Size structure of the Lebranche mullet (Mugil liza) captured by the ringed gillnet fleet off south Brazil
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Information on the size structure and mesh size selectivity of commercial fishing nets is essential for fisheries management in order to maximize yield and protect juvenile fish. In this sense, the hereby study evaluated the size distribution of the Lebranche mullet Mugil liza captured by the ringed gillnet fleet using different mesh sizes (8, 9 and 11 cm) during the 2018 fishing season in south Brazil. Size distribution coupled to the selectivity coefficients for each mesh size were used to compare the selectivity of the three mesh sizes to the minimum size of catch and the size of first maturity. Three modal sizes were discerned between the frequency distributions, with females being significantly larger than males, which showed a unimodal distribution. Unlikely, females presented two modes, being the large one present only in the catches of the larger mesh size. The smallest minimum size and the largest maximum size were recorded in the intermediate mesh size in two landings of the same vessel. The largest mean size occurred in the largest mesh size, showing possible effects of selection. The length frequency distributions best fit a bi-normal selectivity model revealing the presence of different age classes within the capture. All mesh sizes captured individuals above the size of first maturity, but the probabilities of selection showed different results among mesh sizes. The selectivity coefficients obtained from the ringed gillnet fleet may serve as a baseline to define the most suitable mesh sizes for catching Mugil liza off south Brazil.
Authors: Rafael Schroeder, Rodrigo Claudino dos Santos, Martin Coachman Dias
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,030
OpenAlex ID: W4410193833