Beso (Varicorhinus beso Rüppell, 1836) biological parameters to establish management measures in the Geray Reservoir (Ethiopia)

Abstract

Geray Reservoir is home to some fish species including Varicorhinus beso, Cyprinus carpio, Carasius carasius, Oreochromis niloticus, and Tilapia randelli. The V. beso is among the top fish-farming species for the reservoir. However, this data on total fish catch showed that the fish population is declining as a result of overexploitation of the stock. The purpose of this study was to set some management measures for the Geray reservoir using some biometric data on the most commonly caught fish—V. beso. A total of 170 fish samples (102 females and 68 males) ranging from 21 to 40.2 cm in total length (TL) and 94.6 to 618.4 g in total weight (TW) were gathered between October 2022 and May 2022 using a cast net with a mesh size of 6 cm. Nonetheless, it is thought that the sampling period is sufficient because the fish were spawning more during the month when the data was collected because of the high concentration of nutrients during that time. The overall male-to-female sex ratio in the population was 1:1.5, which differed considerably from the real ratio of 1:1 (x2 = 6.8; p < 0.01). V. beso in the Geray reservoir exhibited virtually an isometric growth (b = 3) considering the length-weight relationships of males (TW = 0.0122TL2.993) and females (TW = 0.0114TL3.0139). The V. beso had an absolute fecundity (AF) of 2,190 to 11,265 eggs. AF was significantly correlated with TL, TW, and gonad weight (p < 0.01). V. beso’s reproductive season peaked between November and May, with the gonadosomatic index ranging from 0.02 to 20.12 for females and 0.03 to 5.67 for males. The average V. beso condition factors for both sexes were higher than 1, indicating that the fish in the reservoir had properly developed, which may be the result of favorable habitat conditions.

Keywords

• Fecundity
• Geray Irrigation System (GIS)
• Isometric
• Management
• Reproductive