{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]],"date-time":"2026-07-24T10:04:17Z","timestamp":1784887457785,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":79,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]],"date-time":"2026-04-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775001600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]],"date-time":"2026-04-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775001600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Fish Biology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    The reproductive biology of the starry grouper,\n                    <jats:italic>Epinephelus labriformis<\/jats:italic>\n                    , in Mazatlan Bay, Mexico, was studied through histological analysis of the gonads. A total of 527 fish were examined through weekly sampling from March 2017 to March 2018. In this species, the gonads are bilobed and connected to a common gonoduct.\n                    <jats:italic>E. labriformis<\/jats:italic>\n                    exhibits monandric protogynous hermaphroditism, with a female\u2010to\u2010male proportion of 1.5 females:1 male in fully mature animals. In females, six ovarian phases were identified, and the oogenic cycle was analysed in 314 females, classified as asynchronous. The gonadosomatic index increased from 0.13 in the immature phase to 3.35 at maturity, declining to 1.16 post\u2010spawning. Transforming testes (\n                    <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009=\u200995) revealed four stages of sex change, during which ovarian tissue is progressively replaced by testicular tissue. Males and transforming individuals appeared in larger size classes, with no females recorded beyond 27.5\u2009cm total length (\n                    <jats:italic>L<\/jats:italic>\n                    <jats:sub>t<\/jats:sub>\n                    ). Females reach sexual maturity at 17.2\u2009cm\n                    <jats:italic>L<\/jats:italic>\n                    <jats:sub>t<\/jats:sub>\n                    . In comparison, males mature at 19.42\u2009cm\n                    <jats:italic>L<\/jats:italic>\n                    <jats:sub>t<\/jats:sub>\n                    . Sex change occurs in individuals with total lengths ranging from 20\u2009cm to 33.5\u2009cm\n                    <jats:italic>L<\/jats:italic>\n                    <jats:sub>t<\/jats:sub>\n                    , with an average size for sex change of 24.7\u2009cm. Our findings define the reproductive strategy of\n                    <jats:italic>E. labriformis<\/jats:italic>\n                    . They also provide actionable guidelines for fisheries management in Mexico. In the absence of specific regulations in Mexico, we recommended establishing a minimum catch size between 24 and 27\u2009cm\n                    <jats:italic>L<\/jats:italic>\n                    <jats:sub>t<\/jats:sub>\n                    and seasonal protection during the reproductive period to preserve spawning potential and maintain a balanced sex ratio in the population.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/jfb.70397","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]],"date-time":"2026-04-01T13:25:30Z","timestamp":1775049930000},"page":"478-493","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Reproductive biology of the starry grouper,\n                    <i>Epinephelus labriformis<\/i>\n                    (\n                    <scp>Perciformes: Serranidae<\/scp>\n                    ): Gonadal development, sex change and sexual pattern"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"109","author":[{"given":"Rebeca","family":"S\u00e1nchez\u2010Cardenas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratorio de Ecolog\u00eda de Pesquer\u00edas, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Sinaloa  Mazatl\u00e1n Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Josu\u00e9","family":"L\u00f3pez\u2010Cardiel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratorio de Ecolog\u00eda de Pesquer\u00edas, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Sinaloa  Mazatl\u00e1n Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Juan Manuel","family":"Mart\u00ednez\u2010Brown","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n en Alimentaci\u00f3n y Desarrollo, unidad Mazatl\u00e1n  Mazatl\u00e1n Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luis Antonio","family":"Rend\u00f3n\u2010Mart\u00ednez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gran Acuario Mazatl\u00e1n  Mazatl\u00e1n Sinaloa Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rodrigo","family":"Mart\u00ednez\u2010Moreno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Mexicano de Investigaci\u00f3n en Pesca y Acuacultura Sustentables, Centro Regional de Investigaci\u00f3n en Acuacultura y Pesca en Manzanillo. Playa Ventanas SN, Col. Carretera Manzanillo a Campos Colima  Colima Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2159-9038","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leonardo","family":"Ibarra\u2010Castro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida  Gainesville Florida USA"},{"name":"Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience  Florida USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_8_2_1","unstructured":"Aburto\u2010Oropeza O. Erisman B. E. Valdez\u2010Ornelas C. &Danemann G. D.(2008).Serr\u00e1nidos de importancia comercial del Golfo de California: Ecolog\u00eda pesquer\u00edas y conservaci\u00f3n. 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