BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF THE ROUND GOBY {NEOGOBIUS MELANOSTOMUS PALLAS, 1814) POPULATION IN COMMERCIAL CATCHES FROM THE KERCH STRAIT FROM 2014 TO 2019
The data of catches by passive fishing gear installed in the Kerch Strait in 2014 and 2019 have been analyzed. A comparison of the biological parameters of the round goby Neogobius melanostomus showed that the mean length and weight of the round goby males in 2019 were significantly higher than those in 2014. Length and weight parameters of the females and their growth rate did not differ to a considerable extent. The sex ratio in both 2014 and 2019 was close to 1:1. While comparing the age structure of catches, it was found out that in 2019 there was a decrease in the proportion of fingerlings from 9.4 to 1.5 %, and an increase in the number of females aged 2+ from 14.8 to 26.2 %. Disappearance of small-sized specimens from the size range in 2019 and the observed redistribution in the age structure of the round goby catches may indicate that there has been some deterioration in the reproduction conditions of the investigated species.