Some Aspects of The biology of Black Spot Sea Bream, Pagellus bogaraveo (Brunnich, 1768) in Umm al-Rizam Coast, Eastern Libya

Abstract

Monthly samples of 600 specimens of Pagellus bogaraveo were collected from artisanal fishing on Umm al Rizam coast, eastern Libya in 2019. Total length ranged from 16.5 to 38.4 cm with average total weight ranging from 68.5-401.8 g. The length–weight relationship for all individuals was described by the following parameters: α= 0.008 and b= 3.0993. There were monthly variations in the sex ratio between males (245 fish= 40.8% (and females (355 fish= 59.2%). The overall sex ratio was 1:1.45 in favor of females. Pagellus bogaraveo feed on a wide variety of prey types: bony fish (41.2%), mollusks (22.9%), crustaceans (20.1%), polychaetes (7.5%), algae (4.4%), and echinoderms (3.9%). The feeding intensity was quite high during the summer (82.5%) and autumn (68.0%).