Sex- and size-selective harvesting of corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops)—a cleaner fish used in salmonid aquaculture

Abstract

Fishery-induced changes in sex ratios can have negative effects on reproductive rates and affect sexual selection and evolutionary trajectories. Here, we investigate sex- and size-selectivity of the fishery for corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops) in Western Norway. The males that build and guard nests (nesting males) grow faster than females and sneaker males. Corkwing wrasse were tagged (n = 1057) during (May–June) and after (July) the spawning period in 2014 within a no-take site and in a nearby site open for fishing. We monitored the fishery within and nearby the tagging sites from June to October and sampled recaptures on all commercial fishing trips. Fishing mortality was higher for nesting males than for females (open site; tagged during spawning: 36% vs. 29%; after spawning: 49% vs. 36%) and was found to be caused by nesting males having higher capture probabilities than females, independently of body size. The fishing mortality of sneaker males did not differ from nesting males, but the sample of sneaker males in the study was small. The probability of being retained by fishers once captured depended on size, but not on sex. The small no-take site reduced fishing mortality, and the sex- and size-selectivity was similar to the open site. By demonstrating the capture process to be male-selective in a commercial fishery, our study highlights the importance of assessing sex-selectivity in similar fisheries. If detected, management measures protecting the sexes more equally should be implemented, such as slot-size limits and marine-protected areas large enough to account for sexual differences in spatial behaviour.