Length-Weight Relationship of 60 Fish Species From the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Egypt (GFCM-GSA 26)

Abstract

Length-weight relationships (LWRs) are described for 60 important pelagic and demersal fish species caught during fishing surveys using trawl fishing gear in the Eastern Mediterranean, Egypt (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean GFCM-GSA 26), and the data collected from the commercial catch during the period from July 2017 to December 2018. Linear regression using natural logarithmic transformation data was performed to calculate the a and b coefficients of LWR for 60 fish populations covering 23 families, 43 genera, and 60 species inhabiting GSA 26. The samples size, minimum and maximum lengths and weights with their mean and SD, LWR constants, ± 95% confidence interval (CI) of b, r2, and the type of growth were calculated and summarized. This study reports the first LWR estimates for 35 species in the Egyptian waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Population structure and fisheries characteristics of the striped red mullet Mullus surmuletus from Matrouh fishing area, Mediterranean Sea, Egypt

“…Length˗weight relationship is widely available for commercial fishes as they allow easy conversion of length in weight and vice versa (Cherif et al 2007;Mehanna and Farouk, 2021). This relationship is useful for the comparison among geographic regions and for the application of stock assessment models (Gonçalves, et al 1996;Moutopoulos and Stergiou, 2002;Cherif, et al 2007;Frose and Pauly, 2022).…”

“…The analysis of the LWR given by several authors show some differences in b values (Table 1). Such differences can be attributed to one or more of the following factors: salinity, temperature, sex, food, time of year and stage of maturity (Pauly 1984;Cherif et al, 2007;Mehanna and Farouk, 2021).…”

Age, growth and mortality of the Bartail Flathead (Platycephalus indicus) in Bardawil lagoon, North Sinai, Egypt.

“…The relative robustness or degree of well-being of a fish expressed as the coefficient of condition (condition factor) is an important tool for the study of fish biology, mainly when the species lies at the base of the higher food web (Diaz et al, 2000). The Length weight relationship is important for comparative growth studies (Moutopoulos and Stergiou, 2002;Mehanna and Farouk, 2021).…”

“…The variation of b in the different regions could be due to the seasonal fluctuations in environmental parameters, physiological conditions of the fish at the time of collection, sex, gonad development and nutritive conditions in the environment of fish (Biswas, 1993;Mehanna and Farouk, 2021)…”

“…To estimate the biomass of different fish populations, it is necessary to know the length-weight relationships (LWRs) of the studied species (Mehanna and Farouk, 2021). The length-weight relationship is very crucial in estimating the standing stock biomass and discusses the development history of fish population from various regions (Petrakis and Stergiou, 1995).…”