Spawning period, size at first sexual maturity and sex ratio of the Atlantic horse mackerel, Trachurus trachurus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Perciformes Carangidae), caught in Béni-Saf Bay, W-Mediterranean (Algeria)

i d u a l w e r e s am p l e d a n d 2 4 0 ( 4 9 . 1 8% ) w e r e m a l e s , 2 0 8 ( 4 2 .6 2% ) w e r e f em a l e s a n d 4 0 ( 8 . 2 0% ) w e r e u nd e t e rm i n e d .L e n g t h o f i n d i v i d u a l s v a r i e d b e tw e e n 7 .1 a n d 3 5 .5 cm a n d w e i g h t f r om 5 .0 9 t o 3 4 3 .4 g .T h i s w o r k p r o v i d e s v a l u e s o f s i z e s a t f i r s t s e x u a l m a t u r i t y ( T L 5 0 ) , t h a t w e r e e s t im a t e d f o r m a l e s a t 1 5 5 mm a n d f em a l e s 1 4 8 .5 mm , r e s p e c t i v e l y .T h e s p aw n i n g p e r i o d e x t e n d s f r om J a n u a r y t o J u n e a n d t h e s p aw n i n g p e a k o c c u r s f r om A p r i l t o J u l y .T h e f a c t o r o f c o n d i t i o n (K ) i n c r e a s e d d u r i n g t h e s e x u a l r e s t i n g p h a s e .T h i s f a c t o r i s w e a k d u r i n g t h