Food And Size Composition of Epinephelus Chlorostigma (Valenciennes,1828)Plsces: Serranidae In Some Coastal Areas of the Ethiopian Redsea With Notes on the Taxonomy and Distri Bution Of the Family
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Date
1987-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Eight fishing trips l<lere made from June, 1')85 to April,
1987 and fishes were caught using hook and line. Out of the
392 stomachs of EpinepheZus cMol'ostigma, (Valenciennes, 1828) examined
for food, 197 (50.26%) of them Herc found empty. The food
organisms found in the stomach were mainly fish of the family
Atherinidae and Pomacentridae. Crustaceans and Gastropods
\'lere also important as secondary foods especially in smaller
size groups. Eggs vlere also found in a considerable number
of stomachs.
There appeared to be no difference in the quality as
Hell as quantity of the food of E. chZorostigma among the different
sampling sites. This can be attributed to the absence
of big differences in physical, chemical and biological
factors among the sites. On the other hand high percentages
of empty stomachs during the l<linter months Vlere accounted to'
the relatively bad Vleather condition prevailing during this
period.
There Vias an obvious relation between the size of the
species concerned and the type of prey consumed, the larger
size groups shoViing preference to fishes and the smaller to
crustaceans and gastropods.
The total lengths of E. chZorostigma ranged from 20 to
52 cm Vlith a mean length of 35.7cm. The size distribution
Has found to be affected by depth since larger fishes of
the species tend to inhabit ~reater depths than their younger
counterparts.
Length--Height re.lutionship Has established for E. chloyostigma
as \-1=0. 051L 2 .593 Hi th a regress ion coefficient, r=
0.906. A rapid linear increment of length Hith Height Has
observed upto a certain size (36cm) and heyond that, gain
in Height tends to replace gain in length.
Notes on the taxonomic characters and distribution of
eight species of Serranidae Vlere e:iven. Out of the observed
areas, most species Here found on the eastern side of Hermil
Island
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Biology