Biology of the Sanzo's goby, Lesueurigobius sanzoi (de Buen, 1918), off Cabo Raso, Portugal

Abstract

The presence of Sanzos's goby, Lesueurigobius sanzoi (de Buen, 1918), off Cabo Raso, Portugal, is recorded for the first time. The biology of this population was studied using 11 samples collected between April 2000 and September 2001 at depths of 70-100 m on muddy and sandy bottoms. The females reach a standard length of 110 mm and the males 103 mm. It attains an age of 24 months, which equals two breeding seasons. The otoliths form two translucent rings each year, which corresponds to the winter growth and the reproduction period. Sanzo's gobies can be classified as prematur and standard individuals, according to whether the first breeding occurs before or after the first winter respectively. Standard individuals, which have an extended first growth, reach a longer length than prematur individuals, whose first growth is much shorter. Although discrete, sexual dimorphism was noticeable even outside the spawning season. The breeding season occurs between May and September/October with more than one spawning. The minimum length for which the maturity stage occurs is 64 mm, at an age of 0+. The feeding activity is quite constant throughout the year, and the diet consists predominantly of small crustacea and molluscs, although polychaets also feature commonly in its diet.

Keywords

• sanzo’s goby
• age
• reproduction
• diet
• gobiidae