Length‐weight relationship and seasonal effects of the Summer Monsoon on condition factor of Terapon jarbua (Forsskål, 1775) from the wider Gulf of Aden including Socotra Island

Summary The present study investigates the length-weight relationship and condition factor of populations of the Indo-Pacific fish Terapon jarbua (Forsskal, 1775) collected in the wider Gulf of Aden, notably from Socotra Island and the Hadramout coast of Yemen. This region displays a monsoon climate, with wide seasonal variations affecting estuarine habitats. A total of 620 specimens collected in estuaries and at sea were measured and weighed during field surveys carried out in 2007 and 2008 during pre- and post- South-Western monsoon periods. The length-weight relationship of the studied populations of Terapon jarbua was determined as W = 0.0288 × SL2.99, with r2 = 0.96 and consistent with existing data on the species from other regions. Significant seasonal differences were found in Fulton’s condition factor of Terapon jarbua.