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Stock Status of Pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) Along the Egyptian Coast, Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Received: 27 August 2015    Accepted: 13 September 2015    Published: 29 November 2015
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Abstract

Stock of pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus was evaluated using specimens that collected monthly from the commercial fishing boats at landing sites along whole the Egyptian Mediterranean coast during 2012. Specimens were ranged from 5 to 83cm (TL) in length with an average 43.01± 13.5cm and total weight from 2.1-5400g with an average of 1103.27±850.83 g. The length-weight relationship revealed negative allometric growth for males, females and combined sexes with insignificant difference between males and females at (P > 0. 05). The highest condition factor (1. 13) was recorded for immature/smaller fishes while the lowest value 0. 86 was recorded for largest female individual. Age determination by two methods (length frequency analysis and vertebrae) revealed seven years old with no significance difference between mean lengths at age of two methods at (P > 0. 05). Von Bertalanffy growth parameters for combined sexes of length frequency were L∞ = 106.34 cm, K = 0.17 year-1 and to = 0.0228 year-1, while they were L∞ = 101.63cm and K = 0.189 year-1 and to = 0.1186 for vertebrae data. By using data of length frequency, the population parameters were, total mortality (Z=1. 01 year-1), natural mortality (M= 0. 347 year-1), fishing mortality (F= 0. 663 year) and exploitation ratio (E= 0. 657). The length at first capture (Lc) was 32. 34cm, while length at recruitment (Lr) was 25. 95cm. Yield per recruit (Y/R) at current parameters was 447.26g. The maximum sustainable yield per recruit (MSY) was 467. 42g, at fishing mortality (FMSY) 0.403 year-1 Which is lower than current fishing mortality. The (Y/R) at the biological reference points (F0. 1 & Fmax) were 423.72 g and 467.42g respectively. The fishing mortalities at these points were 0. 203 year-1 and 0. 403 year-1 for F0. 1 and Fmax respectively giving lower values than current fishing mortality reflecting over-exploitation status. Inspite of, the fishing of pufferfish is prohibited by the Egyptian law, its stock in the eastern Mediterranean is overexploited but still growing well and the younger individuals are in good condition reflecting a good adaptation in new habitat, and explain the illegal trade of this species in different markets. The over exploitation suggests reduce it or Y/R to level of F0. 1 for the point of conservation regardless its poisonous effect. The importance of present data of such species could emphasis the need of special management plan for conserve and better use of economically valuable fishery resources.

Published in American Journal of Life Sciences (Volume 3, Issue 6-1)

This article belongs to the Special Issue New Horizons in Basic and Applied Zoological Research

DOI 10.11648/j.ajls.s.2015030601.22
Page(s) 83-93
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Stock Status, L. sceleratus, Mediterranean Sea, Egypt

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    Mahmoud M. S. Farrag, Alaa Eldin A. K. El-Haweet, El-Sayed Kh. A. Akel, Mohsen A. Moustafa. (2015). Stock Status of Pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) Along the Egyptian Coast, Eastern Mediterranean Sea. American Journal of Life Sciences, 3(6-1), 83-93. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajls.s.2015030601.22

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    Mahmoud M. S. Farrag; Alaa Eldin A. K. El-Haweet; El-Sayed Kh. A. Akel; Mohsen A. Moustafa. Stock Status of Pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) Along the Egyptian Coast, Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Am. J. Life Sci. 2015, 3(6-1), 83-93. doi: 10.11648/j.ajls.s.2015030601.22

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    Mahmoud M. S. Farrag, Alaa Eldin A. K. El-Haweet, El-Sayed Kh. A. Akel, Mohsen A. Moustafa. Stock Status of Pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) Along the Egyptian Coast, Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Am J Life Sci. 2015;3(6-1):83-93. doi: 10.11648/j.ajls.s.2015030601.22

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajls.s.2015030601.22,
      author = {Mahmoud M. S. Farrag and Alaa Eldin A. K. El-Haweet and El-Sayed Kh. A. Akel and Mohsen A. Moustafa},
      title = {Stock Status of Pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) Along the Egyptian Coast, Eastern Mediterranean Sea},
      journal = {American Journal of Life Sciences},
      volume = {3},
      number = {6-1},
      pages = {83-93},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajls.s.2015030601.22},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajls.s.2015030601.22},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajls.s.2015030601.22},
      abstract = {Stock of pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus was evaluated using specimens that collected monthly from the commercial fishing boats at landing sites along whole the Egyptian Mediterranean coast during 2012. Specimens were ranged from 5 to 83cm (TL) in length with an average 43.01± 13.5cm and total weight from 2.1-5400g with an average of 1103.27±850.83 g. The length-weight relationship revealed negative allometric growth for males, females and combined sexes with insignificant difference between males and females at (P > 0. 05). The highest condition factor (1. 13) was recorded for immature/smaller fishes while the lowest value 0. 86 was recorded for largest female individual. Age determination by two methods (length frequency analysis and vertebrae) revealed seven years old with no significance difference between mean lengths at age of two methods at (P > 0. 05). Von Bertalanffy growth parameters for combined sexes of length frequency were L∞ = 106.34 cm, K = 0.17 year-1 and to = 0.0228 year-1, while they were L∞ = 101.63cm and K = 0.189 year-1 and to = 0.1186 for vertebrae data. By using data of length frequency, the population parameters were, total mortality (Z=1. 01 year-1), natural mortality (M= 0. 347 year-1), fishing mortality (F= 0. 663 year) and exploitation ratio (E= 0. 657). The length at first capture (Lc) was 32. 34cm, while length at recruitment (Lr) was 25. 95cm. Yield per recruit (Y/R) at current parameters was 447.26g. The maximum sustainable yield per recruit (MSY) was 467. 42g, at fishing mortality (FMSY) 0.403 year-1 Which is lower than current fishing mortality. The (Y/R) at the biological reference points (F0. 1 & Fmax) were 423.72 g and 467.42g respectively. The fishing mortalities at these points were 0. 203 year-1 and 0. 403 year-1 for F0. 1 and Fmax respectively giving lower values than current fishing mortality reflecting over-exploitation status. Inspite of, the fishing of pufferfish is prohibited by the Egyptian law, its stock in the eastern Mediterranean is overexploited but still growing well and the younger individuals are in good condition reflecting a good adaptation in new habitat, and explain the illegal trade of this species in different markets. The over exploitation suggests reduce it or Y/R to level of F0. 1 for the point of conservation regardless its poisonous effect. The importance of present data of such species could emphasis the need of special management plan for conserve and better use of economically valuable fishery resources.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Stock Status of Pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) Along the Egyptian Coast, Eastern Mediterranean Sea
    AU  - Mahmoud M. S. Farrag
    AU  - Alaa Eldin A. K. El-Haweet
    AU  - El-Sayed Kh. A. Akel
    AU  - Mohsen A. Moustafa
    Y1  - 2015/11/29
    PY  - 2015
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajls.s.2015030601.22
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajls.s.2015030601.22
    T2  - American Journal of Life Sciences
    JF  - American Journal of Life Sciences
    JO  - American Journal of Life Sciences
    SP  - 83
    EP  - 93
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-5737
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajls.s.2015030601.22
    AB  - Stock of pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus was evaluated using specimens that collected monthly from the commercial fishing boats at landing sites along whole the Egyptian Mediterranean coast during 2012. Specimens were ranged from 5 to 83cm (TL) in length with an average 43.01± 13.5cm and total weight from 2.1-5400g with an average of 1103.27±850.83 g. The length-weight relationship revealed negative allometric growth for males, females and combined sexes with insignificant difference between males and females at (P > 0. 05). The highest condition factor (1. 13) was recorded for immature/smaller fishes while the lowest value 0. 86 was recorded for largest female individual. Age determination by two methods (length frequency analysis and vertebrae) revealed seven years old with no significance difference between mean lengths at age of two methods at (P > 0. 05). Von Bertalanffy growth parameters for combined sexes of length frequency were L∞ = 106.34 cm, K = 0.17 year-1 and to = 0.0228 year-1, while they were L∞ = 101.63cm and K = 0.189 year-1 and to = 0.1186 for vertebrae data. By using data of length frequency, the population parameters were, total mortality (Z=1. 01 year-1), natural mortality (M= 0. 347 year-1), fishing mortality (F= 0. 663 year) and exploitation ratio (E= 0. 657). The length at first capture (Lc) was 32. 34cm, while length at recruitment (Lr) was 25. 95cm. Yield per recruit (Y/R) at current parameters was 447.26g. The maximum sustainable yield per recruit (MSY) was 467. 42g, at fishing mortality (FMSY) 0.403 year-1 Which is lower than current fishing mortality. The (Y/R) at the biological reference points (F0. 1 & Fmax) were 423.72 g and 467.42g respectively. The fishing mortalities at these points were 0. 203 year-1 and 0. 403 year-1 for F0. 1 and Fmax respectively giving lower values than current fishing mortality reflecting over-exploitation status. Inspite of, the fishing of pufferfish is prohibited by the Egyptian law, its stock in the eastern Mediterranean is overexploited but still growing well and the younger individuals are in good condition reflecting a good adaptation in new habitat, and explain the illegal trade of this species in different markets. The over exploitation suggests reduce it or Y/R to level of F0. 1 for the point of conservation regardless its poisonous effect. The importance of present data of such species could emphasis the need of special management plan for conserve and better use of economically valuable fishery resources.
    VL  - 3
    IS  - 6-1
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University (Assiut Branch), Assiut, Egypt

  • College of Fisheries Technology and Aquaculture, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transportation, Alexandria, Egypt

  • Fisheries Division, National Institute of Oceanography & Fisheries, Alexandria, Egypt

  • Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University (Assiut Branch), Assiut, Egypt

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