Abstract

The marine snail Thais chocolata, locally known as locate, has sustained an artisanal fishery since 1978. At the present time this resource has experienced a notable decline of captures, from 5,000 tons in 1978 to about 1,742 tons in 1993, because of overfishing. In addition to overexploitation, this species shows a reproductive behavior that implies the establishment of aggregations in shallow waters, wich undoubtedly make the resource more vulnerable to capture. The results in this study indicate that Thais chocolata shows this type of reproductive activity permanently year-round, with two major periods: the first between March and July, and the second between October and January. Before and after the reproductive aggregation takes place, individuals also aggregate for feeding purposes. Both types of aggregation are completely captured by local fishermen.