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A specimen of bull ray Aetomylaeus bovinus was captured dead by a diver around a tuna sea cage farm. It was female, measured 2310 mm in total length (TL) and 1460 mm in disc width (DW) with body weight estimated as about 20 kg. This case was reported from a tuna farm for the first time. The bull ray entered the sea cage about three months ago, but no attack occurred to the tuna in the cage. It was grazing on fouling organisms that attached to the nets. However, the cage nets were replaced with clean ones four days ago before the capture, and the bull ray did not find enough fouling organisms or uneaten fish feed and was starved to death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single specimen of the invasive alien species Phyllorhiza punctata was found in Urla (İzmir Bay), constituting its new record in the North Aegean Sea, and indicating its northward distributional expansion. The specimen was juvenile, with a bell diameter of 70 mm. As blooms of this species might cause economic losses and adverse ecosystem changes, its establishment success in the region should be continuously monitored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A specimen of imperial blackfish Schedophilus ovalis was caught on 15 April 2018 from the Gülbahce coasts, Izmir Bay at a depth of 8 m. This ichthyologic note presents the first confirmed record of imperial blackfish from the shallow waters of Izmir Bay, NE Aegean Sea and the third for the Turkish waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A specimen of Lessepsian migrant, Stephanolepis diaspros, 257 mm in total length, was caught on 10 January 2018 by a scoop net in Göltürkbükü fishing port, Güllük Bay, on the sandy bottom at a depth of 1 m. This record was the maximum size for both the Turkish seas and the Mediterranean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors report in this paper the capture of a large female of Bathytoshia lata (Garman 1880) measuring 2220 mm in disc width and weighing approximatively 350 kg. It was a pregnant female at the end of the gestation which carried six near-term embryos. The specimen and its capture are described, indicating that the species is probably threatened but not totally extinct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A specimen of lessepsian Stephanolepis diaspros, 177 mm in total length, was caught on 27 October 2014 by a commercial trammel net off Urla coast in Izmir Bay on sandy bottom at a depth of 6 m. This record is not only the first one but also the fifth lessepsian fish species found in Izmir Bay in the northern Aegean Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A specimen of the saddled bream, Oblada melanura, with 357 mm TL, was caught on 30 April 2014 by gillnet fishery in Kokar Cove, Sığacık Bay, the southern Aegean Sea. The present study reports not only the second maximum length record of O. melanura for the Mediterranean, but also the maximum record for the Turkish seas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the catch per unit effort (CPUE) of swordfish harpoon fishery for the first time in the Turkish Aegean Sea. This research was carried out with commercial harpooners for swordfish in Kaleköy fishing port, Gökçeada Island, a unique harpooning area in Turkish waters during fishing seasons in 2009 and 2010. Catch data (number of specimens and weight of each fish) were recorded on daily basis by both scientific observers and questionnaire with skippers. The effective fishing days at sea were used as a unit of fishing effort. The harpooning data collected during the two seasons (2009-2010) from 21 vessels in Saros Bay showed a total of 20555 kg and 544 specimens. The average CPUEs were 49.7 ± 8.5 kg and 1.3 ± 0.2 in number of fish per day for 2009, and 25.7 ± 12.5 kg and 0.8 ± 0.3 in number of fish per day for 2010. There was no significant difference in the means of swordfish CPUE values both in number and weight between two fishing seasons (2009-2010) (P>0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the batch fecundity (BF) and oocyte diameters of Belone belone from the Aegean Sea (Izmir and Candarli Bays). A total of 51 female specimens of garfish were collected from January to December 2003. Oocyte diameters (n = 12140) of B. belone ranged from 0.063 to 3.5 mm, concentrating between 0.063 and 1.5 mm. The fish weight - BF relationships according to both hydrated oocyte and oocyte size frequency methods were BF = - 0.3794 W + 192.22 (R² = 0.037) and BF = 5.165 W - 55.21 (R² = 0.218), respectively. Mean oocyte numbers in the ovaries were 4144 ± 604 with varied from 662 to 15962. Maximum BF was 2130 (mean: 670 ± 97) in hydrated oocytes, and 8189 (mean: 1667 ± 559) in large oocytes. There was no linear relationship between BF and fish weight according to determination coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A specimen of the Tub gurnard, Chelidonichthys lucerna, with 735 mm TL, was caught on 2 January 2013 by an angler on a boat in Sığacık Bay, Southern Aegean Sea. The given size is the second maximum length record of C. lucerna, however, it is a first confirmed record for the Turkish seas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out with 20 representative gill-netters based at the port of Sivrice and Sığacık from June 2008 to August 2010. The average length, gross tonnage (GT), machine power (hp) and number of personnel of the gill-netters were 10.4±0.6 m, 10.5±2.3 GT, 121.4±19.9 hp and 3.4±0.2 persons, respectively. Total length of all observed gillnets was reaching 339 km, ranged from 700 to 6000 m with average 2672 ±93 m. The mean CPUEs for swordfish by number and weight were calculated as 1.0 ±0.1 and 37.7 ±4.2 kg per km net, respectively. A total of 12 species, belongs to nine families were caught. The target species, swordfish had the highest ratio both in number (39.2%) and weight (73.1%) followed by Auxis roche± > Euthynnus alletteratus > Thunnus thynnus > Thunnus alalunga by number; Thunnus thynnus > Mola mola > Euthynnus alletteratus > Mobula mobular by weight. Biomass and number ratios of the non-target species to the target swordfish were 1:0.37 and 1:1.55, respectively. Four species, Caretta caretta, Dasyatis violacea, Mobula mobular, Mola mola were thrown back to the sea and the others were retained due to commercial value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]