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Abstract

This study presents a length-based stock assessment of Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) in the northern Oman Sea, revealing critical overexploitation signals. Biological data from 415 Wahoo specimens collected between 2021 and 2024 in the northern Oman Sea were analyzed using bootstrapped ELEFAN approaches. The present study provides key growth and mortality parameters for Wahoo (A. solandri) in the Oman Sea (Iran), estimated using the bootstrapped ELEFAN_SA approach. The asymptotic length (L∞) was 170 (range: 146–181cm), with a growth coefficient (K) of 0.26 yr⁻¹ (range: 0.17–0.54yr⁻¹) and a theoretical age at zero length (t₀) of -0.72yr (range: 0.06–1.03yr). The growth performance index (Φ′) was 3.91 (range: 3.76–4.11), indicating consistent growth characteristics. The ensemble natural mortality rate, integrating estimates from nine independent methods, yielded a mean (±SD) of 0.35±0.13 year⁻¹ (95% CI: 0.27–0.43), while fishing mortality (F) was considerably higher at 1.20yr⁻¹, leading to a total mortality (Z) of 1.55±0.22yr⁻¹. The exploitation rate (E= F/Z) was 0.77, suggesting that the Wahoo population in this region is under fishing pressure, potentially nearing overexploitation. These findings highlight the need for improved fisheries management to ensure sustainable stock levels. The SPR, B/B0, B/BMSY and F/FMSY indices with uncertainty estimates calculated using bootstrap for Wahoo (A. solandri) in the northern Oman Sea 0.45 (95% CI: 0.35-0.55), 0.56(95% CI: 0.42-0.69), 1.10(95% CI: 0.90-1.30) and 3.42(95% CI: 2.82-4.01), respectively. The results indicate severe overexploitation, with an exploitation rate (E= 0.81) and F/FMSY ratio (3.42) significantly exceeding sustainable thresholds. Immediate management interventions—including fishing effort reduction, strengthened Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) systems, and implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM)—are urgently required to comply with global sustainability targets, particularly SDG 14.4. Proactive measures are essential to restore the stock, safeguard marine biodiversity, and ensure the long-term viability of fisheries-dependent communities in the region. This assessment establishes the first comprehensive baseline for Wahoo management in the northern Oman Sea, demonstrating the efficacy of length-based methods for data-poor fisheries while underscoring the necessity of regional cooperation to facilitate species recovery.

Keywords

Acanthocybium solandri Length-based stock assessment Oman Sea Overexploitation Sustainable fisheries management

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The authors transfer the copyrights of their papers to the Iranian Society of Ichthyology. However, the information could be used in accordance with the Creative Commons licence (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

How to Cite
HASHEMI, S. A., DOUSTAR, M., & AKBARY, P. (2026). Length-based stock assessment of Wahoo (<i>Acanthocybium solandri</i> Cuvier, 1832) in the Northern Oman Sea: alarming exploitation rates and urgent conservation measures. Iranian Journal of Ichthyology, 13(1), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.22034/iji.v13i1.1133
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