Length-Weight Relaonships (LWR) were calculated for 22 commercial fish species caught by the arsanal fishing fleet of Margarita Island, Venezuela. A total of 1,610 specimens were analysed, distributed in the following species: Lagocephalus laevigatus, Sphyraena guachancho, S. barracuda, Lutjanus purpureus, L. analis, L. griseus, Rhomboplites aurorubens, Lachnolaimus maximus, Priacanthus arenatus, Scomberomorus cavalla, S. brasiliensis, Euthynnus alleeratus, Auxis thazard, Sarda sarda, Thunnus atlan!cus, Rachycentron canadum, Caranx hippos, C. crysos, Selene setapinnis, Alec!s ciliaris, Trachinotus carolinus and Elops saurus. These length-weight relaonships can be used to improve fish stascs because of difficulty in obtaining weight of the fish in field.

1. Ar cle Cita on:
Tagliafico A, Rago Nand Rangel MS.
Length-Weight Rela onships of 22 commercial fish from Margarita Island, Venezuela.
Journal of Research in Biology (2015) 5(3): 1707-1712
JournalofResearchinBiology
Length-Weight Relationships
of 22 commercial fish from Margarita Island, Venezuela.
Keywords:
Lutjanidae, Scombridae, Carangidae, Elopidae, Sphyraenidae, Rachycentridae
ABSTRACT:
Length-Weight Rela onships (LWR) were calculated for 22 commercial fish
species caught by the ar sanal fishing fleet of Margarita Island, Venezuela. A total of
1,610 specimens were analysed, distributed in the following species: Lagocephalus
laevigatus, Sphyraena guachancho, S. barracuda, Lutjanus purpureus, L. analis,
L. griseus, Rhomboplites aurorubens, Lachnolaimus maximus, Priacanthus arenatus,
Scomberomorus cavalla, S. brasiliensis, Euthynnus alle eratus, Auxis thazard, Sarda
sarda, Thunnus atlan!cus, Rachycentron canadum, Caranx hippos, C. crysos, Selene
setapinnis, Alec!s ciliaris, Trachinotus carolinus and Elops saurus. These length-weight
rela onships can be used to improve fish sta s cs because of difficulty in obtaining
weight of the fish in field.
1707-1712 | JRB | 2015 | Vol 5| No 3
This article is governed by the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by/4.0), which gives permission for unrestricted use, non-commercial, distribution and
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www.jresearchbiology.com
Journal of Research in Biology
An International
Scientific Research Journal
Authors:
Tagliafico A1
,
Rago N2
and
Rangel MS1
.
Institution:
1 Escuela de Ciencias
Aplicadas del Mar,
Universidad de Oriente,
Boca de Río, Isla de
Margarita, Venezuela.
2 Oceanografía y pesca,
Fundación de Ciencias
Naturales La Salle, Isla de
Margarita, Venezuela.
Corresponding author:
Tagliafico A.
Web Address:
http://jresearchbiology.com/
documents/RA0509.pdf
Dates:
Received: 21 Jan 2015 Accepted: 08 Feb 2015 Published: 16 May 2015
Journal of Research in BiologyJournal of Research in BiologyJournal of Research in BiologyJournal of Research in Biology
An International Scientific Research Journal
Original Research
ISSN No: Print: 2231 –6280; Online: 2231- 6299

2. INTRODUCTION
Estimation of biomass and regulation of catches
are necessary for fishery management; but the direct
measurement of the weight of each fish can be time
consuming or impossible to obtain in field. For
convenience, just size is often measured in body length,
but the information about body weight is also taken into
consideration. For this reason, Length-Weight
Relationship (LWR) are useful tools and have been
extensively used to estimate the weight from the length
of the organisms (Sinovčić et al., 2004, Froese 2006,
Froese et al., 2014, Xiong et al., 2014). However, LWR
studies were only available for less than 12% (3,587
species) from around 32,470 species of fishes contained
in FishBase (Froese et al., 2014), and even smaller if we
only consider Caribbean or Venezuelan waters, where
the information on the LWRs is mostly limited to a few
species (Tagliafico et al., 2014). In this study LWRs
were estimated for 22 commercial fish species of the
region.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study was carried out in Margarita Island,
Venezuela (10º51’50"-11º11'06"N/63º46’40"-
64º24'32"W), from January 2006 to December 2007.
Fish landed at three fishing ports (Juan Griego, La Pared
and El Tirano) and two fishing markets (Los Cocos and
Conejeros) were sampled weekly. Specimens were
caught using traps, beach seines: purse seine, single line,
and gillnets and long-lines, latter being both surface and
bottom. Detailed descriptions of vessels and fishing
gears are provided by Iriarte (1997) and González et al.,
(2006).
The specimens were identified using the keys of
Cervigón (1991, 1993, 1994, 1996). Fish were weighed
to the nearest 0.1 g and measured to the nearest 0.1 cm.
Total length (TL) was used for Lagocephalus laevigatus
(Linnaeus, 1766), Sphyraena guachancho (Cuvier,
1829), S. barracuda (Edwards, 1771), Lutjanus analis
(Cuvier, 1828), L. griseus (Linnaeus, 1758),
L. purpureus (Poey, 1866), Rhomboplites aurorubens
(Cuvier, 1829), Lachnolaimus maximus (Walbaum,
1792), Priacanthus arenatus (Cuvier, 1829) and
Rachycentron canadum (Linnaeus, 1766); whereas Fork
Length (FL) was used for Scomberomorus cavalla
(Cuvier, 1829), Scomberomorus brasiliensis (Collette
et al., 1978), Euthynnus alletteratus Rafinesque 1810,
Auxis thazard (Lacèpede, 1800), Thunnus atlanticus
(Lesson, 1831), Sarda sarda (Bloch, 1793), Caranx
hippos (Linnaeus, 1766), C. crysos (Mitchill, 1815),
Selene setapinnis (Mitchill, 1815), Alectis ciliaris
(Bloch, 1787), Trachinotus carolinus (Linnaeus, 1766)
and Elops saurus (Linnaeus, 1766).
The parameters a and b of LWR were estimated
using the potential equation W=aLb; were W is the total
weight expressed in grams, L the total or fork length
according to the species expressed in centimetres, ‘a’ is
the intercept, and ‘b’ is the slope (Beverton and Holt,
1957, Froese, 2006). The model fit to the data was
measured by the coefficient of Pearson r-squared ( r2
)
test and 95% confidence level of the limits of a and b
were determined.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A total of 1, 610 organisms belonging to 9
families and 22 species were analyzed (Fig. 1). Values of
a and b, and their associated statistical information are
provided in Table 1. The coefficients of correlation of
the regressions ranged between 0.82 and 0.998, and all
were highly significant (P<0.0001).
The majority of the fish species studied show b-
values within the standard range (2.5-3.5) proposed by
Froese (2006); only for Priacanthus arenatus (b=2.281),
it was slightly lower than this range (Table 1).
In Venezuela, for the fish studied, LWRs have
only been previously reported for Lutjanus analis,
L. griseus and Sphyraena guachancho. Similar b-values
to previous studies were found for Lutjanidae, but for
Tagliafico et al., 2015
1708 Journal of Research in Biology (2015) 5(3): 1707-1712

3. Tagliafico et al., 2015
Journal of Research in Biology (2015) 5(3): 1707-1712 1709
SpeciesnL(cm)rangeW(g)rangea95%CIab95%CIbr2
TetraodontidaeLagocephaluslaevigatus37624.3-62.8198.5-3061.70.0390.025-0.0592.7372.621-2.8540.922
SphyraenidaeSphyraenaguachancho25123.1-100.5085.1-4252.40.0150.011-0.0202.7042.626-2.7830.974
Sphyraenabarracuda4149.4-123.6640.0-121000.0020.001-0.0063.1822.960-3.4040.978
Lutjanidae
Lutjanuspurpureus4319.7-86.3150.0-9752.20.0260.014-0.0502.822.643-2.9980.981
Lutjanusanalis3124.4-85160.0-8200.00.0050.002-0.0113.2653.032-3.4980.983
Lutjanusgriseus3320.4-132113.4-280000.0220.011-0.0422.9212.743-3.0990.986
Rhomboplitesaurorubens9520.8-40.3080.0-737.100.0340.015-0.0762.6992.459-2.9390.918
LabridaeLachnolaimusmaximus2617.5-39.2050.0-963.900.0020-0.0143.7083.048-4.3680.921
PriacanthidaePriacanthusarenatus5022.4-37.5198.5-765.400.1720.062-0.4812.2811.977-2.5840.909
ScombridaeScomberomoruscavalla*5727.1-188.7141.8-160000.0050.001-0.0273.0462.648-3.4440.9
S.brasiliensis*1131.5-48.0150.0-822.100.0030-0.0973.2642.292-4.2350.93
Euthynnusalletteratus*8120.2-79.0110.0-5790.00.0120.008-0.0193.0462.924-3.1670.984
Auxisthazard*3020.8-54.0080.0-2000.00.0030.001-0.0093.4873.142-3.8320.969
Sardasarda*9030.0-69.9311.9-4167.40.0220.009-0.0572.862.610-3.1090.925
Thunnusatlanticus*10445.4-71.42041.2-7285.80.0530.028-0.1022.7652.603-2.9270.957
RachycentridaeRachycentroncanadum5640.1-131170.1-190000.00040-0.0023.6543.331-3.9770.951
CarangidaeCaranxhippos*3017.6-86.6056.7-10404.20.020.009-0.0422.9792.786-3.1720.986
Selenesetapinnis*6114.4-40.3080.0-680.400.060.021-0.1752.5662.228-2.9050.892
Caranxcrysos*5222.5-57.9100.0-3100.00.0450.019-0.1062.7312.483-2.9780.953
Alectisciliaris*4422.7-83.1280.0-8960.00.1390.075-0.2592.4792.316-2.6420.978
Trachinotuscarolinus*1420.1-58.9190-3471.40.0120.007-0.0213.1893.052-3.3260.998
ElopidaeElopssaurus*3439.7-77.1226.8-2891.60.0040-0.0913.0922.316-3.8690.82
Table1.Estimatedlength–weightrelationshipparametersfor22commercialfishspeciescaughtinanartisanalCaribbeanFishery*Forklength

4. 1710 Journal of Research in Biology (2015) 5(3): 1707-1712
Tagliafico et al., 2015
Figure 1. Fish species analysed: a) Lagocephalus laevigatus, b) Sphyraena guachancho, c) S. barracuda,
d) Lutjanus purpureus, e) L. analis, f) L. griseus, g) Rhomboplites aurorubens, h) Lachnolaimus maximus,
i) Priacanthus arenatus, j) Scomberomorus cavalla, k) S. brasiliensis, l) Euthynnus alletteratus, m) Auxis thazard,
n) Sarda sarda, o) Thunnus atlanticus, p) Rachycentron canadum, q) Caranx hippos, r) Caranx crysos, s) Selene
setapinnis, t) Alectis ciliaris, u) Trachinotus carolinus and v) Elops saurus.

5. S. guachancho b-value was lower (n=251; b=2.704) than
the previously registered in the area (n=45; b=3.271)
(Etchevers, 1975). LWR in fish species could be affected
by many factors, such as gonad maturity, sex, health,
age, habitat, stomach full-ness, length ranges used,
preservation methods, season, population, and
environmental conditions (Tesch 1968, Pauly 1984,
Froese 2006).
Our study contributes to the expansion of
knowledge on the Caribbean fish species. This area is
globally acclaimed as a “hotspot of endangered
species” (Cheung et al., 2007). The IUCN Red List
catalogues the species Lutjanus analis and Lachnolaimus
maximus as Vulnerable; other ten species are considered
as Less Concern (Thunnus atlanticus, Scomberomorus
cavalla, S. brasiliensis, Euthynnus alletteratus, Auxis
thazard, Sarda sarda, Caranx hippos, C. crysos, Alectis
ciliaris and Elops saurus), whereas the other 10 species
analysed in this work have not been categorized. In this
regard, Tagliafico et al., (2012) previously demonstrated
that high frequency of all Lutjanidae species and Selene
setapinnis, captured in Margarita Island, were inferior to
the maturity length. Considering the information
available in FishBase, this work provides the first data of
LWRs for 18 commercial species from Venezuela
(Froese and Pauly 2014) and represents an important
baseline data for fisheries, making it useful for the
management and conservation of these species.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors thank all the fisherman and sellers
for the patience in the measurement of the specimens. To
Asdrúbal Lárez and INIA for the logistic cooperation.
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