Growth pattern, condition factor and length at first maturity of Yellowfin Seabream Acanthopagrus latus in the Persian Gulf

Length- weight relationship and growth pattern, condition factor and length at first maturity of Yellowfin Seabream were investigated in the Persian Gulf by monthly sampling of 30 fish from September 2011 to August 2012. Maximum (31.45± 4.32) and minimum (17.80± 1.85) values of fork length and maximum (720.46 ± 292.58 gr) and minimum (134.01± 45.62) values of body weight were in January and September, respectively. The most frequent length category was of 26-28 cm which included 13% of the total samples. Fork length-weight relation in Acanthopagrus latus was calculated as W=0.0481FL2.7956 with R2= 0.984 that regarding non-significant difference between the estimated b and the number 3 with 0.95% confidence level, the growth pattern of this species was determined to be isometric in the Persian Gulf. Condition factor was calculated to be 2.132 in Acanthopagrus latus in the Persian Gulf waters. Condition factor was decreased from January to March and then increased from April to the end of autumn. Length at first maturity was estimated to be 24.31 cm of fork length in Acanthopagrus latus. 38% of caught fish had a length close or shorter than length at first maturity that this trend if continued would threaten Acanthopagrus latus stocks in future.