Age, growth, reproduction and feeding of John Dory, Zeus faber (Pisces: Zeidae), in the Saros Bay (North Aegean Sea)


İŞMEN A., Arslan M., YIĞIN C. Ç., Bozbay N. A.

JOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, vol.29, no.1, pp.125-131, 2013 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 29 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2013
  • Doi Number: 10.1111/jai.12005
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.125-131
  • Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The age, growth, reproduction, sexual maturity and stomach content of John Dory (Zeus faber), caught in the Bay of Saros (North Aegean Sea) between September 2006 and September 2008, were investigated. The female-male ratio was 1.6 : 1. The total length of females ranged from 13.8 cm to 52.8 cm, and of males from 12.2 cm to 42.9 cm. The length-weight relationship was W = 0.0174*L2.936. Age data derived from vertebral centra readings were used to estimate the growth parameters of the von Bertalanffy equation. Growth parameters for females were L8 = 58.50 cm K = 0.11 year-1, t0 = -0.99 year and for males L8 = 45.01 cm, K = 0.13 year-1, t0 = -1.17 year. Maximum age was 18 years for females and 17 years for males. Length at first maturity for both females and males was 25.4 cm. Monthly values of the gonadosomatic index indicated that spawning occurred mainly in two peaks: one between January and June, and the other from August to September. Stomach content analysis showed the most-preferred prey to be Pisces (IRI% 97.3).