REPRODUCTION STUDIES ON LIZARD FISH, SAURIDA UNDOSQUAMJS, IN GULF OF SUEZ

Abstract

The Red Sea is a part of a great rift valley system forming one of the most marked features of the earth's crust. The Red Sea is a semienclosed narrow water body with no river inputs, extends for approximately 1936 Km froffi Suez to Bab­ El-Handab. The mean depth of Red Sea is 491 m, but the mid­ channel depth exceeds 2400 m with a maximum of 2900 m near latitude 20° N. The maximum depth of the southern portion is about 1300 m. (Gohar, 1954),(Fig. 1).

The Red Sea is located in one of the most arid reqions of the worlct, where large areas havP very !itt!<> rainfill; and the coastal !Jelt 1s either arid or desert. The mean anr,ual rainfall is only about 25 mm at Suez (Beltaqy, 1975). The

temperature is higher near the Arabian rather than the

Egyptian side. The water circulation in the Red Sea is due to the water exchange between the Arabian Sea and the tidal streams of the Gulf of Suez and characterized by its high salinity, in comparison to the open ocean ( Marcos, 1970).

The surface water salinity in the Gulf of Suewas about

41 %. and decrease in the southern portion 36.5%., but the salinity of deep water (below 200 m) ranges between 41%. in north and 40.5 %. in the south (Haney, 1983). The water of the Red Sea are clear and its euophotic zone extends to depths of about 80 m to 90 m, this is dlle to