Length-weight relationship of selected freshwater fish species from three diverse ecological regimes in India

Abstract

Length-weight relationship and condition factor in 57 freshwater fish species of 19 families and 38 genera from various rivers, and lakes of different climatic zones in India were studied. The estimates (total 67) for the parameter b of the length-weight relationship ranged between 1.422 and 3.917, with a mean value of 2.994. Correlation coefficient was found to be highly significant (r2 >0.90) in all except for Crossocheilus latius latius, Acanthocobitis botia and Garra lamta. Growth was found to be isometric (b = 3) in 32 species, positively allometric (b>l3) in 21 species and negatively allometric (b<3) in 14 species. It was also found that some species exhibited variations in their growth pattern in different habitats, which showed the influence of preference and availability of suitable habitat conditions.