Abstract

In this study, length-weight relationships (LWRs) were calculated for Epinephelus aeneus (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1817) [n= 16; 17.0-36.8 (26.7±6.3) cm TL, and 60.6-728.3 (265.4±205.5) g] and Mycteroperca rubra (Bloch, 1793) [n= 12; 20.0-32.0 (27.1±4.9) cm TL, and 110.8-362.9 (245.9±88.0) g)] specimens collected seasonally via commercial gill-net (30 mm mesh size, 8 m height, and 500 m length) vessel (F/V ILKYAZ, 11.3 m, 135 HP) between February and November 2013 from Akbük Cove (Gökova SEPA, southern Aegean Sea). LWR equations were calculated as follow: W= 0.0161*L2.91 (R2 = 0.96; C.I. of b= 0.42) for E. aeneus, and W= 0.2872*L2.04 (R2 = 0.87; C.I. of b= 0.70) for M. rubra. According to Fishbase, only five LWR studies existed for E. aeneus (nmin= 9, nmax= 36, bmin= 2.85, bmax= 3.58), and only one LW study for M. rubra (n=1, b= 3.0). Thus, the results provided in this study could serve as a useful tool in future studies in the wider study area and as a future reference for comparisons of similar parameters estimated in other Mediterranean regions for these two grouper species.