Aspects of the biology of four species of sciaenidae from the East coast of South Africa

The biology of four Indo-Pacific sciaenid species, Otolithes ruber (Schneider, 1801), Atrobucca nibe (Jordan & Thompson 1911), Johnius dussumieri (Cuvier, 1830) and Johnius amblycephalus (Bleeker, 1855), occurring off the KwaZulu-Natal coast, is described. Samples were collected from prawn trawlers, beach-seine netters and boat anglers from May 1989 to February 1994. Biological data include: length composition, length-weight relationships, sex ratios, spawning seasons, sizes at 50%-maturity and feeding. All four species are relatively small, particularly those individuals caught by shallow-water prawn trawlers. Females outnumbered males in all four species. Spawning seasons are lengthy, occurring in spring and summer months. Most of the fish caught by shallow-water trawlers are below their size at 50%-maturity. The results show that shallow, turbid, continental shelf waters are nursery areas for these four sciaenids. (C) 2000 Academic Press.