Growth, Reproduction and Mortality Rates of Green Tiger Prawn Penaeus semisulcatus De Haan, 1844 (Decapoda: Penaeidae) from the North-Eastern Mediterranean Coast of Turkey

This study aimed to determine the growth, reproduction and mortality rates of Penaeus semisulcatus De Haan, 1844. Samples were collected by bottom trawl net at monthly intervals between June1981 and June1982 from five locations throughout the coastal waters of the north-eastern Mediterranean, Turkey. A total of 1173 specimens were collected. The total length ranged from 7.0 to 25.0 cm with a mean of 16.4 ± 3.0. The total weight varied from 2.2 to 136.0 g with a mean of 41.1 ± 22.9. Length-weight relationship equations were expressed as W = 0.0116 * L2.866 (R2= 0.91, n: 495), W = 0.0074 * L3.052 (R2= 0.96, n: 678) and W = 0.0070 * L3.057 (R2= 0.96, n: 1173) for male, female and combined sexes, respectively. Asymptotic length (L∞) and the growth coefficient (k) were estimated at 19.95 and 1.3 year-1 for males, 26.25 and 0.8 year-1 for females and 26.25 and 0.48 year-1 for combined sexes. The instantaneous rates of total (Z), natural (M) and fishing mortalities (F) were 4.34, 2.12 and 2.22 for males, 1.59, 1.02 and 0.57 for females and 2.65, 1.43 and 1.22 year-1 for combined sexes. Using the mortality rates given above, the exploitation rates (E) were 0.51, 0.36 and 0.46 year-1, respectively. The population of P. semisulcatus along the north-eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey was not strongly affected by fishing during the study period, according to the estimated E values.