Juvenile sex inversion in the New Zealand snapper Chrysophrys auratus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) (Sparidae)

Abstract

Gonads from snapper of age classes 0+ to 10+ years sampled from the north-east coast of New Zealand were examined histologically for evidence of sex inversion. All 0+ fish were undifferentiated, and all 1 + fish were immature females. 2+ to 4+ fish had gonads that were either ovary, ovo-testis or testis. Older fish were either male or female. Snapper reach sexual maturity at ages of 2-5 years, so the developmental pattern is one of juvenile sex inversion by some of the population, and functional gonochorism.