Asiye Başusta, Nuri Başusta, Ebru Ifakat Özcan, Hülya Girgin

Age determination with alcian blue staining technique for Lagocephalus sceleratus in Mersin Bay, Turkey, northeastern Mediterranean

In this study, alcian blue staining technique was used to enhance the visibility of the band on vertebrae of Lagocephalus sceleratus from Mersin Bay, Turkey, Northeastern Mediterranean. A total of 77 L. sceleratus samples were captured by commercial purse seine nets at depths between 24 and 50 m from Mersin Bay (Turkey). The total length ranged from 8.9 to 78.4 cm and body weight varied between 7.59-4750 g for L. sceleratus. Age determinations were carried out using whole vertebrae. A total of 4 vertebrae from each specimen were read by two independent readers. All images were taken using a Leica S8APO brand microscope with a high resolution Leica Application suit (Las V4.8) software. Vertebral images were then enhanced using Adobe Photoshop CS2 to improve sharpness and clarity. Of all the 77 staining vertebrae were readable and aged by both readers, resulting in an IAPE of 7.8 %. The maximum age was found as 10+ years old.

Keywords:

Alcian blue staining growth ring, Silver-cheeked toadfish, Lagocephalus sceleratus, northeastern Mediterranean Sea,

PDF

___

Aydin, M. (2011). Growth, Reproduction and Diet of Pufferfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus Gmelin, 1789) from Turkey’s Mediterranean Sea Coast. Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 11: 569-576.
Başusta, N., Demirhan, S.A., Çiçek, E., Başusta, A., Kuleli, T. (2008). Age and growth of the common guitarfish, Rhinobatos rhinobatos (Linnaeus, 1758), in Iskenderun Bay (northeastern Mediterranean, Turkey). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 88, 837-842.
Basusta, N., Demirhan, S.A., Basusta, A., Cicek, E. (2010). Ageing with alcian blue dying techniques for some elasmobranchs in Iskenderun Bay, Eastern Mediterranean. Rapp. Comm. int. Mer Médit., 39, p.441.
Başusta, A., Başusta, N. Özer, E.I. (2013). Length-Weight Relationship of Two Puffer Fishes, Lagocephalus sceleratus and Lagocephalus spadiceus, From Iskenderun Bay, Northeastern Mediterranean, Turkey. Pakistan J. Zool., 45(4), 1047-1051.
Beamish, R. J. & Fournier D.A. (1981). A method for comparing the precision of a set of age determinations. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 38: 982-983. doi: 10.1139/f81-132.
Ben-Abdallah, B.A., Al-Turky, A., Nafti, A. & Shakman, E. (2011). A new record of a Lessepsian fish, Lagocephalus suezensis (Actinopterygii: Tetraodontidae), in the south Mediterranean (Libyan coast). Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 41: 71–72, http://dx.doi. org/10.3750/AIP2011.41.1.11.
Bilecenoglu, M., Taskavak, E. & Kunt, K.B. (2002). Range extension of three Lessepsian migrant fish (Fistularia commersonii, Sphyraena flavicauda, Lagocephalus suezensis) in the Mediterranean Sea. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 82: 525–526.
Clark, E. & Gohar, H.A.F. (1953). The fishes of the Red Sea: Order Plectognathi. Publications Marine Biological Station Al Ghardaqa (Red Sea), (8): 1–80, pls. 1–5.
Corsini, M., Margies, P., Kondilatos, G. & Economidis, P.S. (2005). Lessepsian migration of fishes to the Aegean Sea: new record of Tylerius spinosissimus (Teleostei, Tetraodontidae) from the Mediterranean and six more fish records from Rhodes. Cybium 29(4): 347–354.
Golani, D. (1996). The marine ichthyofauna of the eastern Levant: history, inventory and characterization. Israel Journal of Zoology 42: 15–55.
Golani, D., Oztürk, B. & Başusta, N. (2006). Fishes Of The Eastern Mediterranean. Turkish marine research foundation. Publication number: 24.
Goldman, K.J., Cailliet, G.M., Andrews, A.H.,Natanson, L.J. (2012). Assessing the age and growth of Chondricthyan fishes. In: Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives, eds: Carrier J. C., Musick, J.A., Heithaus, M. R. CRC Press.
Saad, A. (2005). Check-list of bony fish collected from the coast of Syria. Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 5: 99– 106.
Mouneimne, N. (1977). Liste des poissons de la cote du Liban (Mediterranee orientale). Cybium (Nouv. Ser.) 1: 37–66.