Some reproductive characteristics of the blotched picarel &lt;i&gt;Spicara maena&lt;/i&gt; (Perciformes: Centracanthidae) from Saros Bay, Northern Aegean Sea, Turkey

Özgür Cengiz

doi:10.22370/rbmo.2019.54.2.1905

Abstract

This study was carried out, monthly, in the Saros Bay (Northern Aegean Sea, Turkey) between January 2015 and December 2015. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) and absolute fecundity (Fa) of the blotched picarel (Spicara maena) were analyzed . GSI values suggested the spawning period of S. maena was from April to June. The relations between the absolute fecundity and total length (TL), total weight (TW) and age (A) of the blotched picarel females were estimated as Fa= 287.52TL1.40, Fa= 153.33TW + 6,680.9 and Fa= 2,407.5A + 5,289.6, respectively. The present study contributes to the reproductive biology of S. maena by reporting the first data about the fecundity of the species for the Aegean Sea.

Highlights

The reproductive biology of a species is a central aspect of providing sound scientific advice for fisheries management and it plays an important role in determining productivity (Morgan 2008)
The spawning period has long been a central issue in fisheries biology, ecology, and management because of its importance for the recruitment (Beaugrand et al 2003), survival (Garvey et al 2002), and stock biomass, and the fishery yield (Kjesbu & Witthames 2007)
The reproductive biology of S. maena has been inv estigated for the first time in the Saros Bay

Summary

Introduction

The reproductive biology of a species is a central aspect of providing sound scientific advice for fisheries management and it plays an important role in determining productivity (Morgan 2008). Estimation of fecundity and GSI of a fish is essential for evaluating the commercial potentialities of its stock, life history, practical culture and actual management of the fishery (Rahimibashar et al 2012). Saros Bay, which is situated in the Northeastern Aegean Sea, is connected to the North Aegean with a depth of approximately 600 m to the west. The length of the bay is about 61 km and the width at the opening to the Aegean Sea is about 36 km (Eronat & Sayın 2014). As Saros Bay had been closed to bottom trawl fishing since 2000 (Cengiz et al 2011) and no industrial activity was prevalent in the area (Sarı & Çağatay 2001), the bay can be considered as a pristine environment (Cengiz et al 2013)

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