Seasonal and Reproductive Period Changes in Nutrient composition of Nemipterus randalli (Russell, 1986) and Boops boops (Linnaeus, 1758) from Northwest Mediterranean, Türkiye

In recent years, Mediterranean fish species such as Nemipterus randalli and Boops boops have been increasingly preferred by consumers when commonly consumed species are expensive or not present. Furthermore, the commercialization of these species has been affected by their reaching large-scale populations and becoming a target species in the catch composition. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine changes in the proximate content and fatty acid levels during the seasonal and reproductive periods of N. randalli and B. boops caught from the Northwest Mediterranean. This study showed that the biochemical components of these fish varied significantly with season and maturity stage (P < 0.05). While the highest protein level was found to be 18.99% in winter out of the reproductive season, the highest lipid level was 3.85% in spring at the beginning of the reproductive season for N. randalli. The highest protein and lipid levels were 21.81% and 3.10% in summer at the end of the reproductive season for B. boops, respectively. As a result, the consistent presence of low eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) levels, predominantly low ratios of polyunsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids (PUFA/SFA), and the prevalence of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) throughout the year in the muscle composition of N. randalli and B. boops species has an adverse impact on the overall quality of the food derived from these species. However, low n6/n3 ratios, high protein, and a low lipid content are important for food quality.