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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 76(15)

Otolith parameters and body size relationships of Boops boops Linnaeus, 1875 and Nemipterus randalli Russel, 1986 from the Antalya Bay, Mediterranean coast of Türkiye

Habil Uğur Koca A , Seval Bahadir Koca A , Mehmet Cilbiz A and Laith A. Jawad https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8294-2944 B C *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Isparta University of Applied Sciences, Eğirdir Fisheries Faculty, Isparta, Türkiye. Email: ugurkoca@isparta.edu.tr; sevalkoca@isparta.edu.tr; mehmetcilbiz@isparta.edu.tr

B School of Environmental and Animal Sciences, Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.

C Marine and Aquatic Life Research Group, Scientific Research Centre, Al-Ayen Iraqi University, An Nasiriyah, Iraq.

* Correspondence to: laith_jawad@hotmail.com

Handling Editor: Haseeb Randhawa

Marine and Freshwater Research 76, MF25133 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF25133
Submitted: 12 June 2025  Accepted: 26 September 2025  Published: 10 October 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Context

Morphometric analysis aids species, population, and stock differentiation. There is a lack of information on the relationship between fish size and otolith size for most of the species in Antalya Bay, Türkiye.

Aims

Explore fish size–otolith variable relationships.

Methods

Samples of two fish species from Antalya Bay, Türkiye, were collected for otolilth and fish size determination.

Key results

Strong correlations show trophic and population insights; regional factors drive species-specific formulas.

Conclusions

This study established several relationships between fish size and otolith characteristics for two commercial species sampled in Antalya Bay and nearby regions. Although further research is needed to fully understand the population structure of these two species in Antalya Bay, the current findings may provide insights for future studies on the biology of B. boops and N. randalli species. Such studies are particularly valuable in this highly polluted area, which lies at the forefront of one of the world’s busiest commercial tanker routes.

Implications

Year-round sampling and pollution monitoring are crucial in this high-traffic zone.

Keywords: Antalya Bay, correlation, fish size, linear regression, morphometrics, Nemipteridae, otolith, Sparidae.

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