Length–Weight Relations of 34 Fish Species Caught by Small-Scale Fishery in Korinthiakos Gulf (Central Greece)

teristic and its relation with body weight has been extensively documented in fisheries research (Froese et al. 2011). The Length–weight (L–W) relation of a species depends on many factors (i.e. sex, size range, habitat, food availability, and fishing pressure), but may also vary seasonally (Froese 2006, Karachle and Stergiou 2008, Liousia et al. 2012). However, studies focusing on seasonal L–W relations are rather limited compared with those on annual estimates, because most of the estimates are based on samplings conducted during short-term periods in an annual basis. In Greek fisheries, L–W relations are mostly derived from sampling conducted in open sea (using trawls and purse seines; for reviews see: Stergiou and Moutopoulos 2001, Karachle and Stergiou 2008) than in coastal waters (smallscale fishery; Moutopoulos and Stergiou 2002), despite of the multi-gear nature of the fishery. Small-scale fishery is of great importance to the Greek fishery contributing 57.3% to the total Greek fisheries landings (Moutopoulos and Stergiou 2012). It involves approximately 30 000 fishers characterized by low income, elementary education and living in small and isolated islands (Tzanatos et al. 2005). Likewise, in the study area (Korinthiakos Gulf) the small-scale fishery component is highly contributing to providing approximately 74% of the total landings (Moutopoulos and Stergiou 2012). In the presently reported study, we calculated annual and seasonal estimates of L–W relations for the most abundant fish species caught by a professional small-scale vessel in Korinthiakos Gulf during a full annual fishing period: European hake, Merluccius merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758); white seabream, Diplodus sargus (Linnaeus, 1758); common pandora, Pagellus erythrinus (Linnaeus, 1758); bogue, Boops boops (Linnaeus, 1758); surmullet, Mullus surmuletus Linnaeus, 1758; Mediterranean horse mackerel, Trachurus mediterraneus (Steindachner, 1868); large-eye dentex, Dentex macrophthalmus (Bloch, 1791); annular seabream, Diplodus annularis (Linnaeus, 1758); spotted flounder, Citharus linguatula (Linnaeus, 1758); red mullet, Mullus barbatus Linnaeus, 1758; common two-banded seabream, Diplodus vulgaris (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1817); blotched picarel, Spicara maena (Linnaeus, 1758); stargazer, Uranoscopus scaber Linnaeus, 1758; comber, Serranus cabrilla (Linnaeus, 1758); blue whiting, Micromesistius poutassou (Risso, 1827); European pilchard, Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792); red porgy, Pagrus pagrus (Linnaeus, 1758); picare, Spicara smaris (Linnaeus, 1758); black scorpionfish, Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758; golden grey mullet, Liza aurata (Risso, 1810); round sardinella, Sardinella aurita Valenciennes, 1847; European barracuda, Sphyraena sphyraena (Linnaeus, 1758); greater weever, Trachinus draco Linnaeus, 1758; saddled seabream, Oblada melanura (Linnaeus, 1758); salema, Sarpa salpa (Linnaeus, 1758); red scorpionfish, Scorpaena scrofa Linnaeus, 1758; common dentex, Dentex dentex (Linnaeus, 1758); flathead grey mullet, Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758; black ACTA ICHTHYOLOGICA ET PISCATORIA (2013) 43 (1): 57–64 DOI: 10.3750/AIP2013.43. 1.08