Age Estimation and the Best Growth Model Selection of the Tentacled Blenny Parablennius tentacularis (Brunnich, 1768) in the Southeastern Black Sea

Abstract

By the study's coverage, 522 individuals of tentacled blenny (Parablennius tentacularis (Brunnich, 1768)), were caught with the bottom trawl operations (commercial fisheries and scientific field surveys) between May 2010 and March 2012 from the southeastern Black Sea. The size distribution range of the sample varied between 4.8-10.8 cm. The difference between sex length (K-S test, Z=3.729, P=0.000) and weight frequency distributions (K-S test, Z=3.605, P=0.000) was found to be statistically significant. The length-weight relationship models were defined as isometric with W = 0.009L(3.034) in male individuals and positive allometric with W = 0.006L(3.226) in female individuals. Otolith and vertebra samples were compared for the selection of the most accurate hard structure that can be used to determine the age. Otolith was chosen as the most suitable hard structure. The current data set was used to predict the best growth model. For this purpose, the growth parameters were estimated with the widely used von Bertalanffy, Gompertz and Logistic growth functions. Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC), L-mak./L-infinity ratio, and R-2 criteria were used to select the most accurate growth models established through these functions. Model averaged parameters were calculated with multi-model inference (MMI): L'(infinity) = 15.091 cm, S.E. (L'(infinity)) = 3.966, K'= 0.232 year(-1), S.E. (K') = 0.122.