REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF EUROPEAN SEA BASS, Dicentrarchus Labrax (F. MORONIDAE) FROM BARDAWIL LAGOON, NORTH SINAI, EGYPT

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF EUROPEAN SEA BASS, Dicentrarchus Labrax (F. MORONIDAE) FROM BARDAWIL LAGOON, NORTH SINAI, EGYPT

Kariman A. Sh. Shalloof and Attia A. O. El- Aiatt

Fisheries Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Egypt.

Correspondence Author: [email protected]

Abstract

This paper deals with information about reproductive biology of Europen sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax from Bardawil Lagoon, North Sinai, Egypt. Monthly random samples of D. labrax were collected from the commercial catch in different landing sites of the Bardawil Lagoon during one fishing season from May 2015 to January 2016. Sex ratio, Length at first maturity (L_m), Gonado Somatic index (GSI) and fecundity (absolute and relative) has been studied. Sex ratio showed that the females (F) outnumbered the males (M) (1M: 1.6 F) during the whole period of study. GSI was found to be greatest during the month of November to January and reached its highest value in December, referring that D. labrax winter spawner one time per year.
L_m was determined as 30.8 and 29.2 cm for females and males respectively. Absolute fecundity was increased with the fish size and describe by the power equation, F= 8.951 L^2.8501 (R² = 0.9661). The length at first capture (L_c) was estimated to be 27.8. It is essential to maximize length at first capture larger than length at first sexual maturity (> 30.0 cm) .This can be achieved by widening the mesh size used to catch D. labrax to permit the females to breed and recruit into the fisheries ground.

Key words:
Bardawil Lagoon; Dicentrarchus labrax, L_m; L_c; Reproductive biology