Abstract
Round goby (Neogobius melanostomus, Pallas 1814) which belongs to Gobiidae, inhabits in the Black Sea, the Marmara Sea, the Caspian Sea and the rivers that flows into fore stated seas. The main population parameters, such as age, length, sexual composition, length-weight relationship, growth, condition factor, gonadosomatic index and reproduction of N. melanostomus were investigated from coasts of the southern Black Sea in this study. A total of 2408 individuals were sampled between July 2017 and June 2018. Results showed that average length and weight were found 14.97 cm (10.50-26.20) and 43.90 g (15.28-212.2), respectively. Sex ratio between female and male was found 1:1.77 (P>0.05). Age of samples varied between one and eight years old. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were calculated as L∞ = 26.5 cm, k = 0.1980 year-1 and t0 = -1.3487 year for all individuals. The length-weight relationship was found as W = 0.0069 TL3.1972 for all individuals. Total mortality, natural mortality, fishing mortality, growth performance index and condition factor were calculated as 0.625, 0.479, 0.145, 2.143, and 1.66, respectively. Spawning occurs between March and May and the maximum value of gonadosomatic index reached in April. Average relative fecundity was 318.88 number/g (124.8-958.9), while average diameter of eggs was found 2025.58 µm ± 262.86 (1112.0-2703.4). This study will contribute for information gap on the species as well as provide information source for future studies.
Highlights
Round goby, Neogobius melanostomus Pallas 1814, distributes widely in coastal shallow waters of tropical and subtropical region
There are 74 goby species in the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea, 35 of them were reported from coasts of Turkey
Results of this study clearly shows that the maximum total length is larger than many of the previous literature reports (Slastenenko, 1956; Skora et al, 1999; Sapota, 2012), but still stays well below the value reported by Ak et al (2009)
Summary
Neogobius melanostomus Pallas 1814, distributes widely in coastal shallow waters of tropical and subtropical region. There are 74 goby species in the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea, 35 of them were reported from coasts of Turkey (Miller, 1986; Nelson, 1994; Froese and Pauly, 2009; Aydın (2021) Marine Science and Technology Bulletin 10(2): 106-117. The Black Sea, the Marmara Sea and the Caspian Sea are natural habitats for species of N. melanostomus (Berg, 1949). The species prefers habitats of sandy, rocky and pebble in shallow waters down to 20 m in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov (Miller, 1986), especially vegetative (Zostera spp.) habitats down to 70 m in the Caspian Sea (Moskal’kova, 1996). While Jude and Deboe (1996) reported that the species distribute from creep flow rivers, lagoon to brackish waters down to 20 m in spring and autumn, Miller (1986) reported their migration to deeper water down to 60 m
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