Length-based fishery status and population dynamics of Spiral Babylon, Babylonia spirata, Linnaeus, 1758, stock in the northern waters of the Oman Sea, Sistan and Baluchestan Province of Iran

In the present study, the population characteristics of Spiral Babylon, Babylonia spirata, were evaluated by sampling at four sites in the northern Oman Sea, Iran, including Pozm, Konark, Beries, Pasabandar from March 2021 to March 2022. A total of 2779 Babylonian snail specimens (1489 males, and 1290 females) were measured and about ten percent of the specimens were described. The mean length and weight of males and females were 36±5, and 32±5 mm and 14±6, 10±4 g, respectively. Growth and mortality indices for females and males including infinite length (L∞ = 68 and 76 mm), growth coefficient (K = 0.54 and 0.3 (yr-1)), natural mortality (M= 0.7 and 0.4 (yr-1)), fishing mortality (F = 2.30 and 1.79 (yr-1)), total mortality (Z = 3 and 2.19 (yr-1)) and exploitation coefficient (E = 0.77 and 0.82 (yr-1)) were estimated. Based on the LBSPR assessment model, estimated to be about 0.3, and a ratio of Pmega<0.1, Lmean/Lopt <1 and Lmean /LF=M<1 show considered undesirable. The present study showed that the Spiral Babylon stock has reached 'overfished' status.