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ACTA ICHTHYOLOGICA ET PISCATORIA (2020) 50 (3): 325–332 DOI: 10.3750/AIEP/02826 AGE AND GROWTH OF THE LESSEPSIAN MIGRANT LAGOCEPHALUS SPADICEUS (ACTINOPTERYGII: TETRAODONTIFORMES: TETRAODONTIDAE) FROM THE GULF OF ISKENDERUN, NORTH-EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, TURKEY Asiye BAŞUSTA1, Nuri BAŞUSTA1, Ebru Ifakat OZCAN∗2, and Hülya GİRGİN3 1Firat University, Faculty of Fisheries, Elazığ, Turkey 2Munzur University, Faculty of Fisheries, Tunceli, Turkey 3Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Veterinary, Kiraz, Izmir, Turkey Başusta A., Başusta N., Ozcan E.I., Girgin H. 2020. Age and growth of the Lessepsian migrant Lagocephalus spadiceus (Actinopterygii: Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) from the Gulf of Iskenderun, north- eastern Mediterranean, Turkey. Acta Ichthyol. Piscat. 50 (3): 325–332. Background. The population of Lagocephalus spadiceus (Richardson, 1845), one of the Lessepsian species that migrated from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal, has been growing rapidly in Turkey in recent years. This situation poses a serious danger to fisheries and human health. There is little information about the biology of this species. The presently reported study permits a greater understanding of the age and growth characteristics of the pufferfish L. spadiceus from the Gulf of Iskenderun, north-eastern Mediterranean. Materials and methods. Samples were captured by commercial bottom trawlers at depths of 24–50 m during 9 trawling operations conducted during the fishing seasons between 2012 and 2013 in the Gulf of Iskenderun, north- eastern Mediterranean. Age determinations were carried out using vertebrae. Images of vertebrae suitable for age determination were obtained with a dissecting microscope. The index of the mean percentage error (IMPE) was calculated to assess the precision of the age determinations between two independent readers. Growth parameters for all individuals were then determined by fitting observed and length-at-age data using the von Bertalanffy growth equation. In addition, the condition factor (CF) was determined. Results. A total of 1116 specimens (529 females and 587 males) were sampled, ranging from 6.7 to 34.0 cm in total length and from 4.30 to 557.64 g in weight. The female-to-male ratio was 1:1.1. Age determination was conducted using vertebral band counts. The age of the examined specimens ranged from 0 to 10 years. One female individual was determined to be 17 years of age (45.6 cm and 1269.0 g). The von Bertalanffy growth equations –0.116(t + 2.04) –0.116(t + 2.04) 2.846 –0.133(t + 1.76) were Lt = 47.21[1 – e ] and Wt = 1296.18 [1 – e ] for females, Lt = 46.36 [1 – e ] and –0.133(t + 1.76) 2.817 –0.120(t + 1.97) –0.120(t + 1.97) 2.831 Wt = 1381.86 [1 – e ] for males and Lt = 46.90 [1 – e ] and Wt = 1345.67 [1 – e ] for all individuals. The growth performance index (Ф´) value was calculated as 2.421 for all individuals. The condition factor ranged from 0.890 to 2.768 for females and from 0.899 to 2.767 for males. Conclusions. It is very important to investigate L. spadiceus, an invasive species, in order to prevent its harmful effects on fisheries and human health. As this study is the first study on the age and growth ofL. spadiceus in the north- eastern Mediterranean, it will significantly contribute to future ecosystem conservation and management strategies. Keywords: half-smooth golden pufferfish, growth parameters, vertebrae, condition factor, north-eastern Mediterranean INTRODUCTION et al. 1995, Başusta and Erdem 2000, Mavruk and Avsar There are approximately 192 valid species in the 2008). In the Mediterranean Sea, L. spadiceus was first family Tetraodontidae worldwide (Fricke et al. 2020). recorded in the Gulf of Iskenderun (Turkey) by Kosswig Lagocephalus spadiceus (Richardson, 1845) is one of the (1950) (Tuncer et al. 2008). Lagocephalus spadiceus is a oldest Lessepsian fishes and the first of the fourLagocephalus benthopelagic species; it swims in mid-water but descends species to date that have entered the Mediterranean via the to the substrate to feed on benthic organisms, which it Suez Canal (Kiparissis et al. 2018). Lessepsian species crushes with its massive teeth. It is occasionally caught were so named by Por (1978) after the founder of the by trawl or purse seines and originally had wide Indo- canal engineer and diplomat, Ferdinand de Lesseps (Mater Pacific distribution (Golani et al. 2006). Many studies * Correspondence: Dr Ebru İfakat Özcan, Munzur Üniversitesi, Su Ürünleri Fakültesi, 62100, Tunceli, Turkey, phone: +90 5317409095, e-mail: (EIO) [email protected], (AB) [email protected], (NB) [email protected], (HG) [email protected], ORCID: (EIO) 0000-0003-2017-6647, (AB) 0000-0002- 9903-1418, (NB) 0000-0002-4260-4772. 326 Başusta et al. have reported a lack of toxicity of L. spadiceus (Yu and Gulf of Iskenderun, north-eastern Mediterranean (Fig. 1). The Yu 1997, Brilliantes et al. 2003, Ngy et al. 2008, Simon sampled fish were transported to a laboratory of the Fisheries et al. 2009, Chulanetra et al. 2011, Kosker et al. 2019), Faculty of the Firat University. The fish were measured for and the species is consumed in some countries (Berry and total length [cm] and weight [g]. Sex was determined by bin Hassan 1973, Yu and Yu 1997, Brillantes et al. 2003, macroscopic examination of the gonads, and deviation from Kaewnern et al. 2013, Yamaguchi et al. 2013, Kosker et al. a 1:1 sex ratio was tested with a chi-square test. 2019). To date, there have been no studies on the age and Age determinations were carried out using growth of L. spadiceus in Turkish waters. The knowledge vertebrae. Eight to ten vertebrae were removed from of the age and growth of fish populations is important for the anteroposterior of the body of each specimen. The the control of fish stocks. However, many studies have been remaining soft tissue in the center of each vertebra was conducted on the length–weight relation of L. spadiceus removed with the help of a knife. The vertebrae were then (see Taskavak and Bilecenoglu 2001, Erguden et al. 2009, left immersed in 5% sodium hydrochloride for one day Wang et al. 2011, Başusta et al. 2013, Aydın et al. 2017, to remove excess connective tissue and then rinsed with Bilge et al. 2017). Although the first detailed study on the purified water. The vertebrae were then stored in 70% biology of Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) in the ethanol until processing. Mediterranean was conducted by Aydın (2011), there has A total of 5 vertebrae from each specimen were read been no study on the biology of Lagocephalus spadiceus for age at 2× magnification independently by two readers. in Turkish waters. Tuncer et al. (2008) provided the first One opaque zone and one adjacent transparent zone were record of L. spadiceus in the Sea of Marmara. Tuney together counted as one year. Images of all vertebrae (2016) conducted molecular identification of L. spadiceus. ready for age reading were taken with high-resolution Kiparissis et al. (2018) studied the range expansion of Leica IM1000 image analysis software and a Leica M40 restricted Lessepsian taxa, including the westbound dissecting microscope (Fig. 2). Adobe Photoshop CS2 was expansion of L. spadiceus. Kosker et al. (2019) investigated then used to improve the visibility of the vertebral rings. the tetrodotoxin levels of three pufferfish species. Bilge et The index of the mean percentage error al. (2019) found that for both basic risk assessment and (IMPE) (Beamish and Fournier 1981)* was calculated to basic risk assessment + climate change assessment, the assess the precision of the age determinations between second-highest scoring invasive fish species was the half- two independent readers using the following equation smooth golden pufferfish, L. spadiceus, along the south- western coasts of Turkey. NR 11XXij− j In recent years, L. spadiceus has rapidly reproduced in IMPE = ∑∑×100% nN X the Mediterranean, posing a risk to the ecosystem as well ji=11 = j as to human activities (Katsanevakis et al. 2014, Streftaris and Zenetos 2006, Mavruk et al. 2017). However, there where n is the number of fish aged, N = number of times is very little research on the biology and ecology of this each fish was aged, Xij is the ith age determination of the species. The purpose of this study was to determine, for jth fish, Xj is the mean age calculated for the jth fish. the first time, some growth parameters of L. spadiceus in The growth in length was determined by the length- the north-eastern Mediterranean Sea. based von Bertalanffy (1938) growth equation as follows –k(t – t0) MATERIAL AND METHODS TLt = TL∞ [1 – e ] The samples were collected by commercial bottom trawlers at depths of 24–50 m over 9 trawling operations where TLt is the expected total length at age t years, conducted between the 2012 and 2013 fishing seasons in the TL∞ is the asymptotic average maximum total length, k is 035°12’E 035°36’E 036°0’E 036°24’E N 36°48’N 36°48’N Gulf of Iskenderun TURKEY 36°24’N 36°24’N Mediterranean Sea 035°12’E 035°36’E 036°0’E 036°24’E Fig. 1. The sampling area in the Gulf of Iskenderun, north-eastern Mediterranean within 2012–2013 * The original authors Beamish and Fournier (1981) and many subsequent ones referred to this index imprecisely as the “index of the average percentage error” (IAPE). Age and growth of Lagocephalus spadiceus in Turkey 327 the growth coefficient, and t0 is the theoretical age at zero length. The growth in weight was described by the weight- based von Bertalanffy growth equation –k(t – t0) b Wt = W∞ [1 – e ] where W∞ is the asymptotic average maximum weight and b is the constant in the length–weight relation) The accuracy of the growth parameters (Gayanilo and Pauly 1997) was tested using von Bertalanffy growth performance Ф´ = log10(k) + 2log10(L∞) The condition factor values of fish were acquired with the equation of Le Cren (1951) CF = 100W · TL–b All data were statistically analyzed using Excel 2013 and SPSS version 24 for Windows.