Özet:

In this study, it was aimed to detect the ideal age determination method by making comparative analyzes of vertebrae and otolith used in age determination of European Perch (Perca fluviatilis L., 1758) living in Yedikır Dam Lake (YDL). Individuals were caught from YDL between December 2015 and April 2017. Vertebrae and otoliths were taken from 235 samples for age determination, and otoliths from 65 selected samples were subjected to sectioning technique. A triplicate reading of the vertebra, whole otoliths, and cross-sectioned otoliths was performed by one reader. Percent agreement, avarage percent error and coefficient of variation were used to ageing precision. The age distribution of the population in general was 0-5 years. The dominant age class was 0 (zero) for vertebra (61.70%), whole otolith (61.25%) and sectioned otolith (43.08%). When the vertebral and otolith methods were compared, the highest percent agreement (PA) was determined for otolith with 84.69%. When whole otolith-vertebrae, whole otolith-sectioned otoliths and cross-sectioned otolith-vertebral ages were compared, the highest PA was found between whole and sectioned otoliths (78.5%). It has been determined that otoliths give better results than vertebra for age determination of Perca fluviatilis in the YBG population. It has been concluded that whole otoliths can be used when one of the otolith and sectioned-otolith methods should be preferred.