author(s).
2. The formal legal aspect of journal accessibility refers to the same Creative Common Attribution + Noncommercial + ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA), implying that publication can be used for non-commercial purposes in its original form.
3. Every publication (printed/electronic) is open access for educational, research and library purposes. In addition to the objectives stated above, the editorial board is not responsible for copyright infringement
.png)
