Population Dynamics and Stock Appraisal of Talang Queenfish (Scomberoides commersonnianus) from Balochistan Coast, Pakistan
Population Dynamics and Stock Appraisal of Talang Queenfish (Scomberoides commersonnianus) from Balochistan Coast, Pakistan
Zahid Ali1,2, Muhsan Ali Kalhoro1*, Nazeer Ahmed1,3, Muhammad Shafi1, Faisal Saeed1 and Abdul Majeed1
ABSTRACT
Scomberoides commersonnianus (Lacepede, 1801) commonly known as Talang queenfish and locally famous as Saram, belongs to the Carangidae family, widely distributed in the Indo-pacific oceans. S. commersonnianus is mainly pelagic fish and commercially important fishery resource from Pakistani waters. Study on population dynamics and stock appraisal is an important for the sustainable use of fishery resource. During current study the length-weight relationship, growth, mortality, and exploitation rate was estimated from Balochistan, Pakistan. The length frequency data (n=1635) and length-weight relationship (n=603) of fish was collected from three fish landing sites of Balochistan coast during 2022. The growth, mortality and exploitation of fish was evaluated after analyzing the length frequency distribution in to ELEFAN method. The length-weight relationship slope b from Sonmiani Daam, Gaddani and Kundmalir were estimated as 3.287 (R2=0.827), 3.384 (R2=0.819) and 3.487 (R2=0.819) respectively. However, all combined results were calculated as W = 0.0013 TL3.377 (R2=0.82). The growth parameters were estimated as L∞= 106.05cm (TL), growth curve K= 0.58 and t0= -1.620 during present study. Though, total mortality was as Z = 1.65 yr-1, natural mortality using sea surface temperature at 26oC at M = 0.848yr-1 whereas, fishing (F) was estimated as F=Z-M =0.802yr-1 and in continues the exploitation rate (E) was projected as F/Z =0.486 yr-1. Length-weight and growth parameters were also compared with previous studies and found close or similar to current study. However, the exploitation rate was higher at E=0.486yr-1 than previous studies especially from Pakistani waters (E=0.45) which shows that the fishing pressure is higher than previous results. Current study also reflects that exploitation rate is greater than the catch limit (E>0.4) suggested by Patterson (1992) which indicates that the fish is in overexploited state. Based on present findings it is recommended that the management steps should be taken for the sustainable use of this commercially important fish species from Balochistan coast, Pakistan.
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