Occurrence and distribution of fish species off Yemen (Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea)

The species list is drawn from an analysis of catches taken by Sumalian and Russian trawlers in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea between 1985 and 1990. The southern coastline of the Republic of Yemen has been divided into 7 areas, including waters around Socotra Island. The average depth of each trawl was recorded in 50 m increments. Non-appearance of the species in the area does not mean that the species do not occur in that area or depth, merely that it was not recorded in any of the samples analyzed. Specimens that could not be identified to species level have been excluded. A total of 195 species from 75 families was recorded and is summarized. Most of the identification of species was from FAO species identification literature. Confirmation of some species and usage of common names is from ICLARM's FishBase and Al Sedfy, et al. (1982).

An account of fisheries development in the Republic of Djibouti with notes on the growth and mortality of three species of groupers

A brief description of fisheries development in Djibouti is given, with emphasis on the major constraints that have to date limited the increase of fishing effort. Estimates of L sub( infinity ) obtained through Wetherall plots are presented for three important demersal species caught off northern Somalia and landed in Djibouti: the groupers Cephalopholis sonnerati, Epinephelus chlorostigma and E. areolatus (Fam. Serranidae). These are combined with estimates of the growth performance index O' to calculate K values, subsequently used for the construction of length-converted catch curves. The estimate of mortality thus obtained suggests that these stocks are lightly fished.

Diet composition of fish species from the southern continental shelf of Colombia

The diet composition of 30 fish species belonging to 16 families from the Pacific Coast of Colombia is described. Benthic crustaceans (37.5%) and bony fishes (23.7%, chiefly demersal) were the most important food items for the fish species analyzed. Data on diet composition of the fish species are presented for the first time which can be a source of information for trophic modeling.

Age and growth of three species of Lake Victoria fish determined by means of otolith daily growth rings

The sagittal otoliths of Lates niloticus, Haplochromis obesus, and Oreochromis niloticus from Lake Victoria were examined for daily growth rings using scanning electron microscopy. In the three species the increments were clear and thick enough to allow future studies with light microscopy. The daily nature of the increments seems supported by the rhythmic growth that were found.

Length-weight relationships of five species of the family Sparidae in the Gulf of Guinea

Length-weight relationships are presented by sex and by country for five species of the family Sparidae (Pugrus caeruleostictus, Pagellus bellottii, Dentex canariensis, Dentex congonensis, Dentex angolensis) sampled in April 1990 during the Guinea '90 trawling survey off Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana.

Courtship and spawning behaviors of carangid species in Belize

Many species of reef f ish agg regate seasonally in large numbers to spawn at predictable times and sites (Johannes, 1978; Sadovy, 1996; Domeier and Colin, 1997). Although spawning behavior has been observed for many reef fish in the wild (Wicklund, 1969; Smith, 1972; Johannes, 1978; Sadovy et al., 1994; Aguilar Perera and Aguilar Davila, 1996), few records exist of observations on the courtship or natural spawning for the commercially important family Carangidae (jacks) (von Westernhagen, 1974; Johannes, 1981; Sala et al., 2003). In this study, we present the first observations on the natural spawning behavior of the economically-valuable permit (Trachinotus falcatus)(Linnaeus, 1758) from the full to new moon period at reef promontories in Belize, with notes on the spawning of the yellow jack (Carangoides bartholomaei) (Cuvier, 1833), and the courtship of five other carangid species.

The Great Whales: History and Status of Six Species Listed as Endangered Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973

In the history of whaling from prehistoric to modern times, the large whales, sometimes called the “great whales,” were hunted most heavily owing in part to their corresponding value in oil, meat, and baleen. Regional populations of North Atlantic right whales, Eubalaena glacialis glacialis, were already decimated by 1700, and the North Atlantic gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus, was hunted to extinction by the early 1700’s (Mitchell and Mead1).