Estimation of growth parameters of five fish species (Actinopterygii) caught in the central Amazon

Abstract

For some tropical fishes, the information on growth parameters is still scarce, and few or no records are available in FishBase. Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate the growth curves for Brycon amazonicus (Spix et Agassiz, 1829), Piaractus brachypomus (Cuvier, 1818), Prochilodus nigricans Spix et Agassiz, 1829, Semaprochilodus insignis (Jardine, 1841), and Semaprochilodus taeniurus (Valenciennes, 1821), and to build the auximetric plots for each of the families to which these species belong: Characidae, Prochilodontidae, and Serrasalmidae. Samples were obtained from commercial catches landed in the Port of Manaus. Growth parameters were estimated using the Electronic Length Frequency Analysis (ELEFAN) routine of the Length Frequency Distribution Analysis (LFDA) program. Twenty-six sets of growth parameters were thus estimated, and 66 further sets were located in the literature and FishBase. Prochilodontidae and Serrasalmidae showed a strong inverse relation between the variables composing the auximetric plots.