REPRODUCTIVE-BIOLOGY OF 3 CALIFORNIA SPECIES OF PARALABRAX (PISCES, SERRANIDAE)

Paralabrax clathratus, P. maculatofasciatus, and P. nebulifer, common off California, spawn in the warm summer months. All three species are capable of daily spawning, but our data indicate that the mean interv al between spawning events is about two days. In general, P. clathratu s and P. maculatofasciatus appear to spawn most frequently in the late afternoon and evening hours; P. nebulifer may spawn most often at mid day. Our data indicate that batch fecundity (BF, number of eggs) is ap proximately related to the ovary-free body weight (OFW, grams) of P. c lathratus, according to the equation log(10) BF = 0.91log(10) OFW + 5 .26 (n = 25). Preliminary data are provided that relate batch fecundit y to ovary-free body weight in P. maculatofasciatus and P. nebulifer. Evidence of hermaphroditism occurs in each species: P. maculatofasciat us is a protogynous hermaphrodite; the reproductive patterns of the ot her two species remain unclear.