Otolith dimensions-fish length relationships of tub gurnard (chelidonichthys lucerna) obtained from Northeastern Mediterranean

Tub gurnard, Chelidonichthys lucerna (Linnaeus, 1758) is one of commercial triglid fishes inhabiting Northeastern Mediterranean. This species is caught in large numbers by trawl. This study provides the first information on the otolith biometry-fish length relationships of Chelidonichthys lucerna in the North-eastern Mediterranean Sea. Fish samples were caught by commercial bottom trawler at a depth of 80 to 100 m from the Iskenderun Bay (Hatay, Turkey) between March 2016 and December 2016. A total of 84 specimens were collected. Each fish was measured for total length (TL) to the nearest 0.1 cm and weight (W) to the nearest 0.1 g and then the otoliths of the fish samples were removed. Otolith length (OL), breadth (OB) weight (OW) were measured from each specimen nearest 0.001 mm and 0.0001g respectively. The relationship among total length with otolith length and otolith breadth and otolith weight were as y=0.1325x-0.9428 (R2=0.686), y= 0.0922x-0.9869 (R2=0.673), y=0.0011x-0.0126 (R2=0.722), respectively. The relationship between total weight with otolith length and otolith breadth and otolith weight were as y=0.085x+2.8272 (R2=0.668), y= 0.0058x+2.304(R2=0.629) respectively. There was a strongly relationships between the otolith lengths and total length and a modarate relationship between the otolith lengths and otolith breadths.