Length-weight relationships of five migratory fish species from the Narmada estuary, Gujarat, India

Abstract

The present study estimated the Length-Weight Relationships (LWRs) of Boleophthalmus dussumieri, Ilisha megaloptera, Aulopareia ocellata, Tenualosa ilisha, and Thryssa stenosoma. The fish samples were collected from the estuarine stretch (72 km) of the river Narmada from November 2018 to December 2020 seasonally, using bag nets (10 mm cod-end mesh size), stake nets (5 – 10 mm mesh size), and stick traps (locally known as fanda). The value of exponent b for LWRs ranged from 2.641 to 3.546. This study presents the first reference on LWR for T. stenosoma and the first LWRs for three other species (viz., B. dussumieri, I. megaloptera, and A. ocellata) in the Narmada estuary. Additionally, the study established a new maximum length record for T. stenosoma. The LWRs, along with other biological parameters of the respective species, serve as baseline information for the management and conservation of both migratory and local fishes.