Otolith biometry and growth characteristics of European hake, Merluccius merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758) and greater forkbeard, Phycis blennoides (Brünnich, 1768) inhabiting Northeastern Mediterranean

this study, a total of 672 Merluccius merluccius and 208 Phycis blennoides samples were studied. Fish samples were obtained by a commercial trawler at a depth of 200 to 400 m off the Iskenderun Bay in northeastern Mediterranean Sea. Total length and weight of M. merluccius samples were found as 9.8-51.3 cm and 4.96-1030 g for females and 8.1-51.6 cm and 2.6-1374 g for males. Ages of M. merluccius ranged from 1 to 7 years. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated as L∞= 93.98 cm, k= 0.114 year-1, t0= -0.597 year for females, as L∞= 77.65 cm , k= 0.153 year-1, t0= -0.343 year for males and as L∞= 84.44 cm, k= 0.135 year-1, t0= -0.469 year for combined sexes. Total length-weight relationships were found as W=0.0032*L3.2489, R 2=0.9906 for all individuals, W=0.0032*L3.2503, R 2=0.9915 for females and W=0.0032*L3.2439, R 2=0.9891 for males. Total length and weight of P. blennoides samples 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. Ages of P. blennoides. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated as L∞= 97.87 cm, k= 0.068 year-1, t0= -2.731 year for females, as L∞= 67.55 cm , k= 0.123 year-1, t0= -2.229 year for males and as L∞= 87.61 cm, k= 0.083 year-1, t0= -2.492 year for combined sexes. Total length-weight relationships of Phycis 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. According to "b" values, all individuals, males and female‟s populations of M. merluccius and P. blennoides were showed a positive allometric growth (b >3). According to the regression analysis results, a moderate and positive relationship between the total length-otolith weight, total length-otolith length, total length-otolith breadth, fish weight-otolith weight, fish weight-otolith length, fish weight-otolith width was determined for M. merluccius and P. blennoides.