Length-weight relationships (LWRs) of 12 Indian freshwater fish species from an un-impacted tropical river of Central India (River Ken)

Abstract

The length–weight relationships (LWRs) were studied of 441 fish individuals covering six families, eight genera and 12 freshwater species (L. dyochilus, L. calbasu, L. gonius, L. fimbriatus, P. sarana, L. boggut, C. mrigala, W. attu, B. bagarius, E. vacha, N. notopterus and S. aor) captured in the River Ken (tributary of the Yamuna River) from December 2007 to January 2009. The b value ranged from 3.52 for Cirrihinus mrigala, to 2.11 for Labeo gonius, with a mean of 3.03 at p < 0.001 for all species. The present observations are significant for conservation and management because the Ken River has been approved under India’s first interlinking plan with the River Betwa. The objective was to evaluate the LWRs of the freshwater fish species of an unimpacted and understudied river, which serves as a baseline for comparison to other relatively altered tropical Indian rivers.