Limbaugh?s damselfish, Chromis limbaughi Greenfield & Woods, 1980, is endemic
to the Gulf of California, and one of the five most exploited species for
the aquarium trade in this region. C. limbaughi is a gonochoristic,
gregarious and territorial species without sexual dimorphism that inhabits
rocky, sheltered areas. Development of captive breeding techniques for this
species would not only ensure a continued supply of fish for the commercial
trade, but perhaps more importantly, it would also alleviate fishing
pressure and support stock enhancement. Thus, as a first step towards
achieving these goals, in this work, we investigated some aspects of the
reproductive biology of C. limbaughi. Seasonal fish samplings, with a total
of eighty-nine fish caught in one year, were carried out at San Esteban
Island, Gulf of California, Mexico. The reproductive season of C. limbaughi
extends, at least, from May to September. A new maximum standard length of
10.5 cm is reported for this species. The estimated size at first sexual
maturity was 7.90 cm for males and 7.59 cm for females. For both male and
female gonads, the major constituent fatty acids were palmitic acid, stearic
acid, oleic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and
arachidonic acid. The water-quality conditions under which maturation of C.
limbaughi took place were measured, and should prove useful for the
management of broodstock in captivity.
Seasonal changes in gonad maturity, proximate and fatty acid composition of Limbaugh’s damselfish, Chromis limbaughi Greenfield & Woods, 1980 (Pisces: Pomacentridae)