بعض الجوانب الحياتية لأسماك الصبور Tenualosa ilisha في المياه البحرية العراقية، شمال غرب الخليج العربي

Abstract EN

Some biological aspects of hilsa shad,Tenualosa ilisha in Iraqi marine waters, northwest Arabian Gulf were described during the period from November 2012 to October 2013.

Fish samples were collected by steel dhow fishing boat (Zainab) using gill nets of different mesh sizes.

Fish lengths ranged from 12 to 47cm in the total length.

The large fish sizes (>30cm) were dominant the catch during March-June and the medium sizes (<30cm) during July-February.

The length-weight relationship for all fish was W= 0.0041 xL3.2683.

The operculum was used in age determination.

Nine age groups were recognized for T.

ilisha and their lengths were 18.0, 28.5, 35.3, 41.3 and 46.3 cm, respectively.

The growth parameters were L∞= 61.7cm, K= 0.257 and to =0.349.

The overall sex ratio was 1:1.62 (male: female).

The sizes at first maturity were 20 and 22cm for males and females, respectively.

GSI for females ranged from 0.45 in October to 8.52 in May and for males from 0.11 in October to 1.14 in March.

The results revealed the biological characteristics of the species before starting reproduction activity in the Shatt al-Arab and its branches.