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Age, growth and reproduction of the Mediterranean killifish Aphanius fasciatus Nardo, 1827 in Mellah Lagoon (Eastern Algeria)

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Abstract

This paper studies the biology of reproduction and growth of the Mediterranean killifish Aphanius fasciatus in Mellah Lagoon (Algeria). This work helps to complete data lacks for this species concerning West Mediterranean and especially the westmost known distributions limit. A total of 1169 individuals (14.3 mm ≥ TL ≥ 54.4 mm, 0.06 g ≥ TW ≥ 3.89 g) caught monthly from January to December 2012, were examined. The population has a 6-year life cycle. Length–weight relationship was estimated as TW = 0.0093 LT3.513 (r2 = 0.804) for males and TW = 0.0091 TL3.504 (r2 = 0.766) for females. The von Bertalanffy growth function fitted to back-calculated size at age data was: Lt = 49.45 [1 - e-0.274 (t + 1.177)] for males, Lt = 59.03 [1 - e-0.179 (t + 1.514)] for females. The growth performance index (Φ) indicate that females (Φ = 6.67) grew slightly faster than males (Φ = 6.50). Sex-ratio was 1:1.6 in favor of females. The reproductive season extended from February to July. The length at first sexual maturity was 3.84 cm for males and 4.14 cm for females.

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Acknowledgements

This work is funded in part by PHC-Maghreb research program (Partenariat Hubert Curien N° 12MDU880M). The authors thank the Algerian Ministry for Higher Education and Scientific Research (General Directorate for Scientific Research and Technology Development, GDRSDT) which financially supported this study, within the framework of the National Funds of Research (NFR) and the Algerian-Tunisian cooperation program agreement, entitled Freshwater ichthyodiversity in North Africa: endemism and impacts of introductions.

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  1. Marine Bioresources Laboratory, Annaba University Badji-Mokhtar, BP 230 Oued Kouba, 23003, Annaba, Algeria

    A. Labbaci, L. Chaoui & M. H. Kara

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  1. A. Labbaci
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  2. L. Chaoui
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  3. M. H. Kara
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Correspondence to M. H. Kara.

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Labbaci, A., Chaoui, L. & Kara, M.H. Age, growth and reproduction of the Mediterranean killifish Aphanius fasciatus Nardo, 1827 in Mellah Lagoon (Eastern Algeria). Environ Biol Fish 102, 663–674 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-019-00863-w

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