MATURITY AND GONADOSOMATIC INDEX OF EUROPEAN HAKE MERLUCCIUS MERLUCCIUS (LINNAEUS, 1758) FROM THE EGYPTIAN MEDITERRANEAN WATER

Abstract

: Looking at the Mediterranean in particular, we find that its production decreased during the ten years from 77,799 tonnes in 2011 to 49,896 tonnes in 2020, and the quantities produced by some common fish families of economic and nutritional importance also decreased. Especially benthic fish, which are of great importance, especially for residents of coastal cities in the Egyptian country, such as bourbon fish, whose production decreased from 4,124 tonnes in 2011 to only 549 tonnes in 2020, and shrimp production, whose production decreased from 10799 tonnes in 2011 to 5460 in 2020, which is equal to a decrease of 50 % roughly. A total of 572 European hake individuals were collected from commercial demersal trawl fisheries and analyzed to estimate the reproductive biology. The sex ratio M/F was 1:2.16, which means that females dominate the catch. European hake spawns all year round. However, the peak of the gonadosomatic index was in the winter season from November to March, which indicates the peak of the spawning season. Length at the first sexual maturity was estimated at 34.4 cm for females. All of the fish sampled were in the third and fourth stages of maturity. The total length ranged from 17 cm to 69 cm, with an average length of 32.7 cm for all samples.