@article{article_1498114, title={Preliminary studies on the population dynamics of African Sicklefish (Drepane africana, Osorio 1892) from the coast of Ghana}, journal={Aquatic Research}, volume={8}, pages={52–59}, year={2025}, DOI={10.3153/AR25005}, url={https://izlik.org/JA73GT54EB}, author={Amponsah, Samuel}, keywords={Fisheries management, Growth parameters, Length at capture, Length at maturity, Mortality parameters}, abstract={Individuals of African Sicklefish (Drepane africana), one of Ghana’s most commercially and significant marine fish species, are declining in abundance. Therefore, the study aimed to provide the first estimates of growth and mortality parameters for sustainable management of the species from the coast of Ghana. The total length (TL) of 515 individuals of African Sicklefish sampled from June 2020 to July 2021 was measured and analyzed using the FISAT II software to determine the growth, mortality, and exploitation rates. The growth equation was Lt = 27.3 (1 - exp 1.80 (t + 0.09)). The size at first capture (Lc) and maturity (Lm) were 12.3 cm and 16.3 cm TL, respectively. The total mortality rate (Z), natural mortality rate (M), and fishing mortality rate (F) were 7.34, 2.73, and 4.61 per year, respectively. The exploitation rate was assessed at 0.63, indicating that the stock is currently overexploited. The fishery risks collapsing if sustainable management measures are not implemented since the maximum sustainable yield (Emax) slightly exceeds the current exploitation rate.}, number={1}