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Life history traits of the Black Sea whiting Merlangius merlangus (Gadidae): compliance with the temperature-size rule

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Abstract

The sex ratio, size, age, growth, maturation, gonado-somatic index, and mortality of the Black Sea whiting Merlangius merlangus (Linnaeus, 1758) were studied. The ecological and geographical variabilities of its life-history traits were analyzed in terms of its compliance with the temperature-size rule (TSR). Overall, 1148 individuals were examined from 2019 to 2022. The sex ratio in catches was biased towards females (1:0.14). The maximum (total) length of the females was 36.4 cm; that of the males 21 cm; the corresponding weights and ages were 582 g and 7 years and 66.5 g and 4 years, respectively. The values of the Bertalanffy equation parameters were L∞ = 30.8 cm, W∞ = 207 g, and K = 0.16 year−1 for females and L∞ = 20.8 cm, W∞ = 57.7 g, and K = 0.29 year−1 for males, while the mean length at first maturity was 14.13 ± 0.13 cm for the females and 12.14 ± 0.06 cm for the males. The highest spawning activity was observed from January to March. The exploitation rate in females was E = F/Z = 0.67, indicating high fishing pressure. The Mediterranean and Black Sea whiting is characterized by smaller sizes and shorter lifespan than individuals in Northern, colder areas. Thus, its size, and lifespan are expected to decrease with climate warming.

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Data availability

All the data used in this study are available upon request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to express my gratitude to the anonymous reviewers for their valuable contribution to improving this article, and to Elena Solonchenko for her assistance in preparing the English translation.

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  1. A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS, 2 Nakhimov Avenue, 299011, Sevastopol, Russia

    Dmitry Kutsyn

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The research was conducted in accordance with the NIH Guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals (http://oacu.od.nih.gov/regs/index.htm). Animal protocols were approved by the Bioethics Commission of A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS, Russia (Approval ID: 2/23 of August 24, 2023).

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Kutsyn, D. Life history traits of the Black Sea whiting Merlangius merlangus (Gadidae): compliance with the temperature-size rule. Environ Biol Fish 107, 91–105 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-024-01513-6

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