Age and growth of albacore (Thunnus alalunga Bonnaterre, 1788) from the eastern Mediterranean

KARAKULAK F. S., OZGUR E., GÖKOĞLU M., EMECAN İ. T., Baskaya A.

TURKISH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, cilt.35, sa.6, ss.801-810, 2011 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 35 Sayı: 6
  • Basım Tarihi: 2011
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3906/zoo-0909-30
  • Dergi Adı: TURKISH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.801-810
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Albacore, Thunnus alalunga, age, growth, spine, eastern Mediterranean Sea, ATLANTIC ALBACORE
  • Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This study was designed to characterize the growth parameters of the albacore, Thunnus alalunga, in the eastern Mediterranean. A total of 819 albacore specimens were collected from gillnet boats operating in Antalya Bay (in the Levantine Sea) between May and July from 2006 to 2008. Individuals were all between 55 and 101 cm in fork length (FL). The fork length was directly proportional to weight, with a relationship of W = 0.00042FL(2.246) for females, W = 0.00022FL(2.396) for males, and W = 0.00016FL(2.467) for males and females combined. Negatively allometric growth was observed in all individuals. Age and growth were estimated by assessing seasonal bands formed on the first dorsal spines of 744 specimens. Albacore samples were estimated to be between 1 and 9 years old. Von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated for all individuals and for males and females independently. There were significant differences between growth patterns in males and females. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters for both sexes and all years combined were L-infinity = 93.198 cm, W-infinity = 11.552, k = 0.295 year(-1) and t(o) = -1.213 years.