Estimate of the relative abundance index for Oman cuttlefish and Purpleback flying squid by effort of the rope trawl on West of the Gulf of Oman

The present study estimated relative frequency index of Purpleback flying squid and Oman cuttlefish also evaluated the effect of depth, distance, and time of capture (before & after noon) on them. Sampling was in the west of the Gulf of Oman at the spring of 2019. The depth of the Gulf was 208 to 285 meters. The vessel used was an industrial Myctophid trawler and the sampling gear was a rope trawl that operated with the fishing technique in a water column (the bottom panel was maximum 6 meters higher than the bottom of the Gulf). According to field observations, the average catch per unit of effort index in Purpleback flying squid and Oman cuttlefish was estimated to be 7584.22 and 1345.066 gram / hour based on weight and 19.062 and 18.250 number / hour based on number, respectively. Based on the selected models, the variables of depth and distance had a significant effect on catch per unit of effort for Purpleback flying squid (P<0.05). With increasing depth and distance, the catch per unit of effort for squid increased. However, based on the results, no significant effect of the studied variables on the relative abundance index of Oman cuttlefish was observed, given the lack of sufficient research on this theme and the discard caught of these species in Iranian waters, more extensive research to manage their stock in the Gulf of Oman is a need..