Sexual maturity of female golden grey mullet, Chelon aurata and leaping mullet, Chelon saliens in the Southwest Caspian Sea using otolith

Otoliths were used to investigate the first sexual maturity, an important factor for conservation, in females of two economically and ecologically important mullet species, Chelon aurata and Chelon saliens. Samples were taken at the Kiashahr port in the Southwestern Caspian Sea during ۲۰۲۰-۲۰۲۱. The chi-square independence test and repeated measures analyses were used to examine the age/length composition and to compare the width of the annual rings of each species. The length range of  C. aurata (n = ۳۸) and C. saliens (n = ۴۸) were ۲۰.۵-۴۲ and ۱۸-۲۶.۵ cm respectively. The width of the dark ring in the second year of growth in the females of these two species were measured. The results indicated that the female C. aurata and C. saliens reach sexual maturity at ۲nd and ۳rd year of age, respectively. These findings provide valuable benchmarks for the timing of first sexual maturity of mullets in the Southwestern Caspian Sea and highlight the significance of age-based otolith analysis in fisheries management.

کلیدواژه ها:

Mullet fish ، Otolith ، Sexual maturity ، Age determination ، Opaque and translucent zones