Growth Pattern and Length-Weight Relationships Model of Estuarine Fish in the Matang Mangrove Estuaries, Malaysia

Mohd Azim Mohd Khatib.

Transactions on Science and Technology, 8(3), 153 - 158.

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ABSTRACT
Matang Mangrove Estuaries is dominantly surrounded with mangrove vegetations, making it rich with numerous types of commercially important fish species and thus has a critical role for providing food resources and generating income for local residents. Several studies about the species availability and distribution of fish have been conducted at there but none have been conducted on assessing the Length-weight relationships (LWR) of commercially important fishes. Thus, the main objective of this study was to establish the first record of LWR of estuarine fish from Marudu Mangrove Estuaries. A total of 16 species of fish from Matang Mangrove Estuaries located in Perak, Peninsular Malaysia were selected for the study. The total length and wet weight of the specimens, totaling of about 4372 individuals and comprising of 13 families were measured and estimated. The dominant families were Clupeidae, Engraulidae and Leiognathidae with two species for each of them, and only one species each for other remaining families. Overall, negative allometric growth was observed in 15 species whereas only one species showed isometric growth. This research serves as the first record of LWR data for 16 fish species in the Malaysian waters of Matang Mangrove Estuaries. It is hoped that these findings can help researchers in extending future studies, particularly about fish population in this study area.

KEYWORDS: Fish species, length-weight relationship, Matang mangrove, Malaysia.



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