Length-Weight Relationships of Elasmobranch Species From Gokceada Island in the Northern Aegean Sea

Abstract

Lenght – weight relationships (LWRs) were estimated for eight elasmobranchs (five sharks and three batoids) off the Gökçeada Island, Northern Aegean Sea. All specimens were collected by commercial bottom trawl at depths ranging from 120–400 m between February and November 2019. A total of 2991 individuals (1143 Scyliorhinus canicula, 110 Scyliorhinus stellaris, 795 Galeus melastomus, 575 Etmopterus spinax, 48 Squalus acanthias, 255 Raja clavata, 29 Raja miraletus, 36 Dipturus oxyrinchus) were sampled and studied. Results showed that most species had positive allometric growth and the values of parameter b ranged between 2.93 and 4.01. Furthermore, five shark (Mustelus asterias, Mustelus mustelus, Centrophorus granulosus, Hexanchus griseus, Oxynotus centrina) and eight batoid species (Dasyatis pastinaca, Gymnura altavela, Pteromylaeus bovinus, Leucoraja naevus, Rostroraja alba, Myliobatis aquila, Torpedo marmorata, Tetronarce nobiliana) were described, yet because they amounted to less than ten, only their respective descriptive statistics were determined.