Abstract How the size of female yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) affects their spawning capability and fecundity is still an open and unresolved question due to the difficulties in investigating these complex effects in highly migratory pelagic marine fish species. However, this information is key to understanding the reproductive potential and resilience of the stock. We investigate how energetic resources are allocated for reproduction by female yellowfin tuna according to their size in the Gulf of Guinea (central-eastern Atlantic Ocean). Our results reveal that larger females have not only larger ovaries by virtue of their greater abdominal cavity, but also different fatty acid profiles in the gonads compared to smaller females, with potential effects on their spawning and recruitment patterns. This study contributes to the knowledge of size-dependent variation in female yellowfin tuna and paves the way for future studies on size-dependent effects on reproductive parameters in this species.

中文翻译：

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当大小很重要时：与较小的个体相比，较大的雌性黄鳍金枪鱼 (Thunnus albacares) 的性腺具有不同的脂肪酸谱

摘要 雌性黄鳍金枪鱼 (Thunnus albacares) 的大小如何影响其产卵能力和繁殖力仍然是一个悬而未决的问题，因为在高度洄游的中上层海洋鱼类中研究这些复杂的影响很困难。然而，这些信息是了解种群繁殖潜力和恢复力的关键。我们调查了雌性黄鳍金枪鱼如何根据它们在几内亚湾（大西洋中东部）的大小分配能量资源用于繁殖。我们的研究结果表明，体型较大的雌性不仅由于其更大的腹腔而具有更大的卵巢，而且与体型较小的雌性相比，性腺中的脂肪酸谱也不同，这对它们的产卵和补充模式有潜在影响。