Fisheries in Geray Reservoir could be managed using biometric and reproductive characteristics of the Common carp (Cyprinus carpio L. 1758)

Abstract

This study looked at some biometric and reproductive aspects of the Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) – the overexploited fish species in the Geray Reservoir as a foundation to develop an efficient fisheries management strategy. 50 fish samples (20 to 44 cm and 130 to 2,400 g) were collected between October and May 2022 using a cast net with a mesh size of 6 cm. The ratio of male to female C. carpio (1:0.52) was deviating from the anticipated 1:1 ratio. The absolute fecundity of C. carpio was relatively low (12,375 to 31,392 eggs). Gonadosomatic index varied from 0.01 to 4.6 (male) to 0.24–12.75 (female), and the spawning period of C. carpio extended from December to January. The length-weight relationships for males (TW = 0.0009TL3.87) and females (TW = 0.0007L3.97) indicate that C. carpio had positive allometric growth; which may have been caused by unsuitable habitat conditions and overfishing. There is a need to develop fisheries management like implementing integrated conservation efforts and reducing wetland farming. For this, this information provides a baseline data.

Keywords

• Allometric
• Overexploited
• Overfishing
• Unsuitable
• Management