The Maximum Length Record of the Blackspot Seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo Brünnich, 1768) for the Entire Aegean Sea and Turkish Territorial Waters

Abstract

The maximum length, weight, and age information of organisms in an ecosystem, moreover, the first records of migrated exotic species are essential in terms of the basis for the studies on population dynamics, stock assessment, and biological activities. Therefore, the recording of such data may be necessary for scientific databases and new related studies. The Blackspot seabream (Red seabream - Pagellus bogaraveo), which belongs to the Sparidae family, is an important seafood which is marketed fresh and frozen around the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas. Nowadays, this species has high prices depending on market demands in domestic markets as a result of overfishing and is also cultured in northern Spain. It is classified as “Near Threatened Species” in the red list due to its decreasing population trend by the IUCN. A single specimen of the Blackspot seabream with 30.7 cm in total length and 390.00 g in total weight, which was angled in the Saros Bay with a handline by a fisherman on February 08, 2019, was obtained from a fishmonger in Çanakkale. Even though there are bigger individuals in the North-east Atlantic probably depending on polar and/or deep-sea gigantism, the mentioned measurement is the proven maximum total length of this species for the Aegean Sea up to the time.