Age, Growth, and Mortality Rates of the European Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus L. 1758) off the Turkish Black Sea Coast

Authors: OSMAN SAMSUN, NECATİ SAMSUN, ATİLLA CEM KARAMOLLAOĞLU

Abstract: This study was conducted during the Engraulis encrasicolus fishing seasons of 1998-1999 and 1999-2000, and some basic characteristics of this population off the Turkish coast of the Black Sea were examined. Weight-length relationships and von Bertalanffy growth equations were estimated as W = 0.0083 L^{2.872} and Lt = 15.66[1 – e^{-0.3368 (t+2.526)}] and W = 0.0076 L^ {2.919} and L t = 17.07 [1 – e^{–0.2836 (t+2.1047)}] for the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 fishing seasons, respectively. For the 1998-1999 fishing season total (Z), natural (M), and fishing (F) mortality rates were Z = 1.44 year^{-1}, M = 0.49 year^{-1} and F = 0.95 year^{-1} and for the 1999-2000 season they were Z = 1.60 year^{-1}, M = 0.46 year^{-1} and F = 1.44 year^{-1}, respectively. The exploitation rates (E) of 0.66 and 0.71 for each season indicate that the population is being heavily exploited.

Keywords: Anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus, Black Sea, age, growth and mortality rates

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