| Main Ref. | Thresher, R.E., 1984 |
| Mode | dioecism |
| Fertilization | external |
| Mating type | |
| Spawning frequency | once in a lifetime |
| Spawning aggregation | Ref. |
| Batch spawner | Ref. Greenfield, D.W. and J.E. Thomerson, 1997 |
| Reproductive guild |
nonguarders open water/substratum egg scatterers |
| Parental Care | none |
| Description of life cycle and mating behavior | Undertakes migration in autumn to the Sargasso Sea where spawning is said to take place. Coloration changes with sexual maturation. Dorsal surface of the pectorals becomes dark, lateral line becomes prominent, eye diameter increases and visual pigments change, body takes on a silvery bronze coloration. Females are usually larger than males and migrate much farther upstream (Ref. 57533). Adults die after spawning (Ref. 30499). Spawn at sea but growth occurs in estuaries or freshwater (Ref. 7135). Spawning grounds believed to be between 20° and 30°N and 60°and 75°W (Ref. 40916, 40917). |
| Search for more references on reproduction | Scirus |