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Length-Weight Relationships of Fifty Fish Species from Indian Waters

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Abstract

Length-weight relationships (LWRs) were estimated for 50 fish species belonging to 14 families from Indian waters. During the fishery surveys, specimens were collected from various fishing gears such as ring seines, gill nets, trawls and long lines between 2015 and 2017. The number of specimens measured varied by species. All the values of the parameter b were found within the expected range of 2.5–3.5. The b values in the relationships, W = aLb varied between 2.562 (Stolephorus insularis) and 3.461 (Auxis thazard) with mean value of 3.032 (SE = ± 0.029). The LWRs of all the 50 fish species estimated in this study were highly significant (p < 0.001, r2 ≥ 0.850). The study provides the first estimate of LWRs for Scomber indicus, Sphyraena arabiansis and Upeneus margarethae, and complements the existing LWRs in the international literature and FishBase database. In addition, this study reports the new maximum size for Nematalosa nasus (28.5 cm TL, 281 g TW), Scomberoides commersonnianus (122 cm TL, 11400.5 g TW), Scomberoides tol (56 cm TL, 1000 g TW), Alepes djedaba (33.5 cm TL, 343.8 g TW) and Upeneus margarethae (19 cm TL, 87 g TW). This study provides basic biological information in the form of a length-weight key for 50 commercially important fish species from Indian waters as a valuable tool to assist fishery managers.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are highly grateful to Dr. A. Gopalakrishnan, Director, ICAR-CMFRI, Cochin for providing all necessary facilities and constant support during the entire study period.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Puri Field Centre of ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, 752 002, Puri, Odisha, India

    Subal Kumar Roul

  2. ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, 682 018, Cochin, Kerala, India

    A. R. Akhil, T. B. Retheesh, U. Ganga & E. M. Abdussamad

  3. Mangalore Research Centre of ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, 575 001, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India

    K. M. Rajesh & Prathibha Rohit

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  1. Subal Kumar Roul
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  2. A. R. Akhil
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  3. T. B. Retheesh
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  4. K. M. Rajesh
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  5. U. Ganga
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  6. E. M. Abdussamad
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  7. Prathibha Rohit
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Correspondence to Subal Kumar Roul.

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Roul, S.K., Akhil, A.R., Retheesh, T.B. et al. Length-Weight Relationships of Fifty Fish Species from Indian Waters. Thalassas 36, 309–314 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41208-020-00223-x

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