Biological traits of blackbellied angler (Lophius budegassa Spinola, 1807) in the central Adriatic Sea

This study investigates some biological traits of the blackbellied anglerfish ( Lophius budegassa ) in the central Adriatic Sea, an area characterised by intense bottom trawling activity and high ecological importance. Reproductive parameters of the local population, such as sex ratio, gonado-somatic index, sexual maturity and fecundity were assessed by macroscopic and histological analyses of gonads, whereas age and somatic growth were estimated using illicium sections. The results revealed pronounced differences in size, growth, and maturation between sexes. Females attained significantly larger sizes and older ages than males, with asymptotic sizes of 73.0 cm and 43.2 cm and maximum ages of 15 and 6 years, respectively. Growth was negatively allometric for both sexes, whereas the condition factor was significantly higher in females, likely reflecting differing reproductive strategies and energy allocation patterns. Consistent with the marked dimorphism in size, size at first sexual maturity was markedly higher in females than in males. Histological and gonado-somatic analyses confirmed an extended spawning season from autumn through late spring, with peak reproductive activity of females in May and October. Females exhibited synchronous oocyte development, with total fecundity ranging from 82247 to 276332 oocytes/female and relative fecundity between 33–91 oocytes/g. These findings provide novel insights into the life history of L. budegassa in the central Adriatic Sea and contribute to a better understanding of its population structure and reproductive strategies. The information obtained is relevant for future stock assessments and the development of science-based management measures aimed at the sustainable exploitation of this commercially and ecologically important species.