Some Biological Properties of Dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) and its Fishery Patterns in the North Levant Sea (Türkiye)

Abstract

Despite not being included in Türkiye's official fisheries statistics, dolphinfish have been actively targeted by anglers and spearfishers, as evidenced by citizen science data reviewed in this study. Given the absence of commercial fishing and organized sport fishery, social media records were assessed to gauge the fishing activity around this species. The upload pattern of Youtube fishing videos revealed a seasonal trend, peaking in October. Notably, offshore anglers' videos received significantly more views and likes compared to those from inshore anglers and spearfishers. This study also provides the length distribution, sex ratio and length–weight relationship of dolphinfish in Türkiye's waters of Levant Sea for the first time. The maximum length closely corresponds to results found in other studies conducted within the eastern Mediterranean region.