Turkey country information

Common names: Bakalyaro, Bakalyaro balığı, Mezgit
Occurrence: native
Salinity: brackish
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: commercial | Ref: FAO, 1994
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Catches in the Black Sea are usually used for feeding more valuable farmed species (Ref. 9988). Found in central coast of Black Sea (Sinop and Samsun vicinity) (Ref. 88083). Collected from the SW Black Sea shelf. A target demersal species where its annual catch has been reduced since 1988 (Ref. 115544). Also Ref. 1371. Status of threat: Vulnerable (Ref. 58342).
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/tu.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Bilecenoğlu, M., Taskavak E., S. Mater and M. Kaya, 2002
National Database: CLOMFOT

Common names from other countries

Merlan, Plegonero, Мерланг, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Gadiformes (Cods) > Gadidae (Cods and haddocks)
Etymology: Merlangius: French, merlan = a fish (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Linnaeus.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; brackish; benthopelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 10 - 200 m (Ref. 1371), usually 30 - 100 m (Ref. 1371). Temperate; 72°N - 35°N, 27°W - 42°E

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Northeast Atlantic: southeastern Barents Sea and Iceland to Portugal, also in the Black Sea, Aegean Sea, Adriatic Sea and adjacent areas. Rare in the northwestern Mediterranean.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 28.2, range 28 - 30 cm
Max length : 91.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 106276); common length : 23.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1371); max. published weight: 3.1 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 20 years (Ref. 35388)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 30 - 40; Anal soft rays: 30 - 35. Body elongate; head small. Chin barbel small or absent. Lateral-line canals on head with pores. Color is variable; yellowish-brown, dark blue or green, sides yellowish grey, white and silvery on belly; often with a small dark blotch at the upper base of the pectoral fin.

More commonly found from 30 to 100 m, mainly on mud and gravel bottoms, but also on sand and rock. Feed on shrimps, crabs, mollusks, small fish, polychaetes and cephalopods. Migrate to the open sea only after the first year of life. Eggs are pelagic. Larvae and juveniles are associated with jellyfish. Upon maturity, small chin barbel characteristic of juveniles disappear (Ref. 53061). Spawn in batches (Ref. 51846). Utilized fresh, dried or salted, smoked and frozen; eaten steamed, broiled and baked (Ref. 9988).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Oviparous, sexes are separate (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Cohen, D.M., T. Inada, T. Iwamoto and N. Scialabba, 1990. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 10. Gadiform fishes of the world (Order Gadiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cods, hakes, grenadiers and other gadiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(10). Rome: FAO. 442 p. (Ref. 1371)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 18 October 2013

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums

FAO(Fisheries: production, species profile; publication : search) | FIRMS (Stock assessments) | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

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Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 7 - 11.9, mean 9.2 (based on 409 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 1.0000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00617 (0.00548 - 0.00694), b=3.06 (3.02 - 3.10), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.4 ±0.2 se; based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (rm=1.1-1.6(?); K=0.07-0.74; tm=1-4; tmax=20; Fec>100,000).

Prior r = 0.49, 95% CL = 0.33 - 0.74, Based on 20 full stock assessments.

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): High to very high vulnerability (67 of 100).

Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649): Moderate to high vulnerability (47 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Medium.

Merlangius merlangus (Linnaeus, 1758)