European Ocean Biodiversity Information System

During dock sampling, total length (TL), measured from the tip of the snout to the midpoint of the upper and lower limbs of the caudal fin, was recorded in mm, total weght. (TW) in grams, and sexed: (1) male, (2) female, (3) undetermined and (4) hermaphrodite. Specimens were classified from macroscopic examination as hermaphrodites when both testicular and ovarian tissues were present in the gonads and as males or females when all or most of the tissue was testicular or ovarian, respectively. Maturity stages were determined macroscopically with a seven-point scale: (1) virginal immature, (2) developing virginal, (3) developing, (4) advanced development, (5) running, (6) partly spent and (7) recovering. Gonads were weighted in grams (GW) and the average gonadosomatic indices were calculated as GSI = 100(GW/TW) . Allometric condition factors (K) were calculated as K = TW/TLb, where b is the coefficient of the weight-length relationship. For age determination, scales collected from behind the pectoral fin insertion. The readability of growth rings on the scales were classified as "well-marked", "faint or absent" and "unreadable". The position of the last ring relative to the posterior border of the scales were classified a (1) recently formed near the border, or (2) more distant of the border.