A possible new spawning area for Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus): the first histologic evidence of reproductive activity in the southern Gulf of Mexico

The number of studies of reproductive biology for Atlantic bluefin tuna carried out in the Gulf of Mexico is significantly lower than those undertaken in the Mediterranean Sea. Four spawning areas have been found for the eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna stock in the Mediterranean Sea, so it is not implausible that there is more than one spawning area in the Gulf of Mexico for the western Atlantic bluefin tuna stock. The individuals used in this study were caught as bycatch by the Mexican surface longline fleet between January and April 2015. A total of 63 individuals ranging between 192 and 293 cm L(F) (mean = 238 ± 22.52 cm) were measured. Gonads from 46 fish (31 females and 15 males) were collected for histological examination. All the individuals were classified as mature; 25 were reproductively active (in spawning capable and spawning stages). The histological analysis indicates spawning activity in Mexican waters (the southern Gulf of Mexico). Spawning occurred in March and April, when the sea surface temperature was 25.57 °C ± 0.69 in March and 27.03 °C ± 0.69 in April. Information on the location of the spawning areas is necessary for a correct management of species. The present study provides the first histological evidence of reproductive activity in Mexican waters, and indicates a wider spawning area, beyond just the northern zone, potentially encompassing the entire Gulf of Mexico.