Maturity and Fecundity of Lizardfish (Saurida undosquamis Richardson, 1848) in İskenderun Bay (Eastern Mediterranean)

Authors : Ali İŞMEN

Pages : 231-238

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Publication Date : 0000-00-00

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The spawning season, size and age at first sexual maturity, and fecundity of the commercially important lizardfish insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(Saurida undosquamis); were studied on the basis of 602 specimens from İskenderun Bay in the eastern Mediterranean. Lizardfishes had ripe gonads all around the year. The monthly gonadosomatic index values and the frequency of ripe gonads indicated that the spawning of this species occurred mainly in two seasons insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(May-July and September-November);. Males attained first sexual maturity at a total length of about 16 cm and females at about 16.5 cm. Fecundity-length relationships estimated between 1999 and 2000 were log F = 0.422 + 3.293 log L insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(r = 0.76);, log F = 0.132 + 3.490 log L insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(r = 0.86);, respectively. In 1999 and 2000, fecundity-age relationships were estimated as log F = 4.379 +1.164 log A insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(r = 0.80);, log F = 4.501 + 0.925 log A insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(r = 0.82);, respectively. No annual variation in fecundity was apparent for the study period.
Keywords : İskenderun Bay, Lizardfish Saurida undosquamis, First Sexual Maturity, Fecundity