Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

A STUDY ON LENGTH WEIGHT RELATIONSHIP OF HILLSTREAM FISHES BOTIA BIRDI AND BARILIUS BENDALISIS FROM THE LOTIC WATERS OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA

Neha W. Qureshi and Nitesh V. Kadtan

Abstract

The length weight relationship is the most important aspect in biological studies of fishes. Length has certain mathematical relationship with its weight. This relationship changes at different phases of fish and it is useful to find out length when the weight is known. For this study 42 and 120 specimens of Botia birdi and Barilius bendalisis were measured out respectively. By using cube law method (W=aLGa) the relationship between length and weight was determined. The results revealed that the growth in both the fish species is isometric i.e. the weight is higher in relation to its length (average length), estimated weight obeys the law of exponential distribution. In the present study the exponent value was obtained with high limit, with ‘b’ values varying from 2.329 in Botia birdi to 2.719 in Barilius bendalisis.