Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Life History of Mediterranean Horse Mackerel Trachurus mediterraneus (Carangidae) from Crimea (Black Sea)

  • Published:
Journal of Ichthyology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract—

The sex ratio, body length–age structure, growth rate, maturity dynamics, and mortality are studied in Mediterranean horse mackerel Trachurus mediterraneus from the shelf zone of Crimea. The sex ratio is close to 1 : 1, the maximum body length of the females and males is 22.5 and 20.8 cm, respectively, and the maximum age of the representatives of both sexes is 6 years. The sexual dimorphism in the growth rate is not revealed. The von Bertalanffy growth equation parameters for both sexes are as follows: asymptotic length and weight 19.0 cm and 57.4 g and growth coefficient 0.44 year–1. The females (50%) reach sexual maturity by 10.72 cm, and the males reach maturity by 10.53 cm at the age 1+. The spawning is observed from June to September. The maximum values of gonadosomatic indeces of the males (2.37%) and females (3.84%) are registered in June, and July, respectively. The coefficients of the total, natural, and fishing mortality are 1.41, 0.89, and 0.52 year–1. Within the entire range, the strong positive relationships between maximum body length, linear growth rate index and mean annual surface water temperature are registered. The difference in horse mackerel growth rate between various regions of the Black Sea is small. Nevertheless, the growth rate and maximum body length of the Black Sea individuals are smaller than these parameters in the Mediterranean Sea that is connected with the adaptation of the Black Sea population to climate seasonality.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 6.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Aleev, Yu.G., The mackerel (Trachurus) from the USSR seas, Tr. Sevastop. Biol. Stn., 1957, vol. 9, pp. 167–230.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Aleev, Yu.G., Reproduction of the Black Sea mackerel in southern herd of the northern regions of the Black Sea, Tr. Sevastop. Biol. Stn., 1959, vol. 12, pp. 271–284.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bertalanffy von, L., A quantitative theory of organic growth (inquiries on growth laws II), Hum. Biol., 1938, vol. 10, pp. 181–213.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Boeuf, G. and Payan, P., How should salinity influence fish growth? Comp. Biochem. Physiol., Part C: Toxicol. Pharmacol., 2001, vol. 130, no. 4, pp. 411–423. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1532-0456(01)00268-X

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Cadima, E.L., Fish Stock Assessment Manual, FAO Fish. Tech. Paper no. 393, Rome: UN Food Agric. Org., 2003.

  6. Cardinale, M., Aydin, I., Chashchyn, O., et al., Stock Assessments in the Black Sea (STECF-17-14), Luxembourg: Eur. Union Off., 2017.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Demirel, N. and Yüksek, A., Spawning frequency of Trachurus mediterraneus (Carangidae) in the Sea of Marmara, Turk. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 2013, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 441–446. https://doi.org/10.4194/1303-2712-v13_3_06

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Demirel, N. and Yüksek, A., Seasonal distribution of Trachurus mediterraneus (Steindachner, 1868) in the Golden Horn estuary, İstanbul, Turk. J. Zool., 2014, vol. 38, pp. 361–368. https://doi.org/10.3906/zoo-1308-20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Johdal, M.S., Esmaeili, H.R., and Tandon, K.K., A comparison of back calculated lengths of silver carp derived from bony structures, J. Fish Biol., 2001, vol. 59, no. 6, pp. 1483–1493. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2001.tb00213.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Karlou-Riga, C., Otolith morphology and age and growth of Trachurus mediterraneus (Steindachner) in the Eastern Mediterranean, Fish. Res., 2000, vol. 46, nos. 1–3, pp. 69–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-7836(00)00134-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Lee, R.M., A review of the methods of age and growth determinations in fishes by means of scales, Fish. Invest. London. Ser. II, 1920, vol. 4, pp. 1–35.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Manual of Fisheries Sciences, Part 2: Methods of Resource Investigation and their Application, FAO Fish. Tech. Pap. no. 115, Holden, M.J. and Raitt, D.S., Eds., Rome: UN Food Agric. Org., 1974, pp. 1–214.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Mediterranean temperature, Global sea temperature, 2020. https://www.seatemperature.org/mediterranean-sea. Accessed February, 2020.

  14. Mel’nikova, E.B. and Kuz’minova, N.S., Comparative assessment of growth characteristics of horse mackerel on the southwestern shelf of Crimea in the autumn-winter and spring-summer periods, Ekosistemy, 2018, no. 13, pp. 59–67.

  15. Mel’nikova, E.B. and Kuz’minova, N.S., Ontogenesis and productive characteristics of the Mediterranean horse mackerel Trachurus mediterraneus stocks on the southwestern shelf of Crimea, Uch. Zap. Kaliningrad. Fed. Univ., Biol., Khim., 2019, vol. 5, no. 71, no. 3, pp. 33–48.

  16. Mina, M.V. and Klevezal’, G.A., Rost zhivotnykh (The Growth of Animals), Moscow: Nauka, 1976.

  17. Pauly, D., On the interrelationships between natural mortality, growth parameters, and mean environmental temperature in 175 fish stocks, J. Cons. Int. Explor., 1980, vol. 39, pp. 175–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Pauly, D., The relationships between gill surface area and growth performance in fish: a generalization of von Bertalanffy’s theory of growth, Meeresforschung, 1981, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 251–282.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Pauly, D., Moreau, J., and Prein, M., A comparison of overall growth performance of tilapia in open waters and aquaculture, ICLARM Conf. Proc., 1988, vol. 15, pp. 469–479.

  20. Ragonese, S., Fiorentino, F., Garofalo, G., et al., Distribution, abundance and biological features of picarel (Spicara flexuosa), Mediterranean (Trachurus mediterraneus) and Atlantic (T. trachurus) horse mackerel based on experimental bottom-trawl data (MEDITS, 1994–2002) in the Strait of Sicily, MedSudMed Tech. Doc., 2003, no. 5, pp. 100–114.

  21. Ricker, W.E., Computation and Interpretation of Biological Statistics of Fish Populations, Ottawa: Dep. Environ. Fish. Mar. Serv., 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Şahin, C., Kasapoğlu, N., Gözler, A.M., et al., Age, growth, and gonadosomatic index (GSI) of Mediterranean horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus Steindachner, 1868) in the Eastern Black Sea, Turk. J. Zool., 2009, vol. 33, pp. 157–167. https://doi.org/10.3906/zoo-0805-26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Sakalli, A. and Başusta, N., Sea surface temperature change in the Black Sea under climate change: a simulation of the sea surface temperature up to 2100, Int. J. Climatol., 2018. vol. 38, no. 13, pp. 4687–4698. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.5688

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Šantić, M., Rađa, B., and Paladin, A., Condition and length-weight relationship of the horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus L.) and the Mediterranean horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus L.) from the eastern Adriatic Sea, Arch. Biol. Sci., 2011, vol. 63, no. 2, pp. 421–428. https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS1102421S

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Shaverdashvili, R.S., Indicators revealing occurrence of large stocks of mackerel, Rybn. Khoz. (Moscow), 1976, no. 2, pp. 11–13.

  26. Shiraishi, T., Tanaka, H., Ohshimo, S., et al., Age, growth and reproduction of two species of scad, Decapterus macrosoma and D. macarellus in the waters off southern Kyushu, Jpn. Agric. Res. Quart., 2010, vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 197–206. https://doi.org/10.6090/jarq.44.197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Shul’man, G.E. and Urdenko, S.Yu., Produktivnost’ ryb Chenogo morya (Fish Productivity of the Black Sea), Kiev: Naukova Dumka, 1989.

  28. Smith-Vaniz, W.F., Carangidae, in Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Whitehead, P.J.P., Eds., Paris: UNESCO, 1986, vol. 2, pp. 815–844.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Svetovidov, A.N., Ryby Chernogo morya (Fishes of the Black Sea), Moscow: Nauka,1964.

  30. Tikhonov, V.N. and Paraketsov, I.A., The life conditions of the Black Sea horse mackerel, Tr. Azovo-Chernomorsk. Nauchno-Issled. Inst. Rybn. Khoz. Okeanogr., 1955, no. 16, pp. 39–61.

  31. Tikhonov, V.N., Vinnov, S.S., Paraketsov, I.A., and Tkacheva, K.S., Biologiya i promysel krupnoi stavridy v Chernom more (Biology and Fishery of Large Mackerel in the Black Sea), Moscow: Pishchepromizdat, 1955.

  32. Yankova, M., A study on the growth of horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus Aleev, 1956) from Bulgarian waters of the Black Sea using length frequency analysis, J. Black Sea/Mediterr. Environ., 2013a, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 111–120.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Yankova, M., Population dynamics of horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus ponticus) in the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, ISRN Zool., 2013b, vol. 2013, pp. 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/127287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Yankova, M.H., Raykov, V.S., Gerdzhikov, D.B., and Frateva, P.B., Growth and length–weight relationships of the horse mackerel, Trachurus mediterraneus ponticus (Aleev, 1956), off the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, Turk. J. Zool., 2010, vol. 34, pp. 85–92. https://doi.org/10.3906/zoo-0811-10

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This study is conducted according to the State Target no. AAAA-A18-118020890074-2: “The features of the development and anthropogenic transformation of biodiversity and bioresources of the Azov-Black Sea basin and other regions of the World Ocean”.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Marine Biological Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 299011, Sevastopol, Russia

    D. N. Kutsyn

Authors
  1. D. N. Kutsyn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. N. Kutsyn.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interests. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

Statement on the welfare of animals. All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

Additional information

Translated by D. Pavlov

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kutsyn, D.N. Life History of Mediterranean Horse Mackerel Trachurus mediterraneus (Carangidae) from Crimea (Black Sea). J. Ichthyol. 61, 196–205 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0032945221020107

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0032945221020107

Keywords:

Search

Navigation