Growth of the tambaqui Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier) (Characiformes: Characidae): which is the best model?

Abstract

In order to decide which is the best growth model for the tambaqui Colossoma macropomum Cuvier, 1818, we utilized 249 and 256 length-at-age ring readings in otholiths and scales respectively, for the same sample of individuals. The Schnute model was utilized and it is concluded that the Von Bertalanffy model is the most adequate for these data, because it proved highly stable for the data set, and only slightly sensitive to the initial values of the estimated parameters. The phi values estimated from five different data sources presented a CV = 4.78%. The numerical discrepancies between these values are of not much concern due to the high negative correlation between k and Linfinity viz, so that when one of them increases, the other decreases and the final result in phi remains nearly unchanged.

Population dynamics and stock assessment of Colossoma macropomum caught in the Manacapuru Lake system (Amazon Basin, Brazil)

“…Previous estimates for theoretical maximum length were 121.2 and 85.1 cm for the lower Amazon River (Isaac & Ruffino ) and the Middle Solimões River (Penna et al . ), respectively (Table ). As fishing in the Manacapuru Lake system takes place predominantly in a floodplain area, an environment favoured by this species as a nursery and developing grounds for young fishes (Araújo‐Lima & Goulding ; Araújo‐Lima & Ruffino ; Garcez & Freitas ), small fishes should be expected to predominate in catches.…”

Modelling the growth of tambaqui, Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier, 1816) in floodplain lakes: model selection and multimodel inference

“…The data of mean length estimated for each age class were used to model the growth of C. macropomum. This approach was used in all previous studies on the growth of this species (Petrere, 1983;Isaac and Ruffino, 1986;Penna et al, 2005) and was adopted here to ensure comparability of results.…”

“…Thus, studies on the growth of species of commercial value, such as Colossoma macropomum, are very important to fishery management strategies. To date, published studies on tambaqui growth have been conducted based on the arbitrary choice of a single model (usually the von Bertalanffy equation), and the parameter estimation and inference of growth are based on this unique model adjusted to the data set (Isaac and Ruffino, 1996;Penna et al, 2005;Petrere, 1983). This procedure does not account for the likely uncertainty related to the structure of the model and implicitly assumes the existence of one "true" model.…”

Length-weight relationships and length at first maturity for nine fish species of floodplain lakes in Central Amazon (Amazon Basin, Brazil)

“…Regarding length‐weight relationships in the Amazon, data are available, among others, in Penna et al. (), Bevilaqua and Soares (), Prestes et al. (), Giarrizzo et al.…”