Length at maturity and relationship between weight and total length of five deep-sea fishes from the, Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India, North-eastern Indian Ocean
Abstract
We have estimated the length at maturity and length-weight relationships for five fish species inhabiting the deep-sea from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands off the Indian coast between 295-650 m deep in a trawl survey carried out in March-April 2017. Hauls were carried out by a high-speed Demersal Trawl Crustacean Version trawl net and analysis was performed for a total of 832 specimens. Length at first maturity of the five deep-sea fish species ranged from 14.28-105.73 cm while length at 90% maturity was in the range 17.87-159.83 cm. The length at maturity of the fish are Alepocephalus bicolor (male = 66.09, female = 105.73), Bathyclupea hoskynii (m = 15.14, f = 14.15), Chlorophthalmus corniger (m = 17.54, f = 15.31), Neoepinnula orientalis (m = 20.76, f = 16.76), and Neoscopelus microchir (m = 14.28, f = 15.40). The b value in the length-weight relationship ranged from 0.69-2.60, i.e. Alepocephalus bicolor (m = 1.93, f = 1.62), Bathyclupea hoskynii (m = 3.5, f = 1.66), Chlorophthalmus corniger (m = 2.07, f = 1.56), Neoepinnula orientalis (m = 2.86, f = 2.46) and Neoscopelus microchir (m = 0.89, f = 0.49). Based on these results, the b value showed an allometric relationship with length for all species studied, because these species have a similar morphometry, i.e. a flattened back. Since they are primary or secondary consumers at the bottom of consumer food webs, their roles are as predators of small-medium prey and as prey of top predators of food web chains.
- Publication:
-
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
- Pub Date:
- June 2020
- DOI:
- 10.1017/S0025315420000478
- Bibcode:
- 2020JMBUK.100..639S