Aspects of reproduction in pink dentex Dentex gibbosus (Rafinesque, 1810) from the Archipelago of Madeira in the northeast Atlantic

This work describes and identifies the macroscopic, and corresponding microscopic, changes of gonads through the annual reproductive cycle of pink dentex, Dentex gibbosus, from the Madeira Archipelago. This new contribution focused on validating a macroscopic maturity scale for this species using a histological technique. A total of 906 individuals were collected from waters around the Madeira Archipelago between September 1997 and December 2008. A six-stage maturity scale based on macroscopic characteristics was used to classify the gonads. The overall ratio of males to females was 1:1.12. The annual gonad development, together with the analysis of monthly indices (gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic) and complementary histological observations allowed us to conclude that spawning takes place during the summer months, with a peak in May-June.