Population biology of the common pandora, Pagellus erythrinus (Linnaeus, 1758) along the Lebanese coast, Eastern Mediterranean

Abstract

Pagellus erythrinus is a commercial fish in Lebanese marine waters. This species has been exploited by artisanal fisheries using gill or trammel nets, longlines and beach seines. Therefore, monthly biological P. erythrinus data have been collected since 2015 by the National Center for Marine Sciences – National Council for Scientific Research. Data from 2015, 2016, and 2017 were used to assess the growth and biology of this species along the Lebanese coast. A total of 1315 females and 446 males were collected and the sex ratio showed significant bias from 1:1. The weight-length relationship showed a negative allometry (b = 2.912 and R2 = 0.97), and the length ± SD at which 50% of the individuals were sexually mature was 16.38 ± 0.16 cm for both sexes. The average gonado-somatic index and condition factor demonstrated that the spawning period of the common pandora population is spring and revealed the well-being of the population. Keywords: Common pandora, Eastern Mediterranean, life history