Author(s)

Moshe Gophen^1*, Gregory Snovsky²

¹Migal-Scientific Research Institute, Kiryat Shmone, Israel.
²The Fishery Department, Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Settlements Development,Tiberias, Israel.

Stocking of Lake Kinneret by exotic fish species (Mugilids: Mugil cephalus and Liza ramada) started in 1958. The rational stocking of Lake Kinneret with Mugilids was double functioned: To improve fishermen income and the water quality in the lake. Mugilids are chosen as introduction target because their market value is high, the fish cannot reproduce in the lake and fingerlings are low cost available. During 1960-2015, 56.2 million fingerlings were introduced into the lake approximately averaged one million per year of M. cephalus (MC) and L. ramada (LR). The study of the Mugilids food composition has indicated consumption of suspensoids, mostly detritial organic particles. Therefore no damage to water quality is suggested. The best fitness between recruitment to Dock on Side landings and stocking capacity was evaluated at 3 years interval. Differences were found between recruitments of MC and LR to commercial catches by individual averaged age and weight. The long term success of Mugilid introduction to Lake Kinneret is confirmed.

Mugilids, Kinneret, Stocking, Growth, Feeding, Fisheries

Gophen, M. and Snovsky, G. (2015) Mugilids (Mugil cepalus, Linnaeus, 1758; Liza ramada, Risso, 1810) Stocking in Lake Kinneret (Israel). Open Journal of Ecology, 5, 389-399. doi: 10.4236/oje.2015.58032.