Population parameters of stargazer ( U ranoscopus scaber L innaeus, 1758) in the southeastern B lack S ea region during the 2011–2012 fishing season

Summary The population parameters of stargazer ( U ranoscopus scaber L innaeus, 1758) were studied regarding age composition, sex ratio, growth, survival and mortality rates, and the exploitation rate in the southeastern B lack S ea near the coast of Turkey during the 2011–2012 fishing season. According to ageing analysis of the samples, age group 1 is the most abundant (47.76%), followed by age 2 (41.04%), age 3 (9.33%), age 0 (1.12%) and age 4 (0.75%). Mean totals as well as total lengths and weights for males and females were 14.5 ± 0.22 cm and 12.9 ± 0.19 g, 16.6 ± 0.24 cm and 62.1 ± 2.76 g, and 37.2 ± 1.92 cm and 87.1 ± 3.88 g, respectively. The mean condition factor was K  = 0.0167, while the sex ratio was 53.98% female, 38.75% male and 7.27% immature. Length‐weight, age‐length and age‐weight equations were W  = 0.014 ×  L 3.059 , L ( t ) =44.5*[1−e −0.148*( t +1.242) ] and W ( t ) =1544.4*[1−e −0.148*( t + 1.242) ] 3.059 , respectively. The computed survival rate (S), instantaneous total mortality rate (Z), annual mortality rate (A), natural mortality rate (M) and fishing mortality rate (F) were S  = 28.94%, Z  = 1.24 year −1 , A  = 71.06%, M  = 0.26 year −1 and F  = 0.98 year −1 , respectively. The exploitation rate was 0.79, which is above the optimum exploitation levels.