Length -Weight relationships for some rock pool fishes off Visakhapatnam, East Coast of India

Abstract

The rock-out crops off Visakhapatnam coastal area are rich productive that supports important fishery activities, however, the increase in human population’s exhibit heavy pressure on their resources. This issue had raised the importance of sustainable management tools for this rock pool ecosystem. LengthWeight Relationships (LWRs) are important fish stock assessment tools were investigated in the different rock pool areas off Visakhapatnam coastal waters. A total of ten (10) fish species were selected for this study that belong to seven families Scorpaenidae, Gerridae, Holocentridae, Chaetodontidae, Gobidae, Blenniidae and Acanthuridae. The highest species number (n= 3) were recorded for Scorpaenidae family. All length-weight regressions were significant with a coefficient of determination (r 2 ) varying from 0.828 (Parascorpaena picta) to 0.988 (Gerres filamentosa). Growth coefficient, b of the LWR ranged from 2.084 (Gobiodon rivulatus) to 3.250 (Istiblennius lineatus). In the present study out of 10 species, n= 3 are exhibited negative allometric growth pattern, n =5 are positive allometric growth and n =2 had isometric growth. We can conclude that our results are useful references for Visakhapatnam coastal waters management and particularly rock pool fishes.