Relationships between Fish Sizes and Otolith Sizes of Whiting (Merlangius merlangus Linnaeus, 1758) from the Western Black Sea

Year 2020, Volume: 35 Issue: 3, 69 - 74, 20.03.2020

Taner Yıldız

https://doi.org/10.26650/ASE2020665838

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the regressions between otolith sizes and shape indices vs. fish length, and weight of whiting, Merlangius merlangus (Linnaeus, 1758), from the Black Sea. Samples were collected randomly from commercial bottom trawlers between November 2017 and January 2018 in the western Black Sea. No differences were found in otolith size and indices by means of otolith position while a distinct difference by sexes was detected. Strong relations with high descriptive coefficients were found between otolith sizes and weight and fish length and weight. However, the regression relationships between otolith shape indices and fish length and weight were defined as very weak. As a conclusion, it can be emphasized that the otolith sizes and weight of whiting can be used for the determination of the size and weight of the fish.

Keywords

Otolith dimensions, fish size, whiting, Black Sea

Supporting Institution

Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Istanbul University

Project Number

FAB-2017-24719

Thanks

The author thank Dr. Uğur Uzer from Istanbul University for assisting the laboratory part of the study

References

• Ak, O., Kutlu, S., Genç, Y., & Haliloglu, H.I. (2009). Length frequency, length-weight relationship and sex ratio of the whiting, Merlangius merlangus in the Black Sea, Turkey. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, 11(2), 37–43.
• Atılgan, E., Erbay, M., & Aydın İ. (2010). Doğu Karadeniz’deki ekonomik bazi balik türlerinin otolit özellikleri. YUNUS Araştırma Bülteni, 10(3), 12–15.
• Bailey, K.M., & D.G. Ainley (1982). The dynamics of California sea lion predation on Pacific hake. Fisheries Research, 1, 163–176. [CrossRef]
• Bostancı, D., Yılmaz S., Polat N., & Kontaş, S. (2012). İskorpit Scorpaena porcus L., 1758’un otolit biyometri özellikleri. Karadeniz Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, 2(6), 59–68.
• Burke, N., Brophy, D., & King, P. A. (2008). Otolith shape analysis: its application for discriminating between stocks of Irish Sea and Celtic Sea herring (Clupea harengus) in the Irish Sea. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65, 1670–1675. [CrossRef]
• Campana, S. E. (1999). Chemistry and composition of fish otoliths: pathways, mechanisms and applications. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 188, 263–297. [CrossRef]
• Campana, S.E. (2004). Photographic Atlas of Fish Otoliths of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Canadian Special Publication of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 133, NRC Research Press, 978-0-660-19108-9. [CrossRef]
• Casselman, J. M. (1983). Age and growth assessment of fish from their calcified structures- techniques and tools. NOAA Tech Rep NMFS 8: 1–17.
• Çiloğlu, E. 1997. Vertically distribution and population parameters of Merlangius merlangus euxinus Nordmann, 1840 on the east coasts of Trabzon, (in Turkish), Yüksek Lisans Tezi, İstanbul Üniversitesi. FBE, İstanbul, 66292.
• Çiloglu, E., Sahin, C., Zengin, M., & Genç Y. (2001). Dogu Karadeniz, Trabzon- Yomra sahillerinde mezgit (Merlangus merlangus euxinus Nord., 1840) balıgının bazı populasyon parametreleri ve üreme döneminin tespiti. Turkish Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 25, 831–837.
• Demir, M. (1965). Balıkçılık Biyolojisine Giriş. İstanbul Üniversitesi Fen Fakültesi Yayınları, 1129(64), 107.
• Düzgüneş, E., & Karaçam, H. (1990). Doğu Karadeniz’deki mezgit (Gadus euxinus Nord., 1840) balıklarında bazı populasyon parametreleri, et verimi ve biyokimyasal kompozisyonu. Doğa: Turkish Journal of Zoology, 14, 345–352.
• Furlani, D., Gales, R., & Pemberton, D. (2007). Otoliths of Common Australian Temperate Fish A Photographic Guide, CSIRO Publishing, Australia. [CrossRef]
• Genç, Y., Mutlu, C., Zengin, M., Aydın, İ., Zengin, B., & Tabak, İ. (2002). Doğu Karadeniz’deki av gücünün demersal balık stokları üzerine etkisinin tespiti-sonuç raporu, T.C. Tarım ve Köy İşleri Bakanlığı Tarımsal Araştırmalar Genel Müdürlüğü, Su Ürünleri Merkez Araştırma Enstitüsü Müdürlüğü, Trabzon, 114 sy.
• Gönener, S., & Bilgin, S. (2006). Karadeniz’de (Sinop-Yakakent Bölgesi) ticari dip trolü ile avlanabilir balık biyokütle ve yoğunluk dağılımları. Fırat Üniversitesi Fen ve Mühündislik Bilimleri Dergisi, 18(3), 305-312.
• Gönener, S., & Bilgin, S. (2010). Karadeniz’de (Sinop-İnceburun) ticari dip trolü ile avlanabilir balık biyokütle ve yoğunluk dağılımları. Journal of Fisheries Sciences, 4(3), 195.
• Granadeiro, J. P., & Silva, M. A. (2000). The use of otoliths and vertebrae in the identification and size-estimation of fish in predator-prey studies. Cybium, 24(4), 383–393.
• Hehir, I. (2003). Age, growth and reproductive biology of whiting Merlangius merlangus (Linnaeus 1758) in the Celtic Sea, Masters Thesis in Fisheries Biology Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and The Marine Institute, 210 pp.
• Hunt, J. J. (1992). Morphological Characteristics of Otoliths for Selected Fish in the Northwest Atlantic. Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science, 13, 63–75. [CrossRef]
• İsmen, A. (1995). The Biology and population parameters of the whiting (Merlangius merlangus euxinus Nordmann) in the Turkish coast of the Black Sea. PhD. thesis, Middle East Technical University, Mersin, 50994. [CrossRef]
• İsmen, A. (2002). A preliminary study on the population dynamics parameters of whiting, (Merlangus merlangus euxinus) in the Turkish Black Sea Coastal waters. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 26, 157-166.
• Javor, B., Lo, N., & Vetter, R. (2011). Otolith morphometrics and population structure of Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) along the west coast of North America. Fishery Bulletin, 109, 402–15.
• Jobling, M. & Breiby, A. (1986). The use and abuse of fish otoliths in studies of feeding habits of marine piscivores. Sarsia, 71, 265–274. [CrossRef]
• Kalaycı, F., Samsun, N., Bilgin S., & Samsun O. (2007). Length-weight relationship of 10 fish species caught by bottom trawl and midwater trawl from the Middle Black Sea, Turkey. Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 7, 33–36.
• Kontaş, S., Bostancı, D., Yedier, S., Kurucu, G., & Polat, N. (2018). Investigation of fluctuating asymmetry in the four otolith characters of Merlangius merlangus collected from Middle Black Sea. Turkish Journal of Maritime and Marine Sciences, 4(2), 128–138.
• Mazlum, R.E., & Bilgin, S. (2014). Age, growth, reproduction and diet of the whiting, Merlangius merlangus euxinus (Nordmann, 1840), in the southeastern Black Sea. Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 55, 463–474.
• Özdemir, S., Erdem, Y., & Sümer, Ç. (2006). Kalkan (Psetta maxima, Linneaus, 1758) ve mezgit (Merlangius merlangus euxinus, Nordman 1840) balıklarının yaş ve boy kompozisyonundan hesaplanan bazı populasyon parametrelerinin karşılaştırılması. OMÜ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi, 21(1), 71–75.
• Pitcher, K. W. (1980). Stomach contents and feces as indicators of harbor seal Phoca vitulina foods in the Gulf of Alaska. Fishery Bulletin, 78, 797–798.
• Polat, N., & Gümüş, A. (1996). Ageing of whiting (Merlangius merlangus euxinus Nord. 1840) based on broken and burned otolith. Fisheries Research, 28, 231–236. [CrossRef]
• R Core Team (2018). R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. https:// www.R-project.org
• Reşat, H. (2013). Sinop yöresinde avlanan mezgit (Merlangius merlangus) ve barbunya (Mullus barbatus) balıklarının bazı üreme özelliklerinin belirlenmesi. Yüksek Lisans Tezi, Sinop Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Sinop, 343186.
• Samsun, O., Özdamar, E., & Aral, O. (1994). Orta Karadeniz trol sahalarında dip trolü ile avlanan mezgit (Gadus merlangus euxinus Nordmann, 1840) balığının balıkçılık biyolojisi açısından araştırılması. Ege Üniversitesi Fen Fakültesi Dergisi, 16(1), 1003–1011.
• Samsun S. (2005). Mezgit balığının (Gadus merlangus euxinus, Nordmann, 1840) bazı üreme ve beslenme özellikleri üzerine bir araştırma. Doktora Tezi, Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Samsun, 198761.
• Samsun S., Erdem Y., & Kalaycı F. (2011). Feeding regime of whiting (Gadus merlangus euxinus Nordmann, 1840) in Turkish Middle Black Sea Coast. Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 11(4), 515–522.
• Smale, M. J., Watson, G., & Hecht, T. (1995). Otolith atlas of Southern African marine fishes. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, 418p. [CrossRef]
• Tuset, V. M., Lombarte, A., & Assis, C. A. (2008). Otolith atlas for the western Mediterranean, north and central eastern Atlantic. Scientia Marina, 72S1, 7–198. [CrossRef]
• Tuset V. M., Lozano I. J., González J. A., Pertusa J. F., & GarcíaDíaz M. M. 2003. Shape indices to identify regional differences in otolith morphology of comber, Serranus cabrilla (L., 1758). Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 19(2), 88–93. [CrossRef]
• Van, A., Gümüş A., & Süer S. (2019). Length-weight relationships and condition factors of 15 fish species from KizilirmakYesilirmak Shelf Area, the Southeastern Black Sea. Natural and Engineering Sciences, 4(1), 21–27. [CrossRef]
• Whitehead, P. J. P., Bauchot, M. L., Hureau, J. C., Nielsen, J., & Tortonese, E. (1986). Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNESCO ed. Printed by Richard Clay Ltd. U.K,. 510p. [CrossRef]
• Yildiz, T., Zengin, M., Uzer, U., Akpinar, I.O., & Karakulak, F.S. (2018). Length-weight relationships for 24 fish species collected from the western Black Sea (Turkey). Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 59, 159–165.
• Yıldız, T., & Karakulak, F.S. (2019). Age, growth and mortality of whiting (Merlangius merlangus Linnaeus, 1758) from the Western Black Sea, Turkey. Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 19(9), 793804. [CrossRef]
• Zar, J.H. (2010). Biostatistical Analysis. Prentice Hall, London, 944 pp.