doi:10.24039/rtb20222011227
Key words: Fish growth – b coefficient – Mulege estuary – regression models
1 2* 3
Adrián F. González-Acosta ; Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos & Jonathan Franco-López
LENGTH-WEIGHT AND LENGTH-LENGTH RELATIONSHIPS FOR 12 FISH SPECIES FROM AN
ESTUARINE ECOSYSTEM FROM GULF OF CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
RELACIONES PESO-LONGITUD Y LONGITUD PATRÓN-LONGITUD TOTAL PARA 12 ESPECIES
DE PECES DE UN ECOSISTEMA ESTUARINO DEL GOLFO DE CALIFORNIA, MÉXICO
The Biologist
(Lima)
The Biologist (Lima), 202 , vol. ( ),2 20 1 103-107.
RESEARCH NOTE / NOTA CIENTÍFICA
ABSTRACT
Length - weight (LW) and standard length - total length (LL) relationships were assessed for 12 fish species caught in
the Mulege River estuary (middle Gulf of California), Mexico. Fish were sampled in November 2011 and January
2012, using cast nets and gill nets (mesh size 3 mm). Parameters of the LW and LL relationships were estimated using
the log-linear and simple linear regressions. Values of b parameter ranged from 2.39 in Lile stolifera (Jordan &
Gilbert, 1882) to 3.16 in Mugil curema Valenciennes, 1836. LL relationships were significantly correlated, ranging
0.851 to 0.999. This study reports for the first time, LL relationships for three species (Ctenogobius sagittula
(Günther, 1861), Erotelis armiger (Jordan & Richardson, 1895), and L. nigrofasciata Castro-Aguirre, Ruiz-Campos
& Balart, 2002). The information reported here will be useful to generate a baseline for regulation as well as for a
sustainable fishery management in one of the two positive estuarine ecosystems known in the Gulf of California.
The Biologist (Lima)
ISSN Versión Impresa 1816-0719
ISSN Versión en linea 1994-9073 ISSN Versión CD ROM 1994-9081
103
1Instituto Politécnico Nacional-Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n, Col.
Playa Palo de Santa Rita, 23096, La Paz, Baja California Sur, México.
2Colección Ictiológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Carretera Transpeninsular Ensenada-
Tijuana No. 3917, Col. Playitas, 22860, Ensenada, Baja California, México.
3Laboratorio de Ecología. Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala-UNAM, Av. De los Barrios 1, Col. Los Reyes Ixtacala,
54090. Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, México.
*Corresponding author: gruiz@uabc.edu.mx
Adrián F. González-Acosta: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7737-5762
Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1790-456X
Jonathan Franco-López: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6006-6031
D
D
D
The western coast of the Gulf of California (GC) is
characterized by a scarcity of rivers draining into
the gulf, only two of them (Colorado and Mulege),
forming estuaries in the upper and middle gulf
regions ( González-Castro-Aguirre et al., 1995;
Acosta et al., 2021).
Estuary ecosystems from northwestern Mexico
such as that of Mulege River have not been enough
studied. The fish fauna reported for this estuary is
composed by 47 species, 38 genera and 22 families
(Ruiz-Campos , 2003; González-Acosta et et al.
al., 2021). However, information on LL (standard
length – total length) and LW (length – weight)
relationships for the fish species from the Mulege
estuary is not yet available, so that the generation
of this type of information will be of usefulness to
estimate different aspects on fish population
dynamics (e. g., the standing stock biomass,
ontogenetic changes, growth rates and age
structure) and to predict the mean fish biomass of
this ecosystem (e, g., Froese, 2006). Thus, in this
study data of LW and LL relationships for 12
estuarine fish species from the Mulege River
estuary are reported.
Fish were collected in the Mulege River estuary
(26°53.54' N- 111°57-58'' W) in November 2011
The Biologist (Lima). Vol. 20, Nº1, ene - jun 2022
RESUMEN
Palabras clave: Crecimiento en peces – coeficiente b – estuario Mulegé – modelos de regresión
Las relaciones Peso - longitud (LW) y longitud patrón- longitud total (LL), fueron evaluadas para 12
especie de peces capturados en el estuario del Río Mulegé (parte media del Golfo de California). Los peces
fueron recolectados en noviembre de 2011 y enero de 2012, utilizando atarraya y redes de enmalle (luz de
malla 3 mm). Los parámetros de las relaciones LW y LL fueron estimados mediante regresión log-
transformada y lineal simple. Los valores del parámetro b variaron de 2.39 en Lile stolifera (Jordan &
Gilbert, 1882) a 3.16 en Mugil curema Valenciennes, 1836. Las relaciones LL mostraron correlación
significante, variando de 0.851 a 0.999. Se reporta por primera vez la relación LL para tres especies
(Ctenogobius sagittula (Günther, 1861), Erotelis armiger (Jordan & Richardson, 1895) and L.
nigrofasciata Castro-Aguirre, Ruiz-Campos & Balart, 2002). La información aquí reportada servirá para
generar líneas base para la regulación y un manejo sustentable de las pesquerías en uno de los dos estuarios
positivos en el Golfo de California.
104
INTRODUCTION and January 2012, using castnets and gillnets
(mesh size 3 mm). Specimens were taxonomically
identified using generalized keys (e. g., Osburn &
Nichols, 1916; Follett, 1960; Fischer et al., 1995;
Castro-Aguirre et al., 1999), measured in standard
(SL) and total (TL) length with a digital caliper
(precisión 0.1 mm), and weighed with an electronic
balance (precision 0.1 g).
The LW parameters were estimated using the log-
linear regression: log W = log a + b log SL; where
W is the weight (g), SL the standard length of fish
(cm), a is a constant empirically determined, and b
the allometric coefficient (Froese, 2006). To
determine when b value was close to (isometric
growth) or different from 3.0 (allometric growth), a
Student's t-test was performed. The 95%
confidence intervals (CI) of parameters a and b
were calculated, as well as coefficient of
2
determination (r) to assess the fit of the model.
Additionally, the LL relationships were calculated
by the simple linear regression: TL = b SL + a,
using pooled data over the study period.
Ethical aspects: The present study does not have
ethical conflicts.
A total of 1079 specimens of 12 fish species (six
families and 10 genera) were analyzed. On the
table 1 the results of LW relationships, number of
specimens (n), size range, and a and b values are
MATERIALS AND METHODS
González-Acosta et al.
RESULTS
Length (cm) Weight (g) LW LL
Family Species n Min Max Min Max a b r2 G a b r
CLUPEIDAE Lile nigrofasciata 61 5.3 7.3 2.1 5.4 0.2199 2.517 0.6893 A 0.672 0.7147 0.9015*
Lile stolifera 190 4.2 8.4 0.9 0.67 0.1872 2.3912 0.4645 A 0.8730 0.6612 0.8509*
Opistonema libertate 17 6.1 10.5 2.4 13.7 0.2603 2.7442 0.881 I 0.4658 0.7532 0.987*
ELEOTRIDAE Erotelis armiger 90 2.8 8.2 0.2 3.0 0.0629 2.4232 0.9439 A - 0.0013 0.8153 0.9883*
GERREIDAE Diapterus brevirostris 112 1.9 17.9 2.4 23.0 0.1517 3.0516 0.7861 I - 0.269 0.7716 0.9962*
Eucinostomus currani 16 1,8 6.1 0.1 5.3 0.1524 3.1183 0.9676 I 0.1447 0.7326 0.9943*
Eugerres lineatus 24 4.6 17.4 1.5 120.0 0.2594 3.0044 0.9784 I - 0.5864 0.7913 0.996*
Gerres cinereus 82 3.9 16.4 1.1 68.2 0.1091 2.887 0.8973 I 0.2149 0.7159 0.9942*
GOBIIDAE Ctenogobius sagittula 183 2.3 8.2 0.09 4.9 0.7445 3.0305 0.9015 I 1.0567 0.5914 0.9567*
LUTJANIDAE Lutjanus argentiventris 57 3.1 15.0 0.7 89.5 0.1159 2.9454 0.9214 I 0.1973 0.7795 0.9909*
MUGILIDAE Mugil cephalus 219 2.1 33.0 0.1 456.0 0.3159 2.9118 0.9751 A 0.0856 0.7872 0.9991*
Mugil curema 28 2.3 12.4 0.2 31.4 0.1832 3.1604 0.9196 I 0.1679 0.7568 0.9972*
In bold are presented first reports of LL relationships; * indicates a significant correlation. A and I represent allometric and isometric growth (G), respectively.
Table 1. Parameters of length-weight (LW) and total length–standard length (LL) relationships for 12 fish species caught in the Mulege River estuary (middle Gulf
of California).
105
The Biologist (Lima). Vol. 20, Nº1, ene - jun 2022
Length-Weight and Length-Length relationships for 12 fish species
Castro-Aguirre, J.L.; Espinosa-Pérez, H.S. &
Schmitter-Soto, J.J. 1999. Ictiofauna
estuarino-lagunar y vicaria de México.
Limusa-Noriega.
Castro-Aguirre, J.L.; Balart, E.F. & Arvizu-
Martínez, J. 1995. Contribución al
conocimiento del origen y distribución de la
ictiofauna del Golfo de California, México.
Hidrobiológica, 5: 57-78.
Fischer, W.; Krupp, F.; Schneider, W.; Sommer, C.;
Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. 1995. Guía
FAO para la identificación de especies para
lis fines de la pesca. Vol. II-III, Vertebrados
Parte 2, FAO.
Follett, W.I. 1960. The freshwater fishes: their
origins and affinities. Symposium on
biogeography of Baja California and
adjacent seas. Systematic Zoology, 9: 212-
232.
Froese, R. 2006. Cube law, condition factor and
weight-length relationships: history, meta-
analysis and recommendations. Journal of
Applied Ichthyology, 22: 241-253.
Froese, R. & Pauly, D. (Eds). 2021. FishBase.
Worldwide web electronic publication.
http://www.fishbase.org
González-Acosta, A.F.; De La Cruz-Agüero, G. &
De La Cruz-Agüero, J. 2004. Length-
weight relationships of fishes caught in a
mangrove swamp from the Gulf of
California (Mexico). Journal of Applied
Ichthyology, 20: 154-155.
González-Acosta, A.F.; Ruiz-Campos, G.; Cruz-
Escalona, V.H. & Urcadiz-Cazáres, F. J.
2021. Lista comentada de la ictiofauna del
estuario del río Mulegé, Golfo de
California, México. Revista Mexicana de
Biodiversidad, 92: e923616.
Osburn, R.C. & Nichols, J.T. 1916. Shore fishes
collected by the “Albatross” expedition in
summarized. Estimations of LW relationships
indicated coefficients of significant determination
2
(r, P < 0.001) ranging from 0.4645 in Lile stolifera
(Jordan & Gilbert, 1882) to 0.9184 in Eugerres
lineatus (Humboldt, 1821). Values of b parameter
ranged from 2.39 in L. stolifera to 3.16 in Mugil
curema Valenciennes, 1836.
Student's t-test allowed us to determine eight
species with isometric growth while four species
had an allometric growth (Table 1). Moreover, LL
relationships were also highly correlated for all the
2
species (LL; r > 0.85, P < 0.001; Table 1) with
values ranging between 0.851 for L. stolifera and
0.999 for Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758.
From 12 fish species examined here, ten of them
(83%) showed values of b parameter within the
expected range (2.5 to 3.5) for fishes (Froese,
2006). Likewise, the LL relationships for three
species: Ctenogobius sagittula (Günter, 1861), E.
armiger (Jordan & Richardson, 1895), and Lile
nigrofasciata Castro-Aguirre, Ruiz-Campos &
Balart, 2002 are reported for the first time (Froese
& Pauly, 2021). Five species (42%) showed b
values within the intervals reported in FISHBASE
data (Froese & Pauly, 2021) and Ruiz-Campos et
al. (2006); while other two species (Diapterus
brevirostris (Sauvage, 1879) and L. nigrofasciata
had b values within the respective range reported
for the Mexican Pacific (González-Acosta et al.,
2004; Rojas-Herrera et al., 2009; Velázquez-
Velázquez et al., 2009; Sandoval-Huerta et al.,
2015). Other fish species as E. armiger, L.
nigrofasciata, L. stolifera, and Opistonema
libertate (Günther, 1867) had lower b values than
those reported in the Mexican Pacific (see authors
cited above), while C. sagittula and E. lineatus had
higher b values than those reported in this same
region (Table 1).
The LL and LW parameters reported here will be
useful to generate a baseline for regulation as well
as for a sustainable fishery management in the
Mulege estuary, which represents one of the two
positive estuarine ecosystems known in the gulf of
California.
106
DISCUSSION
This study was partially supported by Secretaría de
Investigación y Posgrado-IPN (SIP-IPN
20200034). AFGA thanks the grants from EDI and
COFAA-IPN, and SNI-CONACyT Programs.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES
The Biologist (Lima). Vol. 20, Nº1, ene - jun 2022
González-Acosta et al.
Lower California with descriptions of new
species. Bulletin of the American Museum
of Natural History, 35: 139-181.
Rojas-Herrera, A.A.; Violante-González, J. &
Palacios-Salgado, D. 2009. Length-weight
re l a t i o n s h i p s an d s e a s o n a l i t y in
reproduction of six commercially utilized
fish species in the coastal lagoon of Tres
Palos (Mexico). Journal of Applied
Ichthyology, 25: 234-235.
Ruiz-Campos, G.; Castro-Aguirre, J.L.; Contreras-
Balderas, S.; Lozano-Vilano, M.L.;
González-Acosta, A.F. & Sánchez-
Gonzáles, S. 2003. An annotated
distributional checklist of the freshwater
fishes from Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 12:
143-155.
Ruiz-Campos, G.; González-Acosta, A.F. & De La
Cruz Agüero, J. 2006. Length-weight and
length-length relationships for some
107
continental fishes of northwestern Baja
California, México. Journal of Applied
Ichthyology, 22: 314-315.
Sandoval-Huerta, E.R.; Madrigal-Guridi, X.;
Domínguez-Domínguez, O.; Ruiz-Campos,
G. & González-Acosta, A.F. 2015. Length-
weight and length-length relations for 14
fish species from the central Mexican
Pacific coast. Acta Ichthyologica et
Piscatoria, 45: 199–201.
Velázquez-Velázquez, E.; Navarro-Alberto, J.;
Domínguez-Cisneros, S.E. & Vega-
Cendejas, M.E. 2009. Length-weight
relationships for 24 fish species in a coastal
lagoon of the Mexican South Pacific.
Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 25: 228-
229.
Received September 4, 2021.
Accepted October 19, 2021.
The Biologist (Lima). Vol. 20, Nº1, ene - jun 2022
Length-Weight and Length-Length relationships for 12 fish species
