_________________________________________________________________________Swansea University E-Theses Studies on Red Sea fish. Abuzinadah, Osama A. H How to cite: _________________________________________________________________________ Abuzinadah, Osama A. H (1990) Studies on Red Sea fish.. thesis, Swansea University. http://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa43156 Use policy: _________________________________________________________________________ This item is brought to you by Swansea University. Any person downloading material is agreeing to abide by the terms of the repository licence: copies of full text items may be used or reproduced in any format or medium, without prior permission for personal research or study, educational or non-commercial purposes only. The copyright for any work remains with the original author unless otherwise specified. The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holder. Permission for multiple reproductions should be obtained from the original author. Authors are personally responsible for adhering to copyright and publisher restrictions when uploading content to the repository. Please link to the metadata record in the Swansea University repository, Cronfa (link given in the citation reference above.) http://www.swansea.ac.uk/library/researchsupport/ris-support/ Studies on Red See Fish by OSAMA A.H. ABUZINADAH A thesis submitted for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor Department of Zoology, School of Biological Sciences, University College of Swansea. SEPTEMBER 1990 ProQuest Number: 10821548 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10821548 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 P E P J C--A .T I O N To My Teacher Mohammed Abu Khalil. To My Parents. To my wife Laila and sons Mohammed, Hattan, Rayan, and to My Mother-in-Law. To My Brothers Talal, Esam, Esmat and Moatasem. ACKNQULEDGEMENT I am deeply indebted to Prof. Dr. Abdul-Aleem Farag, Professor of Zoology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, for his unfailing help, constructive discussions and encouragement during his supervision of this study. I am obliged to Dr. P.E. King, Reader at the School of Biological Sciences, University College of Swansea, for suggesting the point of this study, and his keen help and advice throughout the various stages of this work, and to Dr. Sue Shackley of the Marine Biology Department of the University College of Swansea for her help and guidance. I am greatly indebted to M r . M. Abdel-Moneim, Senior Scientific Technician, Faculty of Oceanography, King Abdulaziz University, for his dedication and guidance throughout the practical work of this study. Special thanks are due to Prof. Dr. N.M. Dowidar, Head of the Oceanography Department, Faculty of Science, Sanaa University, for his valuable criticism and guidance throughout the study. I acknowledge the help of Dr. C.F.H. Hosny, Lecturer of Fish Biology and Fisheries, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, for his help during the preparation of the manuscript. I wish to acknowledge the financial support given to me by the University of King Abdulaziz, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, enabling me to complete this study. My deep gratitude to my family for their love, patience, support and encouragement throughout the course of this study. ABSTRACT The study of the morphological and histological characteristics of the alimentary canal of twenty fish species inhabiting the fishing grounds off Jeddah was performed in order to establish the relationship of such characteristics with the feeding habit of the fish. In addition the biological aspects of the life history of Mill 1 f 1 av/nl i ne«tu« was dealt with in some detail. Histological sections in the different parts of the alimentary canals of representatives of the different feeding categories revealed that carnivores and omnivores have almost the same structures in the different parts of the gut with the exception of the absence of stomach and pyloric caecae in carnivores. Food and feeding habits of f1 i ne«tu« showed that this fish consumes mainly small Crustacea and invertebrate organisms. It feeds intensively during the winter and summer seasons. Seasonal variations in the preference of different food items seemed to vary according to sex and size of fish. The length-weight relationship showed that females are slightly heavier than males of the same size. Values of the condition factor were consequently found to decrease with fish size. Survival rates showed that only 5.2% of males live after their fifth year of life compared to 16.49% of females that live after their sixth year of life. Males were found to be exposed to a higher fishing mortality rate than females and their rate of exploitation through fishing is over the safe limits for the population to sustain. It Mas found evident that this fish is a multiple-spauner that yields tMO broods at an interval of three months, the first in June and the second in September. The onset of sexual maturity Mas estimated to be initiated in fishes of 14.4 cm to 21.2 cm in length (SL), i.e. after their second year of life. v CONTENTS P ayfi DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i i ABSTRACT iv CHAPTER is INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 2: MATERIALS AND METHODS 10 A Comparative Morphology of the Alimentary 10 Canal B Descriptive anatomy of the alimentary 11 tract of selected species of Red Sea fish caught off Jeddah C Comparative histology of the alimentary 12 tract of some Red Sea fish caught off Jeddah D Biological measurements and data of 13 Mlll.lQi.des flav/nl i nflflt-.HR E Area of Study 22 F General Description of the Red Sea 24 Hydrography and Climate G Red Sea Fisheries 25 H Boats and Geartypes used on the Red Sea 27 CHAPTER 3: DESCRIPTIVE ANATOMY OF THE ALIMENTARY 33 TRACT 3.1 Introduction 33 3.2 Materials and Methods 34 3.3 Observations 35 3.3.1 Carnivorous fish 36 3.3.3.1 Invertebrate and fish eaters 36 3.3.3.2 Fish and invertebrate eaters 42 3.3.1.3 Invertebrate eaters 46 3.3.1.4 Fish eaters 49 3.3.2 Plankton feeders 53 3.3.3 Herbivorous fish 54 3.3.4 Omnivorous fish 58 Discussion 60 COMPARISON OF THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE 63 ALIMENTARY CANAL WITH FEEDING BEHAVIOUR IN SELECTED FISH SPECIES Introduction 63 Materials and Methods 63 Observations 64 Morphometric Regression 66 Discussion 67 HISTOLOGICAL STUDIES OF THE ALIMENTARY 70 CANALS OF SOME RED SEA FISH CAUGHT OFF JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA Introduction 70 5.1.1 Oesophagus 70 5.1.2 Stomach 71 5.1.3 Intestine 72 Materials and Methods 74 Observations 75 5.3.1 Oesophagus 75 5.3.2 Stomach 78 5.3.3 Pyloric caeca 85 5.3.4 Intestine 86 5.3.5 Rectum 90 Discussion 92 Page CHAPTER 6= FOOD AND FEEDING HABITS OF 104 Ft AVOI INFATUS 6.1 Introduction 104 6.2 Materials and Methods 104 6.3 Morphology of the alimentary canal of 106 FI 1 i npafiic; 6.4 Fullness coefficient 106 6.5 Percentage frequency of major food items 108 6.6 Specific analysis of ingested food items 111 6.7 Frequency index of ingested food items 111 6.8 Discussion 114 CHAPTER 7= LENGTH-WEIGHT RELATIONSHIP AND CONDITION 120 FACTOR 7.1 Introduction 120 7.2 Materials and Methods 121 7.3 Results and Observations 124 7.3.1 Length-weight relationship 124 7.3.2 Condition factor 126 7.3.3 Cyclical changes in the 127 condition factor 7.4 Discussion 127 CHAPTER 8: AGE AND GROWTH 132 8.1 Introduction 132 8.1.1 Interpretation of layers laid 132 down on hard parts of fish 8.1.2 Ring formation 133 8.1.3 Effect of temperature on ring 134 formation in tropical fish Paqf> 8.2 Materials and Methods 135 8.2.1 Age determination of 135 J±_ f 1 av n 1 i neatii?* 8.2.2 Body-scale relationship 136 8.3 Results 139 8.3.1 Body-scale relationship 139 8.3.2 Growth in length 139 8.3.3 Growth in weight 140 8.3.4 Theoretical growth rates of 142 M— f lavnl ijieatiis 8.3.5 Theoretical growth rates in length 143 8.3.6 Theoretical growth rates in weight 144 8.4 Discussion 145 CHAPTER 9= MORTALITIES OF MIJ1 I OTDFS FLAVQt INFATUS 150 9.1 Introduction 150 9.2 Materials and Methods 150 9.3 Results and Discussion 153 9.3.1 Estimation of total mortality 153 coefficient 9.3.2 Estimation of natural mortality 154 coefficient 9.3.3 Estimation of fishing mortality 154 coefficient 9.3.4 Estimation of the rate of 155 exploitation CHAPTER 10= REPRODUCTION IN MUI I OTDFS Ft AVOI TNFATUS 158 10.1 Introduction 158 10.2 Materials and Methods 159 10.3 Results and Discussion 160 10.3.1 Morphological observations on 160 ovarian development 10.3.2 Histological observations on 162 oocyte development Page 10.3.3 Spawning season 163 10.3.4 Reproductive cycle 165 10.3.5 The nature of spawning of 168 f 1 avol i.neatus CHAPTER 11: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 170 REFERENCES 179 CHAPTER I GENERAL INTRODUCTION Introduction Tropical waters are paradoxically among the most and least productive of any in the world.