Otolith biometry ofsolea solea (Linnaeus, 1758) living in İskenderun gulf

SUMMARY OTOLİTH BIOMETRY OFSOLEA SOLEA (LINNAEUS, 1758) LIVING INISKENDERUN GULF The common sole, Solea solea is one of the ten flatfishes in the Mediterranean Eastern. Common sole is exellent food fish with great commercial value throughout its distribution. This species is currently listed under "Data Deficient" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This study provides the first information on the otolith dimensions-fish length relationships of S. solea inhabiting Iskenderun Bay, northeastern Mediterranean Sea. Fish specimens were captured by commercial trawler at a depth of 50 to 80 m from the Iskenderun Bay (Hatay, Turkey) between December 2017 and May 2018. Each fish was measured for total length to the nearest 0,1 cm and weight (W) was weighted to the nearest 0,1 g. and then the otoliths of the fish samples were removed. Right and left otolith lengths (OL), breadths (OB) weights (OW) were measured from each specimen nearest 0,001 mm and 0,0001g respectively. A total of 110 fish specimens (43 female and 67 male) were collected. Mean lengths were 24.4 cm in the all individuals, 25,4 cm in the females and 23,7 cm in the males; mean weights were 113,3 g in the whole population, 135,0 g in the females and 99,4 g in the males. The difference of the total length and weight between the female and male fishes was not statistically significant (P>0,05). According to the regression analysis results, a moderate positive relationship between the total length-otolith weight, otolith length, otolith breadth, and fish weight-otolith weight, otolith length and otolith width, was determined Keywords: Common sole, Solea solea, otolith biometry, Gulf of Iskenderun, North-eastern Mediterranean.