Biometry and Fecundity of Some Threatened Fish Species of River Gomti of Northern India

Abstract

The wild population of Eutropiichthys vacha, Ompok pabda, Chitala chitala and Botio lohachata has been declined and is presently listed under threatened category owing to reduced abundance. A total of 308 samples of 4 threatened species representing three order and four families were procured during April 2019 to March 2020 from 6 different sites (Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Sultanpur, Barabanki, Lucknow and Sitapur) of River Gomti. A minimum of 10 female individuals were selected to study the biometry, health and absolute fecundity. In the present study, the value of regression coefficient (b) obtained via length-weight relationship showed high heterogeneity where a fish showed isometric (b = 3), negative (b < 3) to positive (b > 3) allometric growth patterns. Fulton’s condition factor (K) was relatively found to be less than “1” which reflects the depletion in energy reserves except in B. lohachata collected from Jaunpur. The absolute fecundity varied from 1604 to 9049 and significantly different at the level of p < 0.001. In E. vacha, the “b” value ranges between 1.006–3.035, in O. pabda, the “b” value ranges between 2.628–3.469 and in C. chitala the “b” value was 2.426 and 3.255 and in B. lohachata the value of “b” was 3.180 which are considered to be the new record for fishdata base. The present study contributes the comparative description of growth pattern, well being and reproductive parameters of selected threatened fishes of River Gomti, India. The information gathered will be considered as baseline knowledge for future research to contemplate management strategies with reference to selected threatened fish species.