Biological aspects of the pickhandle barracuda, Sphyraena jello from Dhofar coastal waters of Oman (Arabian Sea)

Authors

1 Fisheries Research Center-Dhofar, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, P.C. 217, Salalah, Sultanate of Oman

2 Institute of Oceanography and Environment, University Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

10.22092/ijfs.2024.130849

Abstract

The pickhandle barracuda, Sphyraena jello Cuvier, 1829, is the most common species of Barracuda in Oman Waters but its basic biological information is still absent, hence this study was conducted. A total of 662 individuals were sampled in the Dhofar region along the southwest coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea from June 2021 to May 2022. The length-weight relationship for combined sexes was W=0.0151 TL2.7221. The average monthly values of the gonado-somatic index and the percentage of different maturity stages of gonads for males and females indicated that S. jello spawns throughout the year, with spawning peaking from June to August. The length at first maturity was estimated at 71.9 cm TL for males and 74.0 cm TL for females and the age at first maturity was 4.1 and 4.3 years, respectively. The determination of age derived from the sectioned otolith reading revealed that the age of the studied fish varied from one to 24 years with the dominant age of 3 years old. The longevity of S. jello was calculated at 27 years old. The values of growth parameters in von Bertalanffy growth function for combined sexes were estimated as: L∞=161.18 cm, K=0.119 уr-1 and to= -0.88. The present study indicates that S. jello is a long-lived species with slow growth rate, so it is vulnerable to overfishing. Further monitoring studies of S. jello are needed to develop scientifically sound and effective management measures for their fishery.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences
Volume 23, Issue 1
January 2024
Pages 151-169

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics