Reproductive Maturation of Meagre Argyrosomus regius (Asso, 1801) Reared in Floating Cages

The meagre Argyrosomus regius (Asso, 1801) is a promising aquaculture species that shows reproductive dysfunctions when reared in tanks. The aim of this study was to assess the capacity of meagre, reared in cages under routine farming conditions, to mature gonads and reproduce spontaneously. Meagre adults, reared in a fish farm located in the Gulf of Taranto (Italy), were sampled from March to July 2021. The gonadosomatic index and sex steroid plasma concentrations increased from March-April to June, and then decreased in July. In March-April, most of the females showed perinucleolar or cortical alveoli oocytes as the most advanced stages in the ovaries, and most of the males had testes at early spermatogenesis stage. In June, most of the sampled females had oocytes at late vitellogenesis or early post-vitellogenesis stages, and males had seminiferous tubules filled with spermatozoa. In July, most of the females had signs of previous spawning, and males showed scarce amounts of luminal spermatozoa. The present study demonstrated the capacity of meagre, reared in sea cages under commercial conditions, to carry out gametogenesis and spontaneously release gametes. Meagre reproduction, under routine farming conditions, may represent an opportunity for the expansion of meagre aquaculture production.