Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2013, 93(2), 365–372. # Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2012 doi:10.1017/S002531541200149X Age, growth and mortality of the garfish, Belone belone (L. 1761) in the Adriatic Sea barbara zorica and vanja c“ikes“ kec“ Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Sˇetalisˇte I. Mesˇtrovic´a 63, PO Box 500, 21000 Split, Croatia A sample of 3393 garfish, Belone belone (Linnaeus, 1761) was captured using a seine net between January 2003 and December 2008, along the eastern Adriatic Sea. The range in total length was 20.8–75.4 cm and in weight was 12.21–639.25 g. Length– length equations for converting size measurements (standard length and fork length to total length (TL)) were linear. In the length–weight relationship, positive allometry was established (b ¼ 3.4818). Age, determined from sagittal otoliths, ranged from 1+ to 8+ years. The estimated von Bertalanffy model growth parameters for garfish were L1 ¼ 90.3 cm, K ¼ 0.158 21 year , t0 ¼ 20.109. Otolith weight was endorsed as a possible age predictor, as it showed highly exponential correlation 2.189 1.486 with total garfish length and age (Wo ¼ 0.0012 TL ; Wo ¼ 0.568t ). These findings were used to examine mortality rates and exploitation in order to improve conservation and management of this pelagic species. Keywords: length–weight relationship, otolith, growth, mortality, garfish, Adriatic Submitted 18 August 2012; accepted 21 August 2012; first published online 31 October 2012 INTRODUCTION life history of the garfish population inhabiting the Adriatic Sea, fishery management will be provided with vital statistical Garfish, Belone belone (Linnaeus, 1761), is widely distributed and biological parameters that will allow definition of the throughout the Mediterranean Basin and its adjacent seas, as present status and management strategy for this species. well as in the eastern Atlantic. Three subspecies have been described along its area of distribution (Collette & Parin, 1986): B. belone belone (Linnaeus, 1761)—restricted to the MATERIALS AND METHODS north-eastern Atlantic; B. belone gracilis Lowe, 1839—distrib- uted in the south of France to the Canary Islands and in the Garfish specimens were collected monthly in the eastern part Mediterranean Sea; and B. belone euxini Gu¨nther, 1866, of the middle Adriatic Sea from January 2003 to December which is found in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. 2008 (Figure 1) with the exception of a small number of Garfish is an epipelagic species, which is found mainly in off- months when, due either to logistical problems or weather shore areas. It migrates towards coastal waters during the conditions, sampling was not possible. No samples were spawning period, where it is commercially exploited (Zorica obtained in June throughout the investigation, even though et al., 2011). In the Adriatic Sea, garfish is the main target of sampling and fishing effort did not cease. seine net (stretched mesh size 10–30 mm), but is also Samples of Belone belone were collected at night using seine caught as a by-catch species in purse seine fisheries. net with stretched mesh of size 10 mm (the main net) to There are some published studies on its biology from the 34 mm (the net cod end). The seine net, which is approxi- areas of its occurrence (Rosenthal & Fonds, 1973; Dorman, mately 10 to 30 m deep and 100 m long, is generally operated 1989, 1991; Bedoui et al., 2002; Fehri-Bedoui & Gharbi, at 200 to 300 m from the coastline, depending on the sea floor 2004; Uc¸kun et al., 2004; Korzelecka-Orkisz et al., 2005; configuration. Preferred sea depth for this type of fishing gear Samsun et al., 2006; Zorica et al., 2011). In the Adriatic Sea, is deeper than 20 m. A total of 3393 individuals, 1166 males data concerning garfish biology are restricted to its reproduc- and 1195 females were analysed in the laboratory, immedi- tion traits (Zorica et al., 2011), while knowledge about age and ately after landing. Total length (TL), standard length (SL) growth is lacking. Information concerning age and growth is and fork length (FL)(+0.1 mm), as well as total body essential for monitoring year-class strength, making stock weight (W)(+0.01 g) of each specimen, were measured. assessments, documenting population recovery and con- Sex was macroscopically determined. The sagitta otoliths structing the demographic parameters fundamental to popu- were removed by opening the otic bulla, washed in freshwater, lation models. Despite the fact that garfish is common in dried, denoted and stored in plastic tubes prior to analysis. the Adriatic Sea, its total landings in Croatia are unknown Conversions between length measures were accomplished (Croatian Bureau of Statistics), and its exploitation status is with linear regression models using the least squares therefore undetermined. By improving understanding of the method (Sokal & Rohlf, 1981), while possible significant differences in length–length relationships among sexes were determined by parametric or non-parametric tests (P , Corresponding author: 0.05), depending on data normality. The length–weight V. Cˇ ikesˇ Kecˇ relationship for both sexes and overall was calculated b Email: [email protected] by applying the exponential regression W ¼ aTL , where 365 366 barbara zorica and vanja c“ ikes“ kec“ Fig. 1. Study area with marked sampling station. W ¼ total fish weight in g; TL ¼ total length in cm; a ¼ pro- to age (Wo –t) were analysed using the power function b b portionality constant; and b ¼ allometric growth parameter. Wo ¼ aTL and Wo ¼ at , respectively. The hypotheses of isometric growth, and abbreviation Natural mortality rate (M) was defined using the general between male and female allometric growth parameter, were regression equations below: tested using a Student’s t-test (P , 0.05). Age was determined by reading the otoliths. The entire otolith was immersed in ethanol solution and examined B logM ¼ 20.0066 2 0.279log L1 + 0.6543logK + 0.4634logT against a black background with reflected light, using a bin- (Pauly, 1980), where L1 and K are the parameters of the ocular microscope with amplifications between 1.6 × 25.6 von Bertalanffy growth equation and parameter T is the and 1.6 × 51. Hyaline and opaque rings were counted in mean value of the water temperature (17.358C) in the inves- the dorsoventral part of the concave side of the otoliths. tigated area (Grbec et al., 2007); The number of hyaline (translucent) rings was recorded B M ¼ 1.521/X0,72 2 0,155 (Rikhter & Efanov, 1976), where over the rostrum area. Otolith reading was performed on X refers to age 2+ at which most of the garfish specimens two separate occasions, two months apart. Where there reach maturity, according to Zorica et al. (2010); was an age discrepancy between two otolith readings, these B M ¼ 0.996/A0.95 (Taylor, 1959), where A 0.95 is the age at otoliths were excluded from further analysis and determined length of 95% L1. (18.85 years); as unreadable, due to false rings. The von Bertalanffy growth B ln(M) ¼ 0.55 2 1.6ln(L) + 1.44ln(L1) + ln(K) (Gislason (2K)(t2t) equation TL ¼ L1[1 2 e0 ] was fitted to length-at-age et al., 2010), where L is average length at age, L1 is the data, separately for each sex and overall, using non-linear asymptotic length and K is the growth constant. least-squares parameter estimation, where TL ¼ the length at time t, L1 ¼ the asymptotic length, K ¼ the growth con- stant, t0 ¼ the ‘age’ at which TL ¼ 0 (Gulland, 1983). The An estimate of instantaneous total mortality rate (Z)was ′ ′ growth performance index phi-prime (w ; w ¼ lnK + obtained using the linearized length-converted catch curve 2lnL1) was calculated using the equation described by (Pauly, 1984) in the FISAT program (Gayanilo et al., Munro & Pauly (1983) in order to compare growth par- 1994). The natural logarithm of the ratio between the ameters obtained in our study with those reported by other numberoffishineachlength-class, and the time needed authors. The weights of the undamaged and cleaned otoliths for the fish to grow through the length-class (ln Ni/Dti), (Wo) were measured on a Mettler analytical balance (nearest was plotted against their corresponding relative age (t); 0.01 mg). The weights of left and right otolith (for 83 otolith total mortality was estimated from the descending slope b. pairs) were not significantly different (Mann–Whitney Total mortality rates were calculated separately for males, U-test, Z ¼ 0.157; P ¼ 0.876); 82% of otolith pairs had a females and overall garfish specimens. The fishing mortality weight within 0.0002 g of each other. Hence, only one was estimated by subtracting an average M from Z.The otolith from subsequent pairs was weighed and used in exploitation ratio (E) was calculated as E ¼ F/Z (Beverton further analysis. Independently of sex, the relationships of & Holt, 1957), while the survival rate (S) was estimated by 2Z otolith weight to total length (Wo –TL)andotolithweight the formula S ¼ e (Ricker, 1975). growth pattern of garfish 367 RESULTS Length–frequency distribution Garfish from the eastern Adriatic ranged from 20.8 to 75.4 cm (mean + standard deviation (SD): 38.3 + 7.94 cm) in total length and 12.21 and 639.25 g (mean + SD: 70.33 + 68.53 g) in total body weight (Figure 2). Total length range of males was somewhat narrower (27.7 , TL , 62.6 cm; mean + SD: 37.4 + 5.37 cm) than that obtained for females (27.2 , TL , 75.4 cm; mean + SD: 43.6 + 9.12 cm). Accordingly, measurable range as well as mean total body weight of males (17.41 , W , 392.53 g; mean + SD: 58.14 + 39.74 g) was lower than for females (18.03 , W , 639.25 g; mean + SD:109.77 + 93.63 g).