TO THE STUDY OF THE BIOLOGY OF ABRAMIS BRAMA L. (1758) OF THE SOUTHWESTERN SHELF OF THE NORTH CASPIAN

Shelf of the southwestern part of the North Caspian is one of the most highly productive areas in the Caspian Sea. The main share of catches of the coastal complex in the Republic of Dagestan currently consists of valuable carp species. One of the most numerous species is the bream Abramis brama L., second in number only to the roach Rutilus rutilus aspicus (Jak.). Bream makes up 11,3-32 % of the number of catches. In the study period, bream was represented by individuals of the age group of 2-10 years, 82 % of which were fish of 3-6 years. The average length of the fish was 33,9 cm, weight - 898,9 g. The bream was characterized by a good growth rate and high fatness. The ratio of females and males in the catches was 44.9 and 55.1 %, respectively, and the average fecundity was 121.1 thousand eggs. The daily rhythm of nutrition has a pronounced periodicity. The main food of adult bream is made up of crustaceans and mollusks, while juveniles are amphipods.