Length-Weight Relationships and Relative Condition Factor of Spicara flexuosum (Rafinesque, 1810) Inhabiting the Black Sea and the Turkish Straits System

Abstract

Length-weight relationships and condition factors of Spicara flexuosa collected from Turkish coastal waters were evaluated in this study. The results indicated that samples collected from Istanbul and Çanakkale exhibited positive allometric growth while S. flexuosa showed negative allometric growth in Rize and Sinop-Kastamonu in December 2013 and January 2014 respectively. The minimum total length was found in Istanbul (11.04 cm), and the maximum total length (19.50 cm) was found in Sinop-Kastamonu and the minimum (15 g) and maximum weight (102 g) were collected from Istanbul (Bosphorus Strait) in February 2014. The overall length-weight equation (W=0.0236L2.7334) indicated negative allometric growth from all sampling periods. The relative condition factor among regions varied from 0.99 to 1.08, indicating a state of wellbeing among all locations. On the other hand, overall condition value was found smaller than one. This study provides the baseline data of length-weight relationships and condition factor analyses for S. flexuosa species from Turkish coastal waters for future management purposes for this species.