Growth pattern, mortality and reproductive biology of common sole, Solea solea (Linneaus, 1758), in the Sea of Marmara, Turkey

The study deals with the growth pattern, mortality, and reproduction of common sole, Solea solea (Linneaus, 1758), from the Sea of Marmara (Turkey). A total of 580 fish specimens were sampled monthly from October 2017 to September 2018. The total length of all sampled individuals ranged from 11.1 to 29.5 cm, corresponding to ages from 1 to 3 years. The length–weight relationship was expressed as W = 0.022 TL2.6838, where the slope indicated negative allometric growth. Growth parameters were L∞ = 33.7 cm, k = 0.48, and t0 = −0.18 for all samples. A seasonally oscillating growth model, indicating the amplitude of oscillations, revealed an important seasonal growth pattern. Total, natural, and fishing mortality rates were calculated as 1.42, 0.47, and 1.01, respectively. The exploitation ratio (E = 0.68) indicates that the fishing pressure on the common sole in the Sea of Marmara was high. The sex ratio (♀/♂) was 1.18. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) for females showed that two main spawning seasons were observed: one in spring (May) and one in autumn (September–October). Sizes at the onset of sexual maturity were estimated for both females and males at 21.6 and 18.6 cm, respectively.

Conclusion

In the European Union, the minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) for common sole is 24 cm TL (EU 2019). In the current Turkish legislation, on the other hand, this size has been defined since 2006 as 20 cm TL (Yildiz & Ulman 2020b) and we consider that there is no scientific basis for this regulation. Furthermore, it can be concluded that different Lm sizes of common sole were calculated for different areas of Turkish waters. Regional fisheries management options should be considered to solve the regional differences based on scientific evidence. Therefore, we proposed that the MCRS for S. solea should be at least 22.0 cm to guarantee future generations of common sole in the Sea of Marmara. Fish catches below the MCRS must be discarded. Modifications to fishing gear and improvements in selectivity are likely to prove useful, e.g. the use of a larger mesh size for gillnets, the use of a square mesh panel or larger codend for beam trawlers.
A recent assessment study revealed that the common sole stock in the Aegean Sea is in poor condition and is overexploited regionally (Tsikliras et al. 2021). Moreover, a large-scale stock assessment study conducted in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea showed a dramatic decline in commercial species (Demirel et al. 2020). The common sole has been listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species under the “Data Deficient” category, and its subpopulations in the Mediterranean Sea have recently been assessed as “Least Concern” (Golani et al. 2011). However, common sole populations in the Sea of Marmara are overexploited and high fishing pressure on common sole, mainly from beam trawlers, can reduce the spawning stock biomass below levels sufficient for population productivity. The results of this study may contribute to better fisheries management for the common sole, as well as the entire region, and will then serve as a basis for further research.

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the funding provided for the project (No. 25915) by the Scientific Research Projects Unit of Istanbul University and to thank commercial and artisanal fishermen who helped us to collect fish samples. Finally, we greatly appreciate the reviewers’ valuable comments and the proofreader’s diligent efforts.

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