SPECIES COMPOSITION AND SIZE STRUCTURE OF EXPERIMENTAL BEACH SEIN BY-CATCH IN EION MOUSSA, NORTH GULF OF SUEZ, EGYPT

The by-catch of the experimental beach seine operating in Eion Moussa coast, north Gulf of Suez during the period from autumn 2017 to summer 2018 was analyzed. The by-catch amount 3-5 Kg per haul composed of fin fish species (84.3%) and shrimp (15.7%). About 17 fin fish species belonged to 14 families composed of two categories 13 juvenile of the commercially important species (30.6 %) and 4 low valued species (69.4%). Leiognathus berbis, Leiognathus elongates, Stolephorus pacificus and Istigobius ornatus dominated the assemblage of 17 species and contributed 69.37% of all sampled fishes. About 41.19% of juvenile of the commercially important species were recruitment in summer 2018, 48.26% in autumn and spring and 10.55 % in winter.