Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T02:05:17.174Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Age, growth and mortality of the garfish, Belone belone (L. 1761) in the Adriatic Sea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2012

Barbara Zorica
Affiliation:
Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Šetalište I. Meštrovića 63, PO Box 500, 21000 Split, Croatia
Vanja Čikeš Keč*
Affiliation:
Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Šetalište I. Meštrovića 63, PO Box 500, 21000 Split, Croatia
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: V. Čikeš Keč, Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Šetalište I. Meštrovića 63, PO Box 500, 21000 Split, Croatia email: [email protected]

Abstract

A sample of 3393 garfish, Belone belone (Linnaeus, 1761) was captured using a seine net between January 2003 and December 2008, along the eastern Adriatic Sea. The range in total length was 20.8–75.4 cm and in weight was 12.21–639.25 g. Length–length equations for converting size measurements (standard length and fork length to total length (TL)) were linear. In the length–weight relationship, positive allometry was established (b = 3.4818). Age, determined from sagittal otoliths, ranged from 1+ to 8+ years. The estimated von Bertalanffy model growth parameters for garfish were L = 90.3 cm, K = 0.158 year−1, t0 = −0.109. Otolith weight was endorsed as a possible age predictor, as it showed highly exponential correlation with total garfish length and age (Wo = 0.0012 TL2.189; Wo = 0.568t1.486). These findings were used to examine mortality rates and exploitation in order to improve conservation and management of this pelagic species.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bedoui, R., Garbi, H. and El Abed, A. (2002) Période de reproduction et maturité sexuelle de Belone belone gracilis (Belonidae) des côtes Est et Sud de la Tunisie. Vémes Journées de l'ATSMer 7, 14.Google Scholar
Beverton, R.J.H. and Holt, S.J. (1957) On the dynamics of exploited fish populations. Fishery Investigations Series II, Marine Fisheries, Great Britain Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 19, 533 pp.Google Scholar
Collette, B.B. and Parin, N.V. (1986) Belonidae. In Whitehead, P.J.P., Bauchot, M.L., Hureau, J.C., Nielsen, J. and Tortonese, E. (eds) Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Volume 2. Paris: UNESCO, pp. 604609.Google Scholar
Dorman, J.A. (1989) Some aspects of the biology of the garfish Belone belone (L.) from southern Ireland. Journal of Fish Biology 35, 621629.Google Scholar
Dorman, J.A. (1991) Investigations into the biology of the garfish, Belone belone (L.), in Swedish waters. Journal of Fish Biology 39, 5969.Google Scholar
Fehri-Bedoui, R. and Gharbi, H. (2004) Contribution a l'étude de la croissance et l'age de Belone belone (Belonidae) des côtes Est de la Tunisie. Rapports de la Commission Internationale pour la Mer Méditerranée 37, 352.Google Scholar
Gayanilo, F.C. Jr, Sparre, P. and Pauly, D. (1994) The FAO–ICLARM Stock Assessment Tools (FiSAT) user's guide. No. 8. FAO: Rome, 124 pp. [FAO Computerized Information Series (fisheries).]Google Scholar
Gislason, H., Daan, N., Rice, J.C. and Pope, J.G. (2010) Size, growth, temperature and the natural mortality of marine fish. Fish and Fisheries 11, 149158.Google Scholar
Grbec, B., Vilibić, I., Bajić, A., Morović, M., Beg Paklar, G., Matić, F. and Dadić, V. (2007) Response of the Adriatic Sea to the atmospheric anomaly in 2003. Annales Geophysicae 25, 835846.Google Scholar
Gulland, J.A. (1971) The fish resources of the oceans. West Byfleet, UK: Fishing News Books Ltd., 210 pp.Google Scholar
Gulland, J.A. (1983) Fish stock assessment: a manual of basic methods. Rome: FAO and Wiley Publications.Google Scholar
Korzelecka-Orkisz, A., Formicki, K., Winnicki, A., Bonisławska, M., Szulc, J., Biernaczyk, M., Tański, A. and Wawrzyniak, W. (2005) Peculiarities of egg structure and embryonic development of garfish (Belone belone (L.)). Electronic Journal of Ichthyology 2, 4253.Google Scholar
Morales-Nin, B. and Ralston, S. (1990) Age and growth of Lutzanus kasmira (Forsskal) in Hawaiian waters. Journal of Fish Biology 36, 191203.Google Scholar
Munro, J.L. and Pauly, D. (1983) A simple method for comparing growth of fishes and invertebrates. ICLARM Fishbyte 1, 56.Google Scholar
Pauly, D. (1980) A selection of simple methods for the assessment of tropical fish stocks. FAO Fisheries Circular 729, 54 pp.Google Scholar
Pauly, D. (1984) Fish population dynamics in tropical waters: a manual for use with programmable calculators. ICLARM Studies and Reviews 8, 325 pp.Google Scholar
Ricker, W.E. (1975) Computation and interpretation of biological statistics of fish populations. Bulletin of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 191, 382 pp.Google Scholar
Rikhter, V.A. and Efanov, V.N. (1976) One of the approaches to estimation of natural mortality of fish populations. ICNAF Research Document 79 (8), 12 pp.Google Scholar
Rosenthal, D.F. and Fonds, M.H. (1973) Biological observations during rearing experiments with the garfish Belone belone . Marine Biology 21, 203218.Google Scholar
Samsun, O. (1996) Sinop (Karadeniz) Zargana (Belone belone euxini, Günther, 1866) Balığı Populasyonuna İlişkin (1995–1996). Büyüme Karakteristikleri Değişimlerinin İzlenmesi. Ege Üniversitesi Su Ürünleri Dergisi 12, 347355. [In Turkish.]Google Scholar
Samsun, O., Özdamar, E. and Erkoyuncu, İ. (1995) Sinop Yöresinde Avlanan Zargana (Belone belone euxini, Günther, 1866). Balığının Bazı Balıkçılık Biyolojisi Parametreleri İle Et Veriminin Araştırılması. Doğu Anadolu Bölgesi II. Su Ürünleri Semp. Atatürk. Üniversitesi, Zir. Fak., Su Ür. Böl 14–16 Haziran, 114. [In Turkish.]Google Scholar
Samsun, O., Samsun, N., Bilgin, S. and Kalayci, F. (2006) Population biology and status of exploitation of introduced garfish Belone belone euxini (Günther, 1866) in the Black Sea. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 22, 353356.Google Scholar
Sinovčić, G., Franičević, M., Zorica, B. and Čikeš Keč, V. (2004) Length–weight and lenght–length relationships for 10 pelagic fish species form Adriatic Sea (Croatia). Journal of Applied Ichthyology 20, 156158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sokal, R.R. and Rohlf, F.J. (1981) Biometry—the principles and practice of statistics in biological research. San Francisco, CA: W.H. Freeman.Google Scholar
Taylor, C.C. (1959) Temperature and growth—the Pacific razor clam. Journal du Conseil International pour l'Exploration de la Mer 25, 93101.Google Scholar
Tesch, F.W. (1971) Age and growth. In Ricker, W.E. (ed.) Methods for assessment of fish production in fresh waters. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications, pp. 99130.Google Scholar
Uçkun, D., Akalin, S., Taşkavak, E. and Toğulga, M. (2004) Some biological characteristics of the garfish (Belone belone L., 1761) in Izmir Bay, Aegean Sea. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 20, 413416.Google Scholar
Yüce, R. (1970) Zargana Baliği Belone belone (L.) nin Biolojisi. Hidrobiyol Arasti Enstit Yayinl 75, 125. [In Turkish.]Google Scholar
Zorica, B., Sinovčić, G. and Čikeš Keč, V. (2010) The reproductive cycle, size at maturity and fecundity of garfish (Belone belone, L. 1761) in the eastern Adriatic Sea. Helgoland Marine Research 65, 435444.Google Scholar
Zorica, B., Sinovčić, G. and Čikeš Keč, V. (2011) Preliminary data on the study of otolith morphology of five pelagic fish species from the Adriatic Sea (Croatia). Acta Adriatica 51, 8997.Google Scholar