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Age, growth and reproduction of the common stingray, Dasyatis pastinaca

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Age, growth and reproduction of the common

stingray, Dasyatis pastinaca from the North Aegean
Sea
a a
C. Cigdem Yigin & Ali Ismen
a
Faculty of Fisheries, Department of Fishing and Processing Technology , Çanakkale
Onsekiz Mart University , Çanakkale , Turkey
Published online: 29 May 2012.

To cite this article: C. Cigdem Yigin & Ali Ismen (2012) Age, growth and reproduction of the common stingray, Dasyatis
pastinaca from the North Aegean Sea, Marine Biology Research, 8:7, 644-653, DOI: 10.1080/17451000.2012.659667

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 Marine Biology Research, 2012; 8: 644
653

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Age, growth and reproduction of the common stingray, Dasyatis

pastinaca from the North Aegean Sea

C. CIGDEM YIGIN* & ALI ISMEN

Faculty of Fisheries, Department of Fishing and Processing Technology, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale,
Turkey
Downloaded by [Canakkale Onsekiz Mart Universitesi] at 03:33 24 June 2015

Abstract
Age, growth and reproductive parameters of the common stingray, Dasyatis pastinaca, in the North Aegean Sea are reported.
Age was estimated by counting the growth rings of thin sections of vertebral centra from 83 fish (83
114 cm total length,
TL). The relationship between TL and the vertebral centrum ratio (CR) was curvilinear, therefore a quadratic model was
preferred to describe between the vertebral centrum growth and body growth. The oldest common stingray were 16 years
(females) and 10 years (males), which corresponded to total lengths of 114 and 83 cm, respectively. Estimates of von
Bertalanffy growth parameters suggest that males attain a slightly larger asymptotic total length (L
188.49 cm) than
females (L
119.96 cm) and grow more slowly (K  0.065 year 1 and 0.086 year 1, respectively). The size at which
50% (TL50) of males and females were sexually mature at 62.5 cm TL.

Key words: Dasyatis pastinaca, age, growth, maturity, North Aegean Sea

Introduction 1998). The size at maturity ranges from 28 to 38 cm

The common stingray, Dasyatis pastinaca (Linnaeus,
1758) is a demersal brackish to marine water species,
found over sandy and muddy bottoms to depths of
approximately 200 m (Whitehead et al. 1984). This
stingray is common in Eastern Adriatic and also
found from southern Norway and the UK to South
Africa including the Canary Islands, Madeira, wes-
tern Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and
Sea of Marmara (Bilecenoglu et al. 2002; Serena
2005). While not considered to be over-exploited in
the North Aegean Sea, D. pastinaca is caught as
bycatch in trawl fisheries (Yeldan et al. 2009) and is
occasionally retained in small-scale commercial bot-
tom trawl, gillnet, beach seine, bottom longline and
trammelnet fisheries (Graham et al. 2009). Pub-
lished information on the biology and ecology of D.
pastinaca is limited. Maximum size is 140 cm disc
width (DW) and 250 cm total length (TL) (Bauchot
1987; Fischer et al. 1987; Notarbartolo & Bianchi
DW for females and from approximately 26 to 32 cm
DW for males (Capapé et al. 1996; Ismen 2003).
Research suggest females may reproduce twice a year
and have a relatively broad gestation period (Notar-
bartolo & Bianchi 1998). In the eastern Mediterra-
nean parturition has been reported to occur in early
July (Ismen 2003) with small specimens observed in
shallow water environments with sand-based sedi-
ments.
Age and growth analyses of fish species are the
first step in examining fundamental biological pro-
cesses of a population (Goldman 2004; Hale & Lowe
2008). Estimations of the age structure of a popula-
tion and growth rates of a species are used to
determine longevity, mortality, productivity, yield
and population dynamics, which in turn are essential
for responsible management of fisheries (Holden
1972). Related species of stingrays have recently
been investigated to determine the life-history char-
acteristics (Ismen 2003; Henningsen & Leaf 2010;

*Correspondence: C. Cıgdem Yıgın, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Fisheries Faculty, Çanakkale 17100, Turkey. E-mail:
cyigin@hotmail.com
Published in collaboration with the University of Bergen and the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, and the Marine Biological Laboratory,
University of Copenhagen, Denmark

(Accepted 24 November 2011; Published online 25 May 2012; Printed 7 June 2012)
ISSN 1745-1000 print/ISSN 1745-1019 online # 2012 Taylor & Francis
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17451000.2012.659667
 Age, growth and reproduction of the common stingray 645
Jacobsen & Bennett 2011). To date, no studies
examining the variability of life-history traits in the
Saros Bay has been published on any batoid fish
(skates and rays). The goal of this study was there-
fore to determine growth parameters (such as length
at age), age distribution, length
weight relationships
and size at maturity over several annual cycles for
both sexes in the Saros Bay, the North Aegean Sea.
Material and methods
Specimens were collected by using commercial
bottom trawls between February 2005 and July
2008 in the Saros Bay (40830?0??N
26830?0??E),
the North Aegean Sea (Figure 1). Dasyatis pastinaca
specimens were obtained from depths ranging from
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5 to 500 m. Trawl times lasted for approximately
30 min with trawl speeds moderated to 2.5 knots.
Upon capture TL, DW and clasper length (CL) of
each stingray were measured to the nearest 1 cm;
total mass (M) was measured to the nearest gram
(Jacobsen & Bennett 2011). The TL
M and TL

DW relationships were determined using the allo-
metric and linear regression equations: M aTLb
and TL abDW, respectively (Sparre et al. 1989).
Statistical comparison of TL
M and TL
DW rela-
tionships of males and females was performed by
applying the t-test (Zar 1999).
To estimate age, a 15-cm section of the vertebral
column consisting of approximately five vertebrae
Figure 1. Map of the study area; Saros Bay, in the North Aegean Sea.
from the area above the pelvic girdle was dissected
from each specimen and frozen (Licandeo et al.
2007). This section was subsequently thawed, three
vertebrae dissected out and separated and the neural
and haemal arches removed. Excess connective
tissue removed by immersing individual vertebrae
in a 5% sodium hypochlorite solution (Cailliet et al.
1983; Jacobsen & Bennett 2010) for between 5 and
30 min, followed by a final clean by hand.
The vertebrae were dried in air for 24
48 h and
sectioned sagittally through the focus into 0.5-mm
thick sections with a low-speed Isomet Rotary
Diamond saw (Buehler) (Farrell et al. 2010). The
centra surfaces were then treated with 88% formic
acid for 2
4 min (Kusher et al. 1992), washed in
distilled water for 5 min and stained in 0.01% crystal
violet solution for 10
15 min (Ismen 2003). Once
stained, vertebrae were rinsed thoroughly in 50%
isopropyl alcohol for 1 min to remove excess stain,
fixed to glass microscope slides with mounting
medium, then viewed under a stereo zoom micro-
scope (Olympus SZX16) with transmitted light.
Measurements were made at 10 magnification
with an ocular micrometer. The digital image of the
vertebrae sections was used to measure the vertebral
centrum radius (CR  distance between the mid-
point of the distal margin of the vertebral centrum)
using Microsystem Digital Camera 1.3.0.0
(Figure 2). A growth ring was defined as a pair of
bands, consisting of one highly calcified (opaque)
 646 C.C. Yigin and A. Ismen
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Figure 2. Longitudinal section of vertebrae from Dasyatis pastinaca sample showing opaque and translucent seasonal growth bands. CR is
vertebral centrum radius.
band and one less-calcified (translucent) band
(Cailliet et al. 2006; Licandeo et al. 2007). Annual
band pair deposition was not validated as part of the
study. Nonconsecutive band counts were made
independently by two readers for each specimen
used in the study without prior knowledge of the
skate’s length or of previous counts (Sulikowski et al.
2005). If no consensus was reached, we discarded
that sample. Reproducibility of the growth ring
count was evaluated with average percentage
error (IAPE) (Beamish & Fournier 1981)
as: IAPE 1/NS(1/RS(Xij
Xj)/Xj)) 100, where
Nthe number of stingrays aged, R the number of
readings, Xij the ith age determination of the jth
fish and Xj the average calculated for the jth fish. A
von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF) was fitted
to the data with the following equation (von Berta-
lanffy 1938): Lt L
(1
e
K(t
t0)), Lt total length
at time t (age in years), L
theoretical asymptotic
length, K Brody growth constant and t0 theore-
tical age at zero length. Growth parameters were
estimated according to the non-linear method by
using the FISAT (FAO-ICLARM Stock Assessment
Tools) package programme (Sparre et al. 1989). A
likelihood ratio test was used to compare parameter
estimates of the VBGF between sexes (Haddon
2001; Licandeo et al. 2007). The CR to TL
relationship was estimated using curvelinear model
and was compared by sex using analysis covariance
(ANCOVA) (Blanco-Parra et al. 2008).
The maturity stages of each fish were determined
and standardized observation of their reproductive
organs were made using the method described by
Holden & Raitt (1974). Males were assigned to one
of three categories: immature (short, non-calcified
claspers), sub-adult (elongated but flexible claspers)
CR
and mature (well-calcified claspers). Females were
also assigned to one of three categories: immature
(granulated ovaries with undifferentiated follicles
and nidamental glands), sub-adult (enlarged ovaries,
white follicles and nidamental gland in development)
and mature (yellow follicles, with or without egg
capsules, heart-shaped nidamental glands).
The percentage of mature individuals by length
classes of 1.0 cm was calculated. The size at which
50% of the skate sample were mature (L50) was
calculated using a logistic model was adjusted to the
binomial set of data (immature 0, mature 1) as
y [1 e(abx)] 1 where y is the percentage of
mature individuals and x the TL class, with a and
b being the model’s parameters. Using this equation,
median maturity TL is given by a/b (Mollet et al.
2000).
Results
A total of 91 specimens were collected during the
sample period. Females (n 52) ranged between 37.5
and 114 cm TL (mean9s.d. 73.4923.1 cm) and
282.4
14.750 g M. Males (n 32) ranged between
40.0 and 110.0 cm TL (mean9s.d.62.9914.5
cm) and 440.0
16.560 g M. Male and female TL
M
and TL
DW relationships (Figure 3a,b) were sig-
nificantly different (results) and were described by the
equations: females, M  0.0008TL3.507 (r2 0.96,
PB0.05, n 52) and DW0.660TL
5.078 (r2 
0.95, P B0.05); males, M 0.0005TL3.609 (r2 
0.94, P B0.05, n 32) and DW 0.604TL
1.573
(r2 0.86, P B0.05).
The relationships between TL and CR for males
and females were not significantly different (ANCO-
VA, p 0.05), so the data for both sexes were
 Age, growth and reproduction of the common stingray 647

(a) 18000
16000
14000 M= 0.0005TL3.609
12000 r2 = 0.94
n=32
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
0 50 100 150
Total length (cm)

(b) 55
50
45
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40
35
30
25
DW= 0.604TL – 1.573
20 r2 = 0.86
15 n=32
10
20 40 60 80 100
Total length (cm)

Figure 3. (a) Relationship between total length and mass for common stingray, Dasyatis pastinaca, from the North Aegean Sea. (b)
Relationship between total length and disc width for common stingray. Black dots, females; open squares, males; differences between sexes
were statistically significant.

combined (Figure 4). The relationship between TL
and CR was curvelinear:TL 2.670CR2
34.35CR3.132 (r2 0.94, n 64)
Eight of the 91 vertebrae were omitted due to poor
band clarity or an inability of either reader to
accurately designate an age to the specimen. A total
of 83 individuals consisting of 31 (37%) males and
52 (63%) females were examined. Age estimates for
the sample ranged from 4 to 10 years for males and
3 to 16 years for females (Table I), the majority of
which were estimated to be in the 5
6 year age
Figure 4. Relationship between CR and TL for combined male
and female Dasyatis pastinaca. Black dots, females; open squares,
males.
bracket (Table I). Comparison of counts between
two readers indicated no appreciable bias in the
counting process and the average IAPE for all
sampled vertebrae was 3.0%. This level of precision
is considered acceptable (Campana 2001) and
counts generated by both readers were combined
(averaged) for the analyses (Skomal & Natanson
2003).
The von Bertalanffy growth equation was used to
calculate growth parameters for each sex and their
data combined (Table II). A likelihood test indicated
that there was significant difference in the VBGF
between sexes (x2 73.89, d.f. 169, p B0.05)
(Figure 5). Males reached a larger L
and had a
lower K than females.
Based on observations of 53 females (54.7%
mature) and 33 males (33.3% mature), the L50
was estimated to be 62.5 cm TL, for both sexes
(Figure 6a). The smallest mature female and male
Dasyatis pastinaca were 53.5 and 53.0 cm TL,
respectively. The age at first maturity was estimated
to 6 years for males and 7 years for females. For the
common stingray a very gradual increase in the size
of claspers in males relative to body size was evident
prior to maturity (Figure 6b). All male specimens 
62.5 cm were mature and had fully calcified claspers.
 648 C.C. Yigin and A. Ismen
Table I. Age frequency distribution for Dasyatis pastinaca from the Saros Bay, for both sexes and combined data.

Males Females Combined

Age groups n % n % n %

3

2 3.85 2 2.41
4 4 12.90 2 3.85 6 7.23
5 8 25.81 11 21.15 19 22.89
6 8 25.81 7 13.46 15 18.07
7 2 6.45 1 1.92 3 3.61
8 3 9.68 3 5.77 6 7.23
9 3 9.68 1 1.92 4 4.82
10 3 9.68 3 5.77 6 7.23
11

1 1.92 1 1.20
12

9 17.31 9 10.84
13

3 5.77 3 3.61
14

1 1.92 1 1.20
15

4 7.69 4 4.82
16

4 7.69 4 4.82
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Total 31 100.00 52 100.00 83 100.00

Discussion however, were substantially smaller than recorded in

the Mediterranean, where it was reported to reach
Although there is a relatively large amount of
140 cm DW and 250 cm TL (Bauchot 1987). In the
detailed data on the reproductive biology of sharks,
there have been few published studies on the biology North Aegean Sea, Filiz & Bilge (2004) and Kar-
of batoids. Despite the paucity of data, this group of akulak et al. (2006) stated that TL of D. pastinaca
cartilaginous fishes is highly exploited by both reaches up to 37.3
74.2 cm and 29.2
37.8 cm,
targeted and non-targeted fisheries throughout the respectively. Possible explanations for these differ-
world (White & Dharmadi 2007). Few data are ences include different sampling regimes (Neer &
available on catches as a result of discarding at sea.
As age and growth variables were not included in
previous assessments in the Saros Bay, the North
Aegean Sea, these components of the present study
will contribute significantly to their ongoing devel-
opment. This study also updates a number of key
variables, including size and age maturity of the
females and the size at maturity of the males were
also determined using the extent to which their
claspers were calcified as a criterion for maturity.
McEachran & Capapé (1984) stated that Dasyatis
pastinaca reaches up to 60 cm DW and usually 45
DW. Ismen (2003) reported that TL and DW in the
eastern Mediterranean 20
88 cm TL and 8
51 cm
DW, respectively. Yeldan et al. (2009) stated that TL
and DW range from 14.6 to 100.9 cm TL and from
13.5 to 63.5 cm DW in the Northeastern Mediter-
ranean. The size distribution of D. pastinaca in the
present study corresponds well with ranges reported
by Ismen (2003) and Yeldan et al. (2009). All three,

Table II. von Bertalanffy growth parameters for Dasyatis pastinaca

from length data of males and females as well as both sexes
combined.

Sex L
(cm) K (year 1) t0 (year)

Males 188.49 0.065
0.04 Figure 5. von Bertalanffy growth curves for common stingray,
Females 119.96 0.086
1.24 Dasyatis pastinaca, from the north Aegean Sea. Black dots, females;
Combined 186.54 0.051
1.40 open squares, males; solid line, adjusted von Bertalanffy Growth
Model (VBGM). Estimated parameters are given in Table II.
 Age, growth and reproduction of the common stingray 649
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Figure 6. (a) Maturity ogives for combined sexes, Dasyatis
pastinaca, in the Saros Bay, (b) relationship between clasper
length and total length for common stingray, Dasyatis pastinaca,
from the Saros Bay.
Thompson 2005) and regional differences (Ismen
2003).
When compared with previous studies, the max-
imum age estimates for D. pastinaca agreed well with
previous estimates. Ismen (2003) and Yeldan et al.
(2009), for example, reported an age range from 0 to
10 years in the eastern Mediterranean and a range
from 0 to 12 years in the Northeastern Mediterra-
nean, respectively (Table III). In the present study,
band identification became more difficult in older
specimens, particularly near the edge of the verteb-
rae. The modified crystal violet staining technique,
however (Schwartz 1983), proved to be very effective
for this species. Preliminary trials using the same
methodology indicated that this form of staining may
be use when ageing a number of other species
including: the common skate, Dipturus batis (Lin-
naeus, 1758); the shagreen ray, Leucoraja fullonica
(Linnaeus, 1758); the longnosed skate, Dipturus
oxyrinchus (Linnaeus, 1758); Arctic skates,
Amblyraja hyperborea (Collett, 1879); the small-
eyed ray, Raja microocellata Montagu, 1818; the
Norwegian skate, Dipturus nidarosiensis (Storm,
1881) and the common stingray, D. pastinaca
(Linnaeus, 1758) (Gallagher et al. 2004).
Growth was characterized using the von Berta-
lanffy growth model, as determined by our study,
suggesting that males attain larger asymptotic length
(188.49 cm) than females (119.96 cm). The von
Bertalanffy growth model predicted an L
of 186.54
cm for combined sexes, which is larger than the L

of 121.5 cm reported by Ismen (2003) and smaller
than that of 294.94 cm reported by Yeldan et al.
(2009). The observed differences in growth model
parameters between previous studies (Table III) may
be due to several factors: sampling methods, loca-
tions, and the age classes included in the models
(Neer & Thompson 2005).
The oldest stingray reported from northeast Aus-
tralia was a female blackspotted whipray Himantura
astra Last, Manjaji-Matsumoto & Pogonoski, 2008
which was aged at 29 years (Jacobsen & Bennett
2011). The oldest female we observed was 16 years
old, while the oldest male was 10 years old. The lack of
older individuals can greatly affect growth model
parameters estimates (Cailliet & Goldman 2004).
The relationship between total length (TL) and
vertebral centrum radius (CR) was linear to 80 cm
TL, then curvilinear for both females and males.
Therefore, a quadratic model was preferred to de-
scribe the relationship. This trend has also been
observed in larger rays such as Dipturus trachyderma
(Krefft & Stehmann, 1975) (Licandeo et al. 2007) and
Malacoraja senta (Garman, 1885) (McPhie & Cam-
pana 2009). This could be the result of a decrease in
growth rates of vertebrae as the animals reach max-
imum asymptotic size, and if so, could indicate that
the largest D. pastinaca were effectively sampled and
included in the analysis (Licandeo et al. 2007).
When compared to previous studies on dasyatid
biology, sizes at maturity obtained in the present
study were consistent with that previously reported
within the literature (Table IV). At 62.5 cm L50, the
size at first sexual maturity for males and females were
considerably bigger than that previously reported,
43
46 cm L50 and 45
49 cm L50 (Ismen 2003;
Yeldan et al. 2009). While cross-study comparisons
of age at first sexual maturity can be problematic, a
number of factors may have attributed to the observed
differences including: different geographical distribu-
tions and/or environmental conditions, differences in
stock structures and densities, and/or regional growth
rate differences (Ismen 2003). It is also important to
note that there is a high degree of overlap between
sub-adult and mature specimens which indicates that
the onset of sexual maturity occurs over a broad size
range in these species (Jacobsen & Bennett, 2010).
At present, it is difficult to develop a management
plan for D. pastinaca owing to the lack of adequate
information. For example, many aspects of the life
history of D. pastinaca, such as stock structure,
mortality, behaviour, spawning grounds, distribution
and movements, are still unknown. This is com-
pounded by the fact that the only management plan
relating to the skate fishery focuses principally on
catch rates but does not discriminate between species
 650 C.C. Yigin and A. Ismen

Table III. Comparison of von Bertalanffy growth parameters among myliobatiform stingrays.

Maximum
Species Sex n DW
(cm) K (year 1) t0 (year) age (year) Source

Dasyatis pastinaca (Linnaeus, Male 31 188.49* 0.065 0.04 10 This study

1758) Female 52 119.96* 0.086 1.24 16
Combined 83 186.54* 0.051 1.40 16
Combined 256 121.5* 0.089 1.62 10 Ismen 2003
Male 151 203.13* 0.039 2.00 8 Yeldan et al.
2009
Female 195 219.85* 0.041 2.61 12
Combined 346 294.94* 0.029 2.20 12
Rhinoptera bonasus (Mitchill, Male 106


16 Neer &
1815) Thompson
2005
Female 121


18
Combined 227 123.8 0.07 5.48 18
Himantura astra Last, Male 75 106.4 0.030 5.90 18 Jacobsen &
Manjaji-Matsumoto & Bennett
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Pogonoski, 2008 2011

Female 80 93.3 0.030 5.80 29
Neotrygon picta Last & White, Male 159 27.10 0.12 5.00 11 Jacobsen &
2008 Bennett
2010
Female 152 36.05 0.08 5.30 18
Neotrygon annotata (Last, Male 50 23.04 0.31 2.70 9 Jacobsen &
1987) Bennett
2010
Female 40 26.55 0.20 3.60 13
Neotrygon kuhlii (Müller & Male 35 43.86 0.08 5.30 15 Jacobsen &
Henle, 1841) Bennett
2010
Female 40 44.06 0.08 5.30 17
Neotrygon kuhlii (Müller & Male 44 38.52 0.20
10 Pierce &
Henle, 1841) Bennett
2009
Female 76 46.58 0.13
13
Dasyatis kuhlii (Müller & Male 165 25.73 0.83 0.43 10 White 2003
Henle, 1841)
Female 109 31.28 0.31 1.13 15
Trygonoptera mucosa Male 400 26.12 0.49 1.36 14 White et al.
(Whitley, 1939) 2002
Female 324 30.81 0.24 2.52 17
Trygonoptera personata (Last Male 400 26.91 0.20 3.09 14 White et al.
& Gomon, 1987) 2002
Female 352 30.28 0.14 3.86 16
Urolophus lobatus McKay, Male 485 20.29 0.69 0.02 15 White et al.
1966 2001
Female 446 24.13 0.49 0.06 13
Urobatis halleri (Cooper, Male 84 28.56 0.09 4.06 14 Hale & Lowe
1863) 2008
Female 96 22.45 0.15 3.64 14
*
L

(Licandeo et al. 2007). Dasyatis pastinaca was not
abundant throughout the year from 5 to 500 m in the
sampling area. This supports observations made by
Kinacigil et al. (2008), based on D. pastinaca caught
in the Aegean Sea from July 2004 to June 2007, where
only 44 specimens was caught. In the current study, a
similar number of stingrays was recorded during
similar periods (n 91, February 2005
July 2008).
Perhaps its low abundance may reflect low produc-
tivity and some aspects of its life history presented
here, e.g. late age at maturity, support this hypothesis.
Dasyatis pastinaca have a low K coefficient at
0.051, which make them extremely vulnerable to
over-exploitation. Therefore, given the K-select life-
history characteristics of D. pastinaca, its vulnerabil-
ity to both shore angling and demersal trawl
fisheries, and the lack of a comprehensive chon-
drichthyan management plan in the Aegean Sea a
 Age, growth and reproduction of the common stingray 651
Table IV. Comparison of sizes at maturity among myliobatiform stingrays

Species Sex n DW50 (cm) Region Source

*
Dasyatis pastinaca M 33 62.5 North Aegean Sea, Saros Bay This study
(Linnaeus, 1758) F 53
M 146 43* Eastern Mediterranean, Ismen 2003
Iskenderun Bay
F 110 46*
M 149 45* Northeastern Mediterranean Yeldan et al. 2009
F 195 49*
M
32 Senegal, Atlantique Capapé et al. 1996
F
38 Dakar-Quakam
Dasyatis longa M
80 Allmejas Bay, Baja California Sur, Villavicencio-
(Garman, 1880) Mexico Garyzar et al. 1994
F
110
Dasyatis sabina M
21 St. Johns River, Florida Johnson & Senelson
Lesueur, 1824 1996
F
22
Dasyatis marmorata M
45 Mediterranean coasts Capapé et al. 1996
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(Steindachner, F
56
1892)
Pteroplatytrygon M 121 43.5 Southern Brazil Riberio-Prado &
violacea (Bonaparte, F 36 46 Amorim 2008
1832)
Dasyatis americana M 20 48
52 NAIB (National Aquarium, Henningsen & Leaf
Hildebrand & F 15 75
80 Baltimore) 2010
Schroeder, 1892
Himantura astra Last, M 84 46.9 Northeast Australia Jacobsen & Bennett
Manjaji-Matsumoto F 89 46.3 2011
& Pogonoski, 2008
Dasyatis chrysonota M 153 39.5 Southern African waters Ebert & Cowley
(Smith, 1828) 2009
F 204 50.5
Dasyatis cf. kuhlii M 283 23.7 Eastern Indonesia White & Dharmadi
(Müller & Henle, F 191 2007
1841)
*
L50

precautionary approach to the management strategy
of this species is advised. Consequently, studies on
the fisheries of this species are generally insufficient,
but in considering the North Aegean Sea, studies are
particularly rare. This study expands upon informa-
tion describing reproduction of a common stingray
population in the Saros Bay and provides the first
known published estimates of age and growth
relationships for the common stingray.
Acknowledgements
The present study was carried out with financial
support of TUBITAK 106Y035. The authors would
like to thank the crew of the trawl vessel Sahin Reis as
well as all of the staff who assisted in the field work
and the laboratory.
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