Age and growth of the Curled Picarel Centracanthus cirrus RAFINESQUE, 1810 (Osteichthyes: Centracanthidae) in Northern Cyprus, Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

         Age and growth of the curled picarel (Centracanthus cirrus RAFINESQUE, 1810) in the Northern Cyprus waters were studied. Otoliths from 251 specimens were read for age determination. Total length ranged between 7.2 and 15.9 cm, while weight varied from 2.2 g to 31.2 g. The von BERTALANFFY growth constants were calculated as W_∞=32.3 (g), L_∞=16.8 (cm), k=0.47 (year^-1) and t_o= -1.14 (year). Weight increased allometrically and the length-weight relationship estimated for all fish was W_∞=0.0052 L^3.097 (r=0.946). The curled picarel is a short-life and fast growing species, the oldest specimen was estimated to be 5 years old. Growth of C. cirrus in length is rapid, which attains 61.2% of the asymptotic length during the first year of life.