JOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, vol.25, pp.98-102, 2009 (SCI-Expanded)
P>Growth and feeding of stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca) were studied using 346 specimens from the Cilician Basin coastal area (northeastern Mediterranean). Age classes between 0 to XII were found. The total length of all specimens ranged from 14.6 to 100.9 cm, and total weight was between 22.5 and 6800 g. Total length (TL)-weight (W) and disc width (DW)-weight (W) relationships were W = 0.0033*L-3.1429 and W = 0.0039*DW3.4914, respectively. The age data, derived from central readings, were used to estimate the von Bertalanffy length and weight growth parameters. The results were L-infinity = 294.9 cm, W-infinity = 198690.1 g, K = 0.029 year(-1); t(0) = -2.2 year. The D. pastinaca diet was composed mainly of crustaceans.