Growth Characteristics of 10 Deep-Sea Demersal Scorpaenoid Fish Species from the Arabian Sea: Insights for Database Update and Fisheries Management

Abstract

The present study provides length-weight relationships (LWRs) and condition factors (Kn) estimates for ten deep-sea scorpaeniform fishes based on data consisting of new maximum size. The samples were collected from Sakthikulangara Harbour, located on the southwest coast of India, from September 2021 to December 2022. These samples were obtained as bycatch from deep-sea shrimp trawlers operating in the Arabian Sea at depths ranging from 200 to 420 m. The estimated b values ranged from 2.92 (Brachypterois serrulata) to 3.76 (Pterygotrigla arabica). The Kn ranged from 0.56 (Satyrichthys laticeps) to 1.53 (Neomerinthe erostris), with four species exhibiting Kn values higher than 1. The LWR estimates and Kn provided in this study are helpful to understand the growth characteristics of these data limited species and also to revalidate the modeled growth parameters using the Bayesian approach.