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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 58(1)

The reproductive cycle of the smooth skate, Malacoraja senta, in the Gulf of Maine

James A. Sulikowski A B E , Scott Elzey A , Jeff Kneebone A , Joe Jurek C , W. Huntting Howell A and Paul C. W. Tsang D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A University of New Hampshire, Zoology Department, Spaulding Hall, 46 College Road, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA.

B Present address: Marine Science Center, University of New England, 11 Hills Beach Rd, Biddeford, ME 04005, USA.

C Yankee Fishing Coop, Route 1A, Seabrook, New Hampshire 03874, USA.

D University of New Hampshire, Department of Animal and Nutritional Sciences, Kendall Hall, 129 Main St, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA.

E Corresponding author. Email: jsulikowski@une.edu

Marine and Freshwater Research 58(1) 98-103 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF05178
Submitted: 12 September 2005  Accepted: 26 July 2006   Published: 30 January 2007

Abstract

The smooth skate (Malacoraja senta) is a small species of skate that is native to the waters of the north-western Atlantic. Recent assessments in the Gulf of Maine indicate that the biomass of smooth skates has declined below threshold levels mandated by the Sustainable Fisheries Act. This decline, coupled with the paucity of biological data, has prompted the National Marine Fisheries Service to prohibit the possession of smooth skates in this region. Consequently, crucial life history information is now being collected, which could be used in the formulation of a management plan. The present study describes and characterises the reproductive cycle of female and male smooth skates, based on monthly samples taken off the coast of New Hampshire, USA, from May 2001 to April 2002. Gonadosomatic index (GSI), hepatosomatic index (HSI), shell gland weight, follicle size and egg case formation were assessed for 79 female skates. In general, these reproductive parameters remained relatively constant throughout most of the year. Additionally, the size distribution of ovarian follicles in females captured each month did not vary significantly. For males (n = 81), histological stages of spermatogenesis III to VI (SIII-SVI), GSI and HSI were examined. No significant differences were detected in male reproductive parameters, and production and maintenance of mature spermatocysts within the testes were observed throughout the year. Collectively, these findings indicate that, like other north Atlantic skate species, the smooth skate is reproductively active year-round.

Additional keywords: elasmobranch, ovary, spermatogenesis.


Acknowledgments

Collection of skates was conducted by F/V Mystique Lady. We thank Noel Carlson for maintenance of the fish at the University of New Hampshire Coastal Marine Laboratory. This project was supported by a Northeast Consortium grant (# NA16FL1324) to P. Tsang and J. Sulikowski.


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