Fish spawning aggregations in the Gulf of Chiriqui, Panamanian Pacific: six years of monitoring

A six-year monitoring effort in the Gulf of Chiriquí, Panamanian Pacific, has documented fish spawning aggregations (FSAs) for seven species, including three snappers, one jack, one grouper, and one wrasse. These aggregations were observed at multiple sites within Coiba National Park (CNP) and, for the first time, in the Islas Secas Archipelago (ISA). The study revealed that FSAs are associated with environmental conditions such as water column stratification, cold-water intrusion, thermocline shoaling, and decreased dissolved oxygen, all correlated with temperature dynamics. Spawning events were most frequent during morning hours. This research expands the known diversity of FSA-forming species in CNP from three to seven and provides new documentation for ISA.

Robles P., Y. A., Vega, Á. J., Montes S., L. A., Sánchez-Carles, E. E., & Lombardo G., R. C. (2026). Agregaciones de desove de peces en el Golfo de Chiriquí, Pacífico panameño: seis años de monitoreo. Revista de Biología Tropical, 74(1), e2026203. https://doi.org/10.15517/0wk2ee74