Length-weight relationships and relative condition factor of fish inhabiting the marine area of the Eastern Mediterranean city, Tripoli-Lebanon

Abstract

Length-weight relationships (LWRs) and relative condition factor are of great importance in fishery assessment studies since it provide information about the growth of the fish, its general wellbeing, and fitness in a marine habitat. LWRs for 9 fish species collected from the marine area of Tripoli-El Mina, North Lebanon, were established, and their growth condition was evaluated. The results indicated that almost all captured species exhibited a negative allometric growth and tended to be thinner. A significant difference was observed between b values during the warm and cold periods for Liza ramada, Oblada melanura and Epinephelus costae. In terms of seasonal variation, Liza ramada exhibited a positive allometric growth only in winter, while Oblada melanura had a positive allometric growth during the summer. The relative condition factor (Kn) fluctuated between 0.99 and 1.00, indicating a state of well-being for these fish species. The current study provided the first baseline data about LWRs and relative condition factor of fish species from the Eastern Mediterranean city of Tripoli. Such data is valuable for establishing a monitoring and management system of these fish species. Keywords: Fish biometrics, Regression coefficients, Growth, Levantine basin