Alp Salman

Stomach contents of two Mediterranean monk seals ( Monachus monachus ) from the Aegean Sea, Turkey

This study provides a description of the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) diet from the Aegean Sea coast of Turkey. A total of 23 prey items belonging to five species were identified from the two stomachs examined. Cephalopods constitute the dominant prey group by weight (94.01%). Sarcotragus sp. (Porifera) and Posidonia oceanica (Magnoliophyta) are assumed to be incidental prey. Of the cephalopods identified. Eledone moschata and Bathypolypus sponsalis were encountered for the first time in a monk seal stomach.

Analysis of fecundity of some bobtail squid of the genus Sepiola (Cephalopoda: Sepiolida) in the Aegean Sea (eastern Mediterranean)

Corresponding author, e-mail: salman@sufak.ege.edu.trA total of 39 Sepiola intermedia, Sepiola robusta and Sepiola steenstrupiana samples (11female, 28 male), from the easternMediterranean and the Aegean Sea have been examined. The potential fecundity, relative fecundity and index ofpotential reproductive investment were calculated.The Sepiolid order known as the bobtail squid is representedby 17 species in the Mediterranean. Except in Heteroteuthinae,they have benthic and nectobenthic life styles (Bello, 1995).Sepiola intermediaand Sepiola robusta are among the commonestbobtail squid in the Mediterranean. However, Sepiolasteenstrupiana is reported to be a rare species of the westernMediterranean (Orsi Relini & Bertuletti,1989).In this study some reproductive features of Sepiolidae samplesfrom the eastern Mediterranean have been examined.Samples were collected during 1988 and 1998 on-board theRV ‘K. Piri Reis’, from the Aegean Sea and the easternMediterranean Sea coasts of Turkey. A total of 39 samplesbelonging to three species, Sepiola intermedia (5 females, 8 males),Sepiola robusta (4 females, 9 males), and Sepiola steenstrupiana (2females,11males) was examined. Samples were preserved in 4%formalin. Squid were dissected and identi¢ed according to Bello(1995) by the bursa copulatrix of the female and by the hectoco-tylus of the male. Mantle lengths were measured to the nearest1mm and weights to the nearest 0.001g.Reproductive systems (Needham sacs, gonads and spermato-phores for males and gonads, oviduct and eggs for female) weretaken and measured using a micrometric ocular with the totallengths measured to the nearest 0.05mm. The entire oocytestock was taken into account including the smallest oocytes.Thepresence of either ripe eggs in the oviduct, and/or empty folliclesin the ovary was considered to be proof that a particular femalehad achieved full maturity. The number of spermatophoresoccurring in the bursa copulatrix following copulation wasmeasured. The maturity stages of gonads and oocytes (yolk,large and ripe oocytes) were determined in accordance withMangold-Wirz (1963).The gonadosomatic index (GSI¼GW 100/TW) was deter-mined for both sexes for all three species. Potential fecundity(PF) was calculated as the sum of total oocyte number in theovary and egg number in the oviduct. Relative fecundity (RF)was estimated as the ratio of PF to body weight (BW). An indexof potential reproductive investment (PRI) was calculated as theproduct of RF and the weight of an indivudial ripe egg(Laptikhovsky & Nigmatullin, 1993). For males of all threespecies, the relative spermatophore length (SpL index¼SpL 100/ML) was calculated.Sepiola intermediaFemale. Mantle lengths (MLs) rangedbetween16 to 20mm. Asingle female with a ML of 16mm was found to be maturing,whereas the rest were mature and probably spawning. Thediameters of the maturing eggs in S. intermedia females variedbetween 0.11to 2.83mm (yolk oocytes 51.4mm).The diametersof the mature eggs were 2.25^2.94mm (mean 2.60mm). Themean weight of the ripe eggs was 5.27mg.The RF was estimatedto be between 69.94^186.27 egg/g (mean 123.90 egg/g). The PFvaried from111to 407 (mean 231) of oocyte.The PRI was calcu-lated to be 0.28^0.86 (mean 0.58), whereas the GSI was found tobe 0.75^8.53% (mean 4.85%).Male. Mantle length ranged between 20 to 26mm. All maleswere found to be mature. Spermatophore numbers in theNeedham sacs were determined to be between 98 and 217 (mean156) and the lengths were in the range 8.39 and10.4mm (mean:9.06mm). GSI values were 1.03^2.53% (mean: 1.78%). Thecalculated MLSpL was 36.65%^47.27% (mean: 40.57%).Sepiola robustaFemale. Mantle length ranged between 24 to 28mm. Allfemales were in the mature spawning phase, except the smallestanimals (24mm ML) which was maturing. Diameters of thematuring eggs in the ovary were between 0.1 and 5mm (yolkoocytes 52.5mm).Ripe eggs were found in the oviduct of only one female(28mmML) and the diameters were between 2.7 and 5.8mm(mean 4.95mm).The averageweightof the ripe eggs was 30.33mg.The RF wasestimated to be 27.61^66.43 egg/g (mean 45.99 egg/g). The PFvaried from117 to 245 (mean159) of oocyte.The PRI was calcu-lated to be 0.83, whereas the GSI was found to be 12.8^22.3%(mean 17.5%).Male. Mantle length ranged between 19 to 28mm, with allmales being mature. Needham sacs contained 109 to 386 (mean231) spermatophores. The lengths of the spermatophores were5.81mm ^8.19mm (mean 7.26mm). The GSI values were foundto be 0.55^1.89% (mean1.67%).The MLSpL index varied from24.57% to 37.23% (mean 31.74%).Sepiola steenstrupianaFemale. Only two females (12 and 14mm ML) were mature.Maturing eggs had diameters between 0.1mm and 3.8mm (yolkoocytes 51.9mm). Diameters of the ripe eggs were between 2.8and 4.8mm (mean 3.43mm). The average weight of the matureeggs was12.58mg.The RF was estimated to be 155.1^179.6 egg/g (mean 167.34).The PF varied from 163 to 191 (mean 177) of oocyte. The PRI

Cephalopods in the diet of albacore, Thunnus alalunga, from the eastern Mediterranean

In this study, the stomach contents of 116 albacore specimens, Thunnus alalunga were examined from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Fifty-five of the 116 stomachs examined were empty. The occurrence of major prey categories in stomachs were 95.1% cephalopods, 47.5% teleosts and 39.3% crustaceans with a total of 633 individuals belonging to 14 species identified. Heteroteuthis dispar from the order Sepiolida constituted 56.40% of the main cephalopod prey followed by Onychoteuthis banksii from the order Teuthida.

First occurrence of egg masses of Loligo forbesi (Cephalopoda: Loliginidae) in deep waters of the Aegean Sea

Egg masses of Loligo forbesi were encountered for the first time from a depth of 730 m at Gokova Bay (southern Aegean Sea), extending the known spawning depth in the Mediterranean Sea.

Stomach contents of by-caught striped dolphins ( Stenella coeruleoalba ) in the eastern Mediterranean Sea

Stomach contents of six striped dolphins taken as by-catch in the swordfish fishery in the eastern Mediterranean Sea off the Turkish coast were examined. In total, 29 taxa were identified to species or family and 1777 individual food items (1394 bony fishes, 289 cephalopods, 94 crustaceans) were counted. Diaphus spp. and Ceratoscopelus maderensis were the most remarkable ones, as they accounted for 70.45% of the total number of fishes. Onychoteuthis banksii , on the other hand, was the only cephalopod species found in all stomach content analyses and represented 38.06% of the total number of cephalopods. Bony fish species: Myctophum punctatum, Notoscopelus elongatus, Electrona risso, Sudis hyalina, Moridae sp., Phycidae sp., Sternoptychidae sp. and cephalopods: Pterygioteuthis giardi and Chtenopteryx sicula were reported the first time in the stomach contents of striped dolphin in the Mediterranean Sea.

Reproductive biology of the lentil bobtail squid, Rondeletiola minor (Cephalopoda: Sepiolidae) from the eastern Mediterranean

A total of 208 Rondeletiola minor were sampled from the eastern Mediterranean with the depth contours of 150, 350 and 550 m. Body sizes of 32 mature females ranged from 11.8 to 19 . 5 mm dorsal mantle length (ML), that of mature males were 11.1-19.1 mm ML. Potential fecundity varied between 192 and 315 eggs in maturing females, and ripe egg sizes were 1.1-3.0 mm. Ripe egg amount did not exceed 15% of the fecundity. The average number of spermatophores was 176 with two extreme individuals that had 557 and 6 74 spermatophores, respectively. Spawning occurs continuously with an asynchronous ovulation pattern. Mature animals were found throughout the year with a peak in gonadosomatic index in spring. The life cycle of R. minor was estimated to be 10 months with different cohorts in reproduction depending on how temperature affects the hatching.