Length–weight and length–length relationships of five threatened fish species from the Jamuna (Brahmaputra River tributary) River, northern Bangladesh

Abstract

The small indigenous species, namely Ailiichthys punctata (Day, 1871), Botia lohachata (Chaudhuri, 1912), Chanda nama (Hamilton, 1822), Laubuca laubuca (Hamilton, 1822) and Mystus cavasius (Hamilton, 1822), comprise an important component of riverine fisheries of Bangladesh. This study describes the length–weight relationships (LWRs) and length– length relationships (LLRs) of five threatened fishes from the Jamuna River, a distributary of the Brahmaputra River in northern Bangladesh. A total of 919 specimens from five species in five families used for this study were caught by traditional fishing gear, March 2010 through February 2011. The allometric coefficient (b) of the LWRs indicated negative allometric growth in A. punctata, B. lohachata, and C. nama (b < 3.00), but positive allometric growth in L. laubuca and M. cavasius (b > 3.00). Furthermore, the LLRs were highly correlated (r2 > 0.978; P < 0.001). This study presents the first reference on LWRs and LLRs for these threatened species in Bangladesh. The results would be useful for sustainable management and conservation of the limited stocks in the Brahmaputra River ecosystem.