Use of Length–Frequency Analysis for Stock Status, Growth and Mortality Estimation of the Striped Eel Catfish Plotosus lineatus (Thunberg 1787) from Gulf of Aqaba, Egypt

Abstract

The Gulf of Aqaba (Fig. 1) is among the important fisheries resources in Egypt; however, it is still unexploited. The Gulf (28°45′N 34°45′E / 28.750°N 34.750°E) is a semi-enclosed, deep, narrow body of water of approximately 180km long, stretching from the Protectorate of Ras Mohammed in the south to Taba in the north (Hamouda & El-Gharabawy, 2019). It has a maximum width of 24km and a depth of 1,850m at its deepest point, with a surface area of 239km 2. The Gulf houses more than 100 coral species, 800 fish species as well as several species of crustaceans and mollusks. Moreover, many species of marine mammals including dolphins, whales, dugongs and whale sharks are found in the Gulf. The present annual fish yield of the Egyptian coast of