America News Agency

MEHMET BAYER - November 26, 2023 - A fisherman in Çanakkale caught 2 ''Lambuka'' fish with a fishing rod.

Cahit Erdem, who has been engaged in fishing with a fishing rod for about 20 years in the city, set out to sea with his boat named ''Hotel A'' for fishing in the Çanakkale Strait.

Erdem, who dropped his fishing rod into the sea off Kepez Cape to catch bluefish, was surprised when two ''Lambuka'' fish, each about 1 meter long and weighing 12 kilograms, got hooked to his fishing rod.

After pulling the fish onto his boat, Erdem expressed that he encountered this type of fish for the first time and said, ''I sold the fish in Izmir.''

Prof. Dr. Uğur Altınağaç, a faculty member of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University (ÇOMÜ) Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology, specializing in fishery and processing technology, informed HIBYA news in an interview that the fish is known as ''Lambuka'' or ''Coryphaena hippurus.''

Altınağaç emphasized that adult specimens of this fish are found not only in open waters but also near the coast and shared the following information:

''They form schools. They feed on almost all types of fish and zooplankton. They also consume crustaceans and squid. They reach sexual maturity in 4-5 months. They lay eggs in open sea, and when the water temperature rises, they likely appear near the coast. Their eggs and larvae are pelagic. They are caught with fishing rods, trolling lines, and nets. Their meat is not very tasty, but it is usually marketed frozen and fresh. It has a high market value in Far Eastern countries. In our country's waters, they are generally caught more in the autumn season compared to other fish species. Their price is cheaper compared to other fish species.''