Distinctive Features of the Biology of Black Scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus from Marine Waters along the Coast of Southeast and Southwest Crimea

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study of basic population parameters of the black scorpionfish caught in the waters of the coasts of the Crimean Peninsula, its grown rate, and its nutritional spectrum. The modern food supply of scorpionfish from the southeastern part differs from that in 1940–1950: in the Sevastopol region, scorpionfish mainly consume fish, and in the waters of Feodosia they consume crustaceans. The main changes in food items, depending on the fish age, are associated with the components—decapods and fish. In the southeastern part of Crimea, small fish species predominate in the diet of scorpionfish, which affected the higher growth rate of the object studied. Black scorpionfish at the age of 6 years and older in these waters consume mainly decapods. In Sevastopol waters, the diet does not change significantly depending on age, so the fish component in the stomach of black scorpionfish of older age groups cause it to grow faster. However, no significant differences in the growth rate of fish from the two areas were obtained. The data presented in the paper on the physical and chemical parameters of water, as well as the distribution of bottom aquatic vegetation in the two main study areas, demonstrate small differences in the quality of the environment and are satisfactory for the bottom predator studied. The average age of the scorpionfish from Karadag was 5.9 years old, the most numerous age group was 4 years; the average age of individuals from the water area was 3.72, and the most numerous age group was 3 years. In the Sevastopol region, scorpionfish up to 5 years of age are larger than in the Feodosia region, and from 6 years of age it is the other way around. Despite this, the condition factor of fish from the waters of southeastern Crimea was higher in most cases.