Some biological aspects of Solea elongata from the Shatt Al-Arab estuary, North West Arabian Gulf.

Abstract

Aspects of the biology of 1086 Solea elongata from the Shatt Al-Arab Estuary, Northwest Arabian Gulf were described during for the period Jun. to Dec. 2000. The length frequency distribution of the whole sample exhibited unimodal distribution; one peak observed at length 90 mm indicates that catches were exclusively based mainly on one year-class individuals. S. elongata had not been caught during November. Length-Weight relationship was found to be: W= 2.6 x 10-6 L 3.285. Growth rate was estimated to reach the length 100-109 in 1.1 year. Feeding activity values ranged from 50 to 85 %, while the minimum feeding intensity ratio was 0.4 point/fish and the maximum 3.2 point/fish. Diet of S. elongata was exclusively on molluscs (bivalves, Bithynia sp.).