Population dynamics of yellowtail scad, atule mate (Cuvier 1833) in Marudu Bay, Sabah, Malaysia

The yellowtail scad, Atule mate, forms important fisheries throughout the Indo-Pacific region. To know about the stock status of A. mate in Malaysia, various population parameters were measured, by utilizing length-frequency data, that included asymptotic length (L?), growth coefficient (K), mortality rates (Z, F and M), exploitation level (E) and recruitment pattern of this species from Marudu Bay, Sabah, Malaysia. Total length and body weight relationship was estimated as W = 0.007TL3.148 (R2 = 0.937). The asymptotic length (L?) and growth coefficient (K) were estimated 27.80 cm and 1.50 yr?1, respectively. Total mortality (Z), natural mortality (M) and fishing mortality (F) were found to be 4.53, 2.46 and 2.07 yr?1, respectively. The exploitation level (E) was estimated 0.46. It was showed that the recruitment pattern was continuous with two major peaks per year. Relative yield per recruit predicted a maximum exploitation rate (Emax) which was 0.55. The current E value (0.46) is lower than the optimum exploitation (E = 0.50) as well predicted Emax. Therefore, it could be concluded that stock of A. mate in the investigated area of Marudu Bay, Sabah is under exploited