Length-Weight and Length-Length Relationships of Capoetasieboidii from Hirfanli Dam Lake, Turkey

Savaç Yilrnaz^'^ Okan YazlCloâlu^ Mahmut Yilmaz" and Nazmi Polat^

ABSTRACTThis study describes the length-weight (LWR) and length-length relationships of

Capoeta sieholdii from Hirfanli Dam Lake, Iurkey. Condition factor (K) was alsocalculated per fork length class of females and males. A total of 170 individuals wascollected from monthly sampling between March 2004 and August 2005. LWRs offemales and males were not statistically different with and within season. LWRsindicated isometric growth in both sexes. The slopes of LWRs were 3.171 for femalesand 2.980 for males. Ail correlations among fork length, total length, and standard lengthwere highly significant (P<0.001, r^>0.92). The values of K ranged from 1.21 to 1.43 forfemales and from 1.12 to 1.36 for males.

INTRODUCTIONThe length-weight relationship (LWR) is an important tool for fish biology and

fisheries management. LWRs are useful in determining weight when only lengthmeasurements are available, allow for comparisons o I species growth between differentlocalities (Koutrakis and Tsikliras 2003, Oscoz ct al. 2005), and express whether growthof fish is isometric or allomelric (Le Cren 1951, Ricker 1975). The LWR in fish can beaffected by several factors including habitat, area, season, degree of stomach fullness,gonad maturity, sex, health, preservation techniques, and differences in the observedlength ranges of the specimen caught (Tesch 1971, Wbolton 1998). Length-lengthrelationships (LLRs) are also important for comparative growth studies (Froese and Pauly1998, Moutopoulos and Stergiou 2002).

Capoeta sieboidii (Steindachner, 1864) is a species of the family Cyprinidae andhas a wide distribution from Sakarya river basin to Caucasia. This species is commonlyknown as "siraz" in Turkey, and it is extensively present in rivers and streams running tothe Black Sea. Capoeta sieboidii can grow up to 40 cm and is consumed as food by localpeople (Geldiay and Balik 2007).

In Turkey. length-weight relationships of C. sieboidii were investigated in theDélice branch of the Kizilirmak River (Gül et al. 2005) and the upper Çoruh River(Yildinm et al. 2008). Because there have been no previous studies on LWRs and LLRsof C. sieboidii inhabiting Hirfanli Dam Lake, we undertook this investigation.

METHODS AND MATI-RIALS^ The Hirfanli Dam is located in the borders of Kirçehir city (38''50'-39''50' N,

33 3O'-34 50' E) in the central Anatolia region. It was constructed on the KizilirmakRiver and became operational in 1959. Reservoir volume is 598.000 hm\ and reservoirarea is 263 kml Although the lake has been classified as oligotrophic (Gürses 2000),there are many fish species present, including Cyprinus carpió, Sander lucioperca,Silurus glanis, Squalius cephalus, Aiburnus orontis. Í apoeta sieboidii, Chondrostomaregium, Barbus escherichii. Tinea tinea, Atherina boyeri, and Aphanius danfordii.

Fish were collected from different areas of the lake on a monthly basis from

' Department of Biology. Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Ondokuz Mayis University,Kurupelit, Samsun, Turkey

" Department of Biology. Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Ahi Evran University, Kirçehir,Turkey

' Corresponding author; E-mail:savasyilmaz033@yahoo.com205

Journal of Freshwatsr Ecology. Volume 25. Number 2 • June 2010

March 2004 lo August 2005. The specimens were caught using nets with meshes of18x18, 32x32 and 45x45 mm, seines and fyke nets. All fish were measured to the nearest0.1 cm for total length (TL), fork length (FL), and standard length (SL) and weighed tothe nearest 1 g. Sex was determined from gonad examination. The chi-squared test wasused to show whether the sex ratios deviated significantly from 1:1 (Zar 1999). ^

All length-weight relationships were computed using the equation W=aL , whereW is the total weight of the fish (g), L is the fork length (cm), a is the intercept, and b isthe slope (Bagenal and Tesch 1978). The parameters a and b were estimated by linearregression of the transformed equation: log W = log a + b log FL. The determinationcoefficient (r^) was used as an indicator of the quality of the linear regression. The slopesof LWRs of females and males were compared for significant difference in same seasonand among seasons by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The student's t-test wasapplied to confirm whether the slopes (b) were significantly different from 3. indicatingthe growth type: isometric (b=3), positive allomelric (b>3) or negative allometric (b<3)(Zar 1999). All length-length relationships were established using linear regressionanalysis. Relationships between TL vs FL, FL vs SL, and SL vs TL were estimatedseparately according to females, males and overall samples. The Fulton's condition factor(K) was calculated using the equation K = W / L \ 1 0 0 ( U Cren 1951, Ricker 1975), whereW is the total weight of the fish (g) and L is the fork length (cm). K values of fish weredetermined separately according to fork length class of female and male individuals.Difference between K values of females and males was tested using the student's t-test(Zar 1999).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONFrom the total of 170 individuals was captured, 79 (46.47%) were females and 91

(53.53%) were males. The overall sex ratio of females to males was 1:1.15, which did notdeviate from 1:1 (r=0.847, P>0.05). The sex ratios for this species from differenthabitats in Turkey were estimated as 1:1.21 in the Sakarya River (Ekmekçi 1996). 1:0.85

Table 1. Seasonal descriptive statistics and estimated parameters of LWR for Capoetasieboldii from Hirfanli Dam Lake, Turkey.

SeasonSpring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Total

SexFMBoth

FMBoth

FMBoth

FMBoth

FMBoth

N234669

24630

202848

121123

7991170

Fork length (cm)Min24.522.222.2

22.825.822.8

20.721.820.7

26.826.326.3

20.721.820.7

Max35.434.935.4

33.835.635.6

33.533.333.5

37.331.537.3

37.335.637.3

Weight (g)

Min188112112

130230130

142122122

256234234

124112112

Max714624714

476494494

486434486

742422742

742624742

a0.00370.00710.0058

0.00830.05730.0154

0.01430.01530.0152

0.00410.01060.0043

0.00730.01390.0100

Parameters of LWR

b3.3613.1773.235

3.1272.5522.944

2.9702.9542.955

3.3503.0623.335

3.1712.9803.078

95% CI of b2.899-3.8222.872-3.3833.995-3.476

2.732-3.3211.830-3.2752.610-3.277

l.bl'^Z.iei2.712-3.1972.777-3.133

2.773-3.9272.247-3.8762.950-3.721

2.990-3.3522.812-3.1472.959-3.197

r0.920.910.92

0.920.950.92

0.960.960.96

0.940.890.94

0.940.930.94

206

T

m the Délice branch of Kizilirmak River (Gül et al. 2005), and 1:2.06 in the upper ÇoruhRiver (Yildirim et al. 2008). Our results are in accordance with the previous ones.

The LWRs were highly significant (P<0.001. r->0.88; Table 1). The values ofparameter b in this study were within the expected range of 2.5-3.5. but they can varybetween 2 and 4 (Bagenal and Tesch 1978). The parameter b values of seasonal LWRsfor females and males ranged from 2.970 (autumn) to 3.361 (spring) and from 2.552(summer) to 3.177 (spring), respectively. Totally, coefficieni b of LWR was computed as3.171 for females, 2.980 for males, and 3.Ü78 for combined sexes. No significantdifference was observed in slopes of LWRs of females and males with and within season(ANCOVA. P>0.05). The variations in estimated b values from 3 were not statisticallysignificant (P>0.05) according to sexes and seasons, and this result indicated an isometricgrowth for C sieboldii throughout the year (Table 1). Gül et al. (2005) reported that bvalues of LWRs were 2.619 in females. 2.587 In males, and 2.710 for the entirepopulation of C. sieboldii inhabiting the Délice branch of Kizilirmak River. Oieseparameters were determined as 3.001 for females. 2.933 for males, and 3.039 for overallindividuals in the upper Çoruh River by Yildirim et a!. (2008). Our results were inagreement with findings of Yildinm et al. (2008). while they were higher than scores ofGül et al. (2005). This may be attributed to differences in the ecological properties of thestudy areas. Moreover. LWRs in fish are affected by a number of factors including foodavailability, feeding rate, gonad devolopment, and spawning period as well as season,sex, and habitat (Bagenai and Tesch 1978). The values for coefficient of determination(r^) for ail the LLR parameters of females, males, and entire specimens were >0.92 andwere highly significant (P<0.001; Table 2).

Table 2. Ungth-length relationships between total length, fork length and standard lengthof Capoeta sieboldii in the Hirfanh Dam Lake. Turkey.

Sex N Equation a b ?Female 79 TL = a -f bFL 0.112 LÖ90 0^99

FL= a + bSL 0.350 1.080 0.98SL=a + bTL 0.249 0.824 0.98

91 TL = a + bFL -0,080 1.100 0.96FL = a + bSL 0.840 1.060 0.97SL = a + bTL 1.060 0.798 0.93

170 TL = a + bFL -0.031 1.100 0.98FL = a+bSL 0.769 1.070 0.96SL = a + bTL 0.851 0.805 0.94

The values of K varied from 1.21 to 1.43 for females and from 1.12 to Î.36 formales (Fig. 1). The higher K values of females and males were obtained in the 37.5 cm(K=i.43) and 23.5 cm (K=1.36) classes, respectively. The mean K values in females andmales were 1.3I±0.13 and L31±0.11. respectively. There was no significant difference inmean K between sexes (P>0.05). K values of specimens >23.5 cm fork length displayedan upward trend in females but a downward trend in males. This difference betweensexes may be attributed to both biotie and abioiic factors such as feeding regime and stateof gonadal development. The similar result was reported by Hossain et al. (2006) for theAsian striped catfish {Mystus vtttatu.s) in the Mathabhanga River, southwesternBangladesh. They ob.scrved that the average condition of samples >7.0 cm standardlength increased with length groups in females and decreased in males.

207

1.45 -

1.4-

g 1.35-

I 1.25-1ô 1.2-

1.15

1.1

19.5 21.5 23.5 25.5 27.5 29.5 31.5

Fork length (cm)

33.5 35.5 37.5 39.5

Figure L Mean condition factor (K) values per fork length class for female and maleindividuals of Capoeta sieboldii inhabiting Hirfanli Dam Lake.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis study was financially supported by Gazi University (Project No: 30/2œ3-01).

The authors thank local fishermen for their help during sampling.

LITERATURE CITEDBagenal, T. B. and F. W. Tesch. 1978. Age and growth. Pages 101-136 In: Bagenal T.

(ed.). Methods for assessment of fish production in freshwaters. IBP HandbookNo. 3. Blackwell Scientific Publications. Oxford.

Ekmekçi, G. F. 1996. Sariyar Baraj Gölü'ndc- (Ankara) ya^ayan Capoeta capoeia sieboldi(Steindachner. 1897)"nin bazi büyüme özellikleri (Some of the growth propertiesof Capoeta capoeia sieboldi (Steindachner, 1897) in Sariyar Dam Lake (Ankara)).Turkish Journal of Zoology 20:127-136.

Froese. R. and D. Pauly. 1998. Fishbase 1998: concepts, design and data sources.ICLARM, Manila.

Geldiay, R. and S. Balik. 2007. TUrkiye Tatlisu Baliklan (Freshwater Fishes of Turkey).Ege Üniversilesi Su Ürünleri Fakülteai Yayinlari, Bomova, Izmir, Turkey.

Gül, A.. M. Yilmaz. and Ö. Saylar. 2005. Kizihrmak Nehri Délice Irmagi'nda yaçayanCapoeia capoeta sieboldi (Steindachner 1864)'nin büyüme ve üreme özellikleri(Growth and breeding properties of Capoeta cttpoela sieboldii (Steindachner1864) living in the Délice Branch of Kizilirmak River (Turkey)). SüleymanDemirel Üniversitesi Egirdir Su Ürünleri Fakültesi Dergisi 1:7-17.

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Hossain, M. Y., Z. F. Ahmed. P. M. Uunda, S. Jasmine, J. Oscoz, R. Miranda, and J.Ohtomi. 200b. Condition, length-weight and length-length relationships of theAsian striped catfish Mystus vitiatus (Bloch. 1794) (Siluriformes: Bagridae) in theMathabhanga River, southwestern Bangladesh. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 22:304-307.

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208

Le Cren, E. D. 1951. The tength-weighl relationship and seasonal cycle in gonad weightand condition in the perch {Perca fluviatilis). Journal of Animal Ecoloßv 20-201-219. ^^

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209Received: 16 November 2009 Accepled: 29 December 2009

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