Resumen

ROJAS, Paola A. et al. Aspects of the biology and population dynamics of the yellowtail snapper Lutjanus argentiventris in the Gorgona National Natural Park, Colombia. Investig. mar. [online]. 2004, vol.32, n.2, pp. 23-36. ISSN 0717-7178.  doi: 10.4067/S0717-71782004000200003.

Yellowtail snapper Lutjanus argentiventris (Peters, 1869) was captured during experimental fishing trips around the Gorgona National Natural Park, Colombia, from March 1997 to December 2000. Average capture size (total length, TL) was 482 mm and sex ratio was 1:1.2. Advanced sexual maturity stages in females were observed during the whole study with no clear reproductive pattern; average size at sexual maturity was 515 mm TL. The length-weight relationship was not significantly different by sex and was described by the equation: PT = (6.259 * 10^-6). LT ^3.12. Growth parameters were estimated for both males and females in El Niño and La Niña periods. The Von Bertalanffy growth equations for the species in general were LT = 950 (1 - e^{(-0.20 (t + 0.72))}) and PT = 12218 (1 - e ^{(-0.20 (t + 0,72))})^3.12. Natural mortality (M) estimations were 0.43 and 0.45, based on Ralston (1987) and Pauly (1980), respectively. CPUE showed abundance peaks in May and September, and decreased significantly in 2000. There were clear differences in parameters between the populations of L. argentiventris from Mexico and from Gorgona, Colombia

Palabras clave : Lutjanus argentiventris; biology; population dynamics; El Niño; La Niña; Gorgona-Colombia.