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Turkish Journal of Zoology

DOI

10.3906/zoo-0903-29

Abstract

Growth and reproduction of the blotched picarel, Spicara maena (Linnaeus, 1758), were determined based on specimens (n = 2547) collected from the central Aegean Sea between July 2004 and June 2007. The samples consisted of 71.9% females, 16.2% males, and 11.9% immature individuals. The sex ratio of females to males was 1:0.23. The length-weight relationship was W = 0.011L^{3.02}, W = 0.011L^{3.00}, and W = 0.011L^{2.99} for the combined sexes, females, and males, respectively. For all samples and both sexes the length-weight relationship showed isometric growth. The von Bertalanffy growth equation was fitted on the basis of mean length-at-age data, resulting in parameter values of L_{\infinity} = 21.99 cm, k = 0.255 year^{-1}, and t_o = -1.165 year, and weight at infinity (W_{\infinity}) was calculated as 123.35 g. Length at first maturity was 8.1 cm in males and 8.5 cm in females. On the other hand, first reproduction length was 11.51 cm and 13.12 cm for females and males, respectively, both corresponding to 2 years of age. It was observed that spawning occurred between March and June.

Keywords

Blotched picarel, Spicara maena, age, reproduction, sexual maturity length, sex inversion length

First Page

453

Last Page

459

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