Sex Inversion, Sexual Dimorphism, and Morphological Differences of Spicara flexuosa (Sparidae)

Abstract

Male and female Spicara flexuosa (Rafinesque, 1810) may be considered as two distinct stocks whose population can be monitored and managed separately due to sexual dimorphism. This study focused on revealing the sex inversion, sexual dimorphism, and morphological differences of S. flexuosa in the Black Sea based on traditional morphometric characters. The sex inversion length was estimated as 140 mm according to binomial analysis. Male specimens exhibit positive allometric growth, indicating that males invest more in body weight than in length. Our results indicated male individuals being characterized by deeper bodies and longer fins than females. Results from this study show four morphological differences between male and female S. flexuosa indicating pronounced sexual dimorphism.