Length–weight relations of 14 fish species (Actinopterygii) from the Chalakudy River, Western Ghats, India

Abstract

Length–weight relations of 14 fish species caught by small-scale fishery from the Chalakudy River of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India were analyzed from April 2018 to March 2019. The following species were studied: Amblypharyngodon microlepis (Bleeker, 1853); Dawkinsia filamentosa (Valenciennes, 1844); Puntius mahecola (Valenciennes, 1844); Osteobrama bakeri (Day, 1873); Labeo dussumieri (Valenciennes, 1842); Channa marulius (Hamilton, 1822); Channa striata (Bloch, 1793); Horabagrus brachysoma (Günther, 1864); Mystus armatus (Day, 1865); Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Sauvage, 1878); Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch, 1794); Etroplus suratensis (Bloch, 1790); Megalops cyprinoides (Broussonet, 1782); Parambassis thomassi (Day, 1870). The main fishing gear that was used in the data collection were gill nets, seine nets, and cast nets. The b values in the LWRs ranged from 2.649 (L. dussumieri) to 3.023 (P. hypophthalmus). This study reports the first LWR reference for five species and new maximum total lengths for five species. The results provide baseline information for the sustainable management and conservation of the studied species.