engleski

Reproductive biology of the freshwater goby Knipowitschia croatica Mrakovčić, Kerovec, Mišetić & Schneider 1996 (Actinopterygii, Gobiidae)

The reproductive biology and gonadogenesis cycle of the Vrgorac goby, Knipowitschia croatica (Mrakovčić, Kerovec, Mišetić & Schneider 1996) collected from the Matica River, Croatia are described. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism during the spawning period. Sexual maturity is achieved at a small size, with 50% of males and females sexually mature at total lengths of 40–45 mm. Fecundity of gravid females ranged from 188 to 593 eggs, with egg diameters ranging from 0.22 to 1.11 mm. Spawning spans from March to November with the highest intensity observed from April to September. A comparison is made of the reproductive biology of this species with other sand goby species of the genera Knipowitschia and Pomatoschistus. The exceptionally large seminal vesicle in mature males in K. croatica, more than twice the length of the testes, has not been described for any other species in this group to date.

Knipowitschia croatica; Vrgorac goby; Matica River; freshwater; reproduction; fecundity

nije evidentirano