▁differ ▁between ▁re ef s ▁opened ▁and ▁protected ▁from ▁fish ing . ▁Sex ▁r ati os ▁are ▁an ▁important ▁consideration ▁for ▁management , ▁as ▁changes ▁could ▁seriously ▁affect ▁reprodu ction , ▁thus ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁ju ven iles ▁coming ▁into ▁the ▁fish ery ▁in ▁future ▁years . ▁All ▁length ▁classes ▁of ▁fish ▁may ▁have ▁both ▁male ▁and ▁female ▁individuals . ▁However , ▁small ▁fish ▁are ▁generally ▁females , ▁while ▁most ▁large ▁fish ▁are ▁males . ▁ ▁Sp aw ning ▁ ▁Like ▁many ▁fish , ▁cor al ▁tr out ▁sp aw ning ▁corresponds ▁to ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁water ▁temperature ▁( from ▁) ▁during ▁late ▁spring . ▁In ▁the ▁northern ▁Great ▁Bar rier ▁Re ef , ▁cor al ▁tr out ▁spawn ▁between ▁September ▁and ▁December , ▁whereas ▁in ▁the ▁southern ▁regions ▁where ▁the ▁water ▁is ▁cool er , ▁sp aw ning ▁occurs ▁between ▁October ▁and ▁February . ▁The ▁beginning ▁and ▁end ▁of ▁sp aw ning ▁can ▁vary ▁from ▁year ▁to ▁year ▁as ▁the ▁water ▁temperature ▁var ies . ▁ ▁Cor al ▁tr out ▁generally ▁crowd ▁into ▁a ▁dense ▁cluster ▁to ▁spawn . ▁These ▁aggreg ations ▁are ▁formed ▁around ▁re ef ▁s lop es ▁around ▁ ▁deep ▁and ▁peak ▁at ▁the ▁new ▁moon . ▁Sp aw ning ▁occurs ▁when ▁the ▁tid al ▁flow ▁is ▁strong , ▁particularly ▁during ▁e bb ▁t ides . ▁This ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁allow ▁the ▁newly ▁released ▁eggs ▁to ▁be ▁transport ed ▁well ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁re ef ▁and ▁its ▁associated ▁pred ators . ▁Sp aw ning ▁typically ▁takes ▁place ▁at ▁d