A New Maximum Length for the Red Mullet, Mullus barbatus Linnaeus, 1758
Halit FİLİZMugla University, Faculty of Fisheries, Dept. of Hydrobiology, 48000, Kotekli, MUGLA
*Sorumlu Yazar Geliş Tarihi : 05 Temmuz 2011
halit.filiz@mu.edu.tr Kabul Tarihi : 27 Ağustos 2011 Abstract:
One specimen of the red mullet, Mullus barbatus Linnaeus, 1758, was caught in the Ekincik Bay in the south-eastern Aegean Sea, along the Turkish coast. Its total length was 38.2 cm, the maximum observed length for the species.
Key words: Aegean Sea, fisheries pressure, maximum length, Mullus barbatus, red mullet
INTRODUCTION
Maximum length is important theoretical parameter in fisheries science [1]. Directly and indirectly, this measurement enters into most of the models used in stock assessments [2, 3]. The maximum observed length is a use tool for a rapid evaluation of growth rates in the absence of basic data [2, 4]. Therefore, updating information about the maximum size of a species that might be commercially or recreationally exploited in the future is important [1, 5].
The red mullet, Mullus barbatus Linnaeus 1758 (Fam: Mullidae), is an Atlanto-Mediterranean [6], a benthic, species inhabiting sandy and muddy bottoms of the continental shelf, with a widespread distribution along the Mediterranean Sea coasts [7]. Its habitat extends from the 10 m depth (especially juveniles) down to 300 m [8] and up to 328 m in the eastern Ionian Sea [9], but is more common in depths between 20 and 50 m [7].
MATERIALS AND METHODS
On 23 March 2010, one specimen of M. barbatus was captured by bottom trawl at depth between 62-74 m (with sandy and muddy bottom) in Ekincik Bay (Marmaris, southeastern Aegean Sea), trawl route: 36° 48’ 107”N-28° 32’ 858”E / 36° 46’ 306”N-28° 35’ 563”E (Figure 1). A commercial trawl ship (F/V Akyarlar, 22.6 m length, 485 HP) equipped with a conventional bottom trawl net of 24 mm cod-end mesh size was used. Haul durations fixed to 1 h. The vessel speed was maintained at 2.2–2.5 knots. The specimen was found in the codend. The specimen was measured to the nearest centimetre and weighed to the nearest gram (Figure 2). The specimen was fixed in 96% alcohol, deposited in the Mugla University Faculty of Fisheries Museum Collection. The scientific name of the species was also checked against FishBase [10].
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The captured red mullet was of 38.2 cm TL (34.0 cm FL, 33.2 cm SL) and weighed 680.0 g (Table 1). Although previous maximum length was reported as 30.0 cm SL [7], there are various studies providing information about maximum lengths (and also maximum weight) of the species both in Mediterranean and Atlantic. These studies give us a chance to make a comparison (Table 1). As it is seen, our specimen proves that this species can grow above the previous maximum data found. If we consider that most of the studies are made in fisheries areas (like Iskenderun Bay, Mersin Bay, Izmir Bay, Candarli Bay, Edremit Bay, etc...), fisheries pressure can lead to these smaller maximum lengths. As well known, individuals in populations exposed to high levels fisheries mortality/pressure will respond by reproducing at smaller average sizes and ages [11] and thus reached maximum lengths may getting and getting smaller. In Turkey, the red mullet is of great commercial value and is one of the main target species of the small-and large-scale fishery [12]. Maybe for this reason, although Özbilgin et al. [12] examined 110891 individuals in Izmir Bay where fisheries activities intensive, they found the maximum length only as 23.0 cm TL. Contrarily, Ekincik Bay is a limited and no intensive fishery area. North part of the line combined Kizilburun (36° 47’ 205”N - 28° 32’ 445”E) and Bozburun (36° 45’ 614”N - 28° 36’ 770”E) is prohibited all kind of trawl activities by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs [13] because the area has determined as sea turtle reproduction area. Therefore, purse seine, hook-and-line and gill net are applying fisheries methods in the bay. So, an individual that faced no high fisheries pressure may be reached that kind of length. On the other hand, any factor that might possibly influence growth has been shown to have an effect, including temperature, food availability, nutrient availability, light regime, oxygen, salinity, pollutants, current speed, predator density, intra-specific social interactions and genetics [11].
These factors, often working in combination, create large variations in size of fishes of the same and different ages [11], which were not accounted for in the present case.
Acknowledgement
This specimen was collected as part of a survey carried out in the southeastern Aegean Sea, supported by Mugla University, Scientific Research Projects Unit (BAP 09/31). Thanks to the Fig. 1. Area where the studied specimen of Mullus
barbatus was captured (line indicates true trawl
coordinates).
Fig. 2. General view of Mullus barbatus, 38.2 cm TL, captured in Ekincik Bay (southeastern Aegean Sea;
Photograph: Gökçen BİLGE)
“Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, General Directorate of Protection and Control” for giving trawl permission in prohibited areas during the survey. We would like to thanks Akin AKYAR, captain of the F/V Akyarlar, and his crew. Also, thanks to Sercan YAPICI, Ugur Karakus, Hasan CERIM, Ozde OZKAN and Erhan IRMAK for valuable assistance during the surveys.
Author(s) n Lmax (cm) Wmax (g) Length
type Locality
14 -- 20 -- FL Saronikos and Thermaikos Gulfs (Aegean Sea)
7 -- 30 -- SL
---15 24 -- TL Patraikos and Korinthiakos Gulfs (Ionian Sea) 16 -- 22 -- FL Evvoikos and Pagasitikos Gulfs (Aegean Sea)
17 20 -- TL Aegean Sea
18 23 -- TL Aegean Sea
19 25 -- TL Aegean Sea
20 -- 21 -- FL Aegean Sea
21 24 -- TL North Aegean Sea
22 -- 20.8 -- FL Aegean Sea
23 --l 24.7 -- TL Adriatic Sea
24 16.8 -- TL Balearic Islands (W Mediterranean) 25 474 18.7 87.7 FL Edremit Bay (Aegean Sea) 26 8 14.9 -- TL Iskenderun Bay (E Mediterranean)
27 8 17.5 -- TL Aegean Sea
28 -- 15.7 -- TL off Alexandria (E Mediterranean)
29 15 29 -- TL Aegean Sea
30 348 18.3 121 FL Aegean coast of Turkey
31 60 12.4 -- SL East coast of Spain (W Mediterranean) 32 147 25 180 TL Portugese west coast (Atlantic) 12 110891 23 -- TL Izmir Bay (Aegean Sea) 33 1090 20.5 -- TL Izmir Bay (Aegean Sea) 34 3 16.9 -- TL Gokova Bay (Aegean Sea) 35 368 22.3 135.2 TL Antalya Bay (E Mediterranean) 36 479 20 123 FL Izmir Bay (Aegean Sea)
37 2021 21.5 119.9 TL Babadillimanı Bight (E Mediterranean)
38 277 24.1 -- TL Adriatic Sea
39 -- 22 106.2 TL Iskenderun Bay (E Mediterranean)
40 76 22.3 -- TL Aegean Sea
41 194 22 -- FL Eastern Mediterranean coasts of Turkey 42 10 18 -- TL Iberian Peninsula (W Mediterranean)
43 432 14.6 -- TL Black Sea
44 1003 20 146.1 TL Candarli Bay (Aegean Sea)
45 176 18.4 60.2 TL Black Sea
46 451 22 106.3 TL Eastern Mediterranean coasts of Turkey 47 5637 28.2 -- TL Izmir Bay (Aegean Sea)
48 297 18.5 86.3 TL Mersin Bay (E Mediterranean) 49 8 20.4 91.3 TL Iskenderun Bay (E Mediterranean) This study 1 38.2 680.0 TL Ekincik Bay (Aegean Sea)
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