This paper deals with the schooling structure of Brazilian-sardine, Sardinella brasiliensis (Steindachner, 1879), in coastal waters of Rio de Janeiro State (Brazil). Samples were obtained from schools caught by commercial fishery in the area of Angra dos Reis (23º-24ºS, 44º-45ºW), from autumn/1999 to summer/2000, comprising 2,278 fishes. In average, males had total lengths and weights lower than those of females, with major differences in weights. Seasonal fluctuations of average total weights are associated with the annual reproduction cycle and condition factor, mainly in females. Sex-ratio was around 1:1, except in winter, when females were in majority. Mature males and females were found all along the year, with a peak in the spring-summer, showing a long reproduction period of successive spawning of reproducers in a same school, since individual spawning is complete. Total lengths when 50% of fishes are mature differ between males (18.2 cm) and females (19.2 cm). The schools can be considered as spawning schools, as they were found in a spawning ground, and consisted almost exclusively of adults, with a long annual reproduction period.

This paper deals with the occurrence and schol sizes of the Brazilian-sardine, Sardinella brasiliensis (Steindachner, 1879), in coastal waters of" Rio de Janeiro State (Brazil), during the years 1993-1997. The schools are more frequent and heavier in bay and surroundings of Grande Island; another area, with lesser importance, remains between the Cape of São Tome and surroundings of Cabo Frio, under influence of coastal upwelling. The heavier schools are found in April-June (autumn), soon after lhe reproduction period. The schools swim in surface waters with until 80 meters in depth. but more than 98% of them are restricted to waters until 50 meters; about 41% of schools are found in places of 10 - 20 meters, with clear reduction of their frequencies in higher depths; schools with more than 10 tons tend to swim in surface waters with 31-60 meters in depth. The schools reach the maximum size of 95 tons, but around 88% of them do not exceed the 15 tons; the smaller ones, with until 5 tons, correspond to almost 42% of those caught, with frequency reductions as increase their sizes.

The tilefish, Lopholatihis villarii Ribeiro, 1915 is a commercially-important demersal fish, in the Southeast Brazil, inhabiting calcareous and rocky substrates of the outer shelf and upper continental slope. This study was based on readings of the scale's age rings of 153 especimens, caught from March, 1995 to March, 1996. Scales were found to grow on an isometric proportion with fish length, and age rings are formed betvveen the third and fourth trimesters (winter and spring). The age groups of sampled fish varied from II to X years, and the growth equation in total length (cm) is Lt = I 13.4 [1-e -0.144 (t+ 1.4)] w ith the correspondem one in weight (kg): W, = 22.5[1-e -0.144 (1 + 14)]3 184 obtained from the weight/length regression equation: ln W = -11.95 + 3.184 In L. The tilefish has a low growth coefficient (K = 0.144), typical of camivorous specics of the fourth trophic levei, and it may reach, theoretically, 41 years of age.

This communication deals with the sexual colour patterns in the sandperch Pseudopercis numida Ribeiro, 1903, a benthonic fish of commercial importance, endemic to the Brazilian continental shelf, occurring off the coasts from Espírito Santo to Rio Grande do Sul States. The males have the head, the dorsal part of the body, and the pectoral and caudal fins blackishes, whereas the females have them brown-yellowishes. Such patterns are constant characters, not related to maturity or breeding seasons.

The present paper has the objective of verifying the variability of the values of the main biométrie relations used in the identification of Micropogon furnieri (Desmarest, 1822) Jordan, 1884 and also of verifying the possibilities that this relations could be used in the separation of the independent populations that live in the Uruguayan district of the Argentinian zoogeographic province and in the transition zone between this last one and the south Brazilian zoogeographic province. Three fishing areas were examined: area I - in between the latitudes of 29º30'S and 31º30'S, related to the mouth of the Tramandai River; area II - in between the latitudes of 31º30'S and 33º00'S, related to the mouth of the Grande River; area III - in between the latitudes of 35º00'S and 36º30'S, related to the mouth of the La Plata River. The conclusions resulting from the study are: 1 - The relations between the total length and any of the other elements (total weight, standard length, maximum height, head length, snout length, eye diameter and intestine length), with reference to the sex and fishing areas and inside the limits of total length variation from 34 to 60 cm, extremes included, do not allow the acceptance of the existence of independent populations in the different fishing areas; 2 - The relation total length/total weight, independent of the sex and fishing areas and inside the limits of total length variation from 34 to 60 cm, extremes included, shows and almost uniform increase of the total weight from 410 to 2,310 g; 3 - Independent of the sex and fishing areas, and inside the limits of the total length variation from 34 to 60 cm, extremes included, can be observed the following amplitudes of variation expressed as percentage of total length and corresponding to each other biometric clement, as standard lenght - from 83 to 87%, maximum height - from 22 to 28%, head length - from 24 to 28%, snout length - from 8 to 11%, eye diameter - from 3 to 5%, intestine length - from 110 to 225%.

The present paper analyses a case of ovary assimetry verifier! in a specimen of Micropogon fumieri (Desmarest, 1822) Jordan, 1884, captured at San Antonio Cape, Argentina, between the 4th and the 12th of January, 1958. The specimen had the ovaries ful] developed and the following biometric characteristics: total length, 49,6 cm; standard length, 42.5 cm; maximum height, 12.5 cm; total weight, 1,710 g. The following conclusions were drawn: 1 - There was an assimetry of shape, weight and internal structure in the two ovaries; 2 - The right ovary had more ovules per unity of weight than the left one, although there was not a significant difference between the diameter of the ovules; 3 - We can suppose that the right ovary, smaller than the left one, tried to reach an equilibrium with the left one through an increase in the capacity of producing sexual cells per weight unity and so through the reduction of the intersticial materials; 4 - The assimetry was determined during the ontogenetical process and not by any pathological cause; 5 - We suppose that the embryologieal process responsible for the analysed assimetry is similar to the one that occurs among the birds, and so, that among the fishes the right gonada has more lability on the sex determining process.

The present paper has as its main objective an improvement of the statistics fishery in Brazil. The writers deal only with marine Sciaenidae whose geographical distribution includes part or the totality of Brazilian shore waters in a tentative to promote a collection of uniform statistc data for every species. A list of the species is given together with a simple key for identification as well as a general survey of the popular nomenclature for them. As the latter has many gaps and no value for a rigorous separation of the species, the writers decided to propose to the government offices responsible for the fishery statistics a list of "official popular names" which, given the opportunity of being put into practice, will permit the accomplishment of their objectives.