LENGTH-WEIGHT RELATIONSHIPS OF GREATER FORKBEARD (Phycis blennoides (Brünnich, 1768))CAPTURED FROM NORTH-EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA

Hülya GİRGİN¹ , Nuri BAŞUSTA ³

This study was carried out to determine the length-weight relationships of greater forkbeard Phycis blennoides (Brünnich,1768)) obtained from northeastern Mediterranean Sea. Total length-weight relationships of greater forkbeard were examined for each sex in a population of northeastern Mediterranean Sea. Phycis blennoides samples were captured by commercial bottom trawler at a depth of 200 to 400m off the Iskenderun Bay (36° 13` 242" N, 35° 31` 328" E; 36° 12` 927" N, 35° 14` 566" E; 36° 17` 074" N, 35° 22` 329" E; 36° 26` 128" N, 35° 19` 730" E) in north-eastern Mediterranean Sea. Minimum-maximum length and weight of captured fishes were determined as 16.9-38.7 cm and 31.06-415.0 g for females and 16.3-38.3 cm and 27.14-504.08 g for males respectively. Length-weight relationships of P. blennoides were found as W=0.0058*L3.077, R2=0.905, for all individuals, W=0.0069*L3.033, R2=0.913, for females and W=0.0076*L3.074, R2=0.90 for males. The type of growth for all inviduals, females and males were positive allometric growth (b>3).

Keywords
Phycis blennoides, Greater Forkbeard, Length-weight Relationships, Northeastern Mediterranean,