African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12487

Full Length Research Paper

Length-weight and length-length relationships of freshwater wild catfish Mystus bleekeri from Nala Daik, Sialkot, Pakistan

Muhammad Naeem1*, Amina Zuberi2, Zaigham Hasan3, Abdus Salam1, Muhammad, Khalid1, Muhammad Jamshed Khan4, Muhammad Mazhar Ayaz4, Muhammad Ashraf1, Muhammad Farhan Nasir1, Saeed Akhtar Rasool1, Majid Aziz1 and Abir Ishtiaq1  
1Institute of Pure and Applied Biology, Zoology Division, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan. 2Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. 3Department of Zoology, University of Peshawar, Pakistan 4Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan.  
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 01 June 2012
  •  Published: 21 June 2012

Abstract

Length-weight (LWR) and length-length relationships (LLR) were determined for a freshwater catfish Mystus bleekeri (Day, 1877) collected from Nala Daik, Sialkot, Pakistan. A total of 105 specimens (56 males; 49 females) were collected from February to March, 2010. Each specimen was weighed (g) and measured (cm). The total length of specimens studied ranged from 5.5 to 7.8 cm. Linear regression analysis was used, first to compute the degree of relationship between length and weight and then among total (TL), standard (SL) and fork lengths (FL). LWR exhibited a highly significant correlation (P < 0.001). The overall value of the exponent of LWR (= 2.62) suggested negative allometric growth. Results for LLRs indicated that these are highly correlated (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the first reference for separate male, female and combined sex of length-weight and length-length relationships for Mystus bleekeri was provided.

 

Key wordsMystus bleekeri, length-weight relationship, length-length relationship, predictive equations.

Abbreviation

LWR, Length-weightLLR, length-lengthTL, total length; SL,standardFL, fork lengths.