The Devil Firefish Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828): Life History Traits of a Potential Fishing Resource in Rhodes (Eastern Mediterranean)

Abstract

The devil firefish Pterois miles (Bennett 1828) is recognized as one of the 100 worst invasive alien species (IAS) in the Mediterranean Sea with significant socioeconomic and ecological implications. A total of 363 individuals were collected between April 2021 and March 2022 from the Levantine Sea (the Eastern Mediterranean), aiming to assess the current progression of the population. The male to female ratio (1:1.03) did not significantly depart from 1:1, with length–weight relationships exhibiting positive allometric growth. Five age groups were identified, with the third and fourth age groups being the predominant (74% of the population). The highest reproductive intensity was observed during summer followed by autumn. The onset of sexual maturity (L50) for the total population was estimated at 22.44 cm in total length (2.1 years). The asymptotic length was estimated at 45.35 cm for the total population, with males growing larger than females. Longevity was estimated at 14.4 years for the total population. The inflection point was estimated at 4.31 years for the total population. Length with a 50% probability of capture (LC50) was estimated at 23.03 cm, with the respective age (t50) of 2.2 years. The exploitation rate (E = 0.48) indicated that the population is underexploited. The optimum (Fopt) and target (Flim) fishing mortality were higher in comparison with the present fishing mortality (F = 0.41), indicating a potential for commercial exploitation of the species.