VALIDATION OF LENGTH FREQUENCY ANALYSIS FOR BOOPS BOOPS (BOGUE) GROWTH ESTIMATION

VALIDATION OF LENGTH FREQUENCY ANALYSIS FOR
BOOPS BOOPS (BOGUE) GROWTH ESTIMATION
A. EL-HAWEET
1
, M. HEGAZY
2
,H. ABUHATAB
3
AND E. SABRY
2
1 National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Alexandria, Egypt
2 College of Maritime Transport and Technology, Arab Academy for science and Technology,
Egypt
3
Palestine Directorate of Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture, Gaza Strip
Key words: Boops boops, Mediterranean, Scales reading, length frequency analysis, growth.
ABSTRACT
Scales reading and length frequency distribution were used for age determination and
growth estimation of Boops boops (Bogue) stock of Western Mediterranean Coast of
Egypt. Age determination using scale was done and the time of annulus formation was
detected by the marginal increment index. Bhattacharya’s method was used for length
frequency analysis. Both methods showed 6 age groups. ANOVA test revealed
insignificant differences between both estimates of length at age results. Growth parameters
estimated using length-at-age data from both methods confirming the age determination
results. Growth performance index indicated high similarity between the two estimates. The
results revealed the compatibility of length frequency distribution to scale reading for stock
assessment studies of bogue stock in Western Mediterranean Coast of Egypt.