SELECTIVITY OF LESSEPSIAN FISH, RANDALL'S THREADFIN BREAM (NEMIPTERUS RANDALLI RUSSELL, 1986) IN THE GULF OF ANTALYA, EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN

Size selectivity of sorting grid was studied for Randall's threadfin bream in the Gulf of Antalya, Mediterranean Sea. Trawling's were carried out in October - December 2012, with a traditional bottom trawl net (600 mesh around the mouth). The fish totally retained in upper codend (catches) and bottom codend (escapes) were used to estimate the selectivity. Selectivity data analyzed as covered cod-end method by means of a logit function of Maximum Likelihood Method. The Kolmogorov - Smirnov test (KS - test) was applied in order to determine the difference between size groups of escapes and catches codends. The percentages of the total catch in terms of weight were 68% retained and 32% escaped. Mean L-50 value of Randall's threadfin bream was calculated as 13.19 +/- 0.48 cm. Total weight of Randall's threadfin bream caught in hauls was 12.996 kg. The results confirm that using sorting grid fixed mesh codend gave higher L-50 value than size selectivity studies by using Hand-Woven Slack Knotted mesh codend.