| |

Received: 30 March 2020    Revised: 11 August 2020    Accepted: 27 August 2020

DOI: 10.1111/jai.14107

TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION

Length-weight relationships of six fish species of tropical lake,

Mexico

Hosmer Duvan Gomez-Vanega1,2 | Ernesto López-Uriarte1

1
Departamento de Ecología Aplicada, Centro
Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Abstract
Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara, The length–weight relationships (LWRs) for six native fish species from the Chapala
Camino Ramón Padilla Sánchez 2100,
Zapopan, Jalisco 45200, México Lake, Mexico, are described in this paper. The fish were caught monthly with the sup-
2
Universidad Tecnológica del Choco Diego port of local fishermen from different landing sites. The daily catch is obtained using
Luis Cordoba, Quibdo, Colombia
the nasa charalera (pot) and the gill net. Each fisherman can operate 20 pots daily at
Correspondence each fishing site for approximately six or seven months; this pot is a 2 m long cylinder,
Ernesto López Uriarte, Departamento de
0.5 m in diameter, with a mesh opening of 0.5 to 1 cm. Also, each fisherman can set
Ecología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias
Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de between 10 and 20 gill nets each day at sunset and recover them in the morning,
Guadalajara. Las Agujas, Nextipac, Zapopan,
again for six or seven months. The length of the gill net is 30 m or more with a 2 m
Jalisco, México CP 45110.
Email: ernesto.luriarte@academicos.udg.mx drop, with a 1 cm mesh size. The study provides basic data, morphometric data on
length and weight of native species belonging to the genus Chirostoma. These spe-
cies are of great importance for the local fishery with the Mesa Central of Mexico.

KEYWORDS

Chapala lake, Chirostoma, growth, length-weight, Silversides

1 |  I NTRO D U C TI O N sites on the shores of Chapala lake (20°07′–20°21′ de N and

The study focuses on some commercially used species for which
data deficiency is very high and fisheries science and management
needs basic information on length-weight relationships, are miss-
ing. However, this lake is being disrupted due to habitat destruc-
tion, degradation due to pollution, the presence of exotic fish and
intense exploitation of the overall fishery resources (CONABIO,
2010; Contreras-Balderas et al., 2008; De la Vega-Salazar, 2006;
Lyons, González-Hernández, Soto-Galera, & Guzmán-Arroyo,, 1998).
Therefore, this study investigated the length-weight relationship of
six native fish species as a first step in providing basic data which
can assist, together with future studies on additional parameters, to
characterize and manage the populations in the lake Chapala.
2 |  M ATE R I A L S A N D M E TH O DS
The fish were caught monthly from October 2016 to September
2017, with the support of local fishermen from different landing
102°40′45″–103°25′30″W) located in the central-western of
Mexico, using two types of fishing gear, the nasa charalera and the
gill net (DOF, 2015; Guzmán-Arroyo & Ortiz-Martínez, 1995). The
nasa charalera is a cylindrical structure 2  m in length and 0.5  m
in diameter built of corrugated rod, lined with nylon mesh, of
polyamide or polyethylene, monofilament or multifilament, with
minimum mesh size 0.5–1 cm. Each fisherman can operate 20 pots
daily at each fishing site for approximately six or seven months,
starting in December, except in March and April, for the spawning
period, and are checked daily (DOF, 2015). The gill net consists
of a rectangle of 30 m or more in length and 2 m in drop, com-
posed of three sections, the central one with a mesh opening of
5 to 7 cm and two ends with a mesh opening of 1 cm; is placed in
the evening and recovered in the morning, exposed about eight
hours. Specimens obtained during the monthly sampling days
were cooled were 3° to 4°C degrees to be transported to the labo-
ratory and processed. In laboratory the specimens were washed
with tap water and removed excess water with blotting paper. The
total length (TL) and weight (TW) measurements were observed

J Appl Ichthyol. 2020;00:1–3. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jai© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH     1 |

 |
2       DUVAN GOMEZ-VANEGA and LÓPEZ-URIARTE

with a digital caliper of 1 mm accuracy and digital weighing bal-
ance to the accuracy of 0.001 g, respectively. The species identi-
fication was done based on Barbour (1973) and Miller, Minckley,
and Norris (2005) keys. Froese’s (2006) recommendations for the
filtering of length and weight data were followed, eliminating out-
liers, before linear regression analysis, using the Excel program.
The length-weight relationships (LWRs) were determined using
the formula given by Ricker (1975), W = a*Lb, where W is the total
weight in g, L is the standard length in mm of the fish, a = intercept
and b = regression coefficient. The growth constants a and b were
estimated by the least squares method, previous linearization of
the data by means of a logarithmic transformation (Ricker, 1973).
The existence of significant differences in growth coefficients (a
& b) between species was estimated, and the isometric growth
hypothesis was tested (Ho: b = 3 y Ha: b ≠ 3) (Ricker, 1973) using
the t test with a level of significance α = 0.05 (Zar, 1996).
3 |   R E S U LT S
In Table 1 we report the outcome of the assessment of the length-
weight relationships (LWRs) for six Chirostoma species (Family
Atherinopsidae). The data presented include the sample sizes, length
and weight ranges as well as the values for equation parameters a
and b along with the respective 95% confidence intervals. The
coefficient of determination reached for all studied species values
above 0.95, except one which was slightly below this level.
4 | D I S CU S S I O N
The six species collected in this study had an allometric coefficient
b within the expected range (2.5–3.5), and correlation coefficients
(r2) were all over 95% (Froesen, 2006). All silverside species had
an isometric growth (b = 3), their body increased proportionally in
length and weight. The monthly variations of the growth coefficient
b observed in some silverside species could be related to the sam-
ple size, feeding, maturity state, environmental conditions and the
rapid growth in the early stages of life (Moncayo-Estrada, Escalera-
Gallardo, & Lind, 2011; Torres-Orozco & Pérez-Hernández,  2011).
We must consider also differential shrinkage during the processes
of specimen fixation and preservation (Silva, Corrêa, Oliveira, &
Vieira, 2019). The sample size analyzed was high, however the re-
sulting parameters (b, r2) indicate an adequate adjustment of the
LWRs in Chirostoma species evaluated. Therefore, the present study
provides basic biological information six native species commonly
exploited for of human consumption. The data should assist re-
searches for further expanded studies so that authorities can make
well-informed decisions on the sustainable use of the valuable fish-
ery resource of the largest lake of Mexico.

TA B L E 1   Morphometric data (range of total lengths and weights) and the respective estimates of the parameters a and b of the length-
weight equations for de six indigenous fish species collected monthly (October 2016 to September 2017) from Chapala Lake, Mexico

Total Length (cm) Total Weight (g) Regression parameters

Species n Minimun Maximum Minimun Maximun a 95% CL a b 95% CL b r2

Chirostoma 6,002 4.3 11.1 0.28 8.06 0.099 0.087–0.120 3.076 2.852–3.201 0.970
jordania,b 
Woolman, 1894
Chirostoma argea,b  4,403 5.3 11.2 0.73 8.28 0.105 0.088–0.130 3.018 2.775–3.185 0.973
(Jordan & Snyder,
1899)
Chirostoma 1,217 5.6 10.8 0.95 6.67 0.108 0.083–0.133 2.935 2.714–3.156 0.960
chapalaea,b 
Jordan & Snyder,
1899
Chirostoma 1,418 5.6 10.8 0.93 6.66 0.104 0.086–0.123 2.988 2.794–3.182 0.974
labarcaea 
Meek, 1902
Chirostoma 1666 6.2 10.9 1.20 7.31 0.095 0.080–0.109 3.010 2.956–3.244 0.964
consociuma 
Jordania & Hubbs,
1919
Chirostoma 591 4.8 11.3 0.49 8.72 0.100 0.065–0.136 3.079 2.697–3.460 0.950
contrerasia,b 
Barbour, 2002

Note:: Species listed in systematic order (Miller et al., 2005).

Abbreviations: a and b, parameters of LWR; CL, confidence limit; n, sample size; r2, coefficient of determination.
a
Newly described length-weight relationships (LWRs).
b
Record maximum length for the species.
DUVAN GOMEZ-VANEGA and LÓPEZ-URIARTE
AC K N OW L E D G E M E N T
The authors thank the fishermen of Lake Chapala, Mexico, for their
unconditional support during the sampling activities.
C O N FL I C T O F I N T E R E S T
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
DATA AVA I L A B I L I T Y S TAT E M E N T
I confirm that my type of article does not require.
ORCID
Ernesto López-Uriarte  https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0478-6744
REFERENCES
Barbour, C. D. (1973). The systematics and evolution of the genus
Chirostoma, Swainson (Pisces, Atherinidae), Mexico. Tulane Studies in
Zoology and Botany, 19(3), 97–141.
CONABIO. (2010). Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de
la Biodiversidad. Estrategia nacional sobre especies invasoras en
México, prevención, control y erradicación. (Eds). México: CONABIO-
CONANP-SEMARNAT. 110 pp.
Contreras-Balderas, S., Ruíz-Campos, G., Schmitter-Soto, J. J., Díaz-
Pardo, E., Contreras-McBeath, T., Medina-Soto, M., … Lyons, J.
(2008). Freshwater fishes and water status in Mexico: A coun-
try-wide appraisal. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management, 11,
246–256.
De la Vega-Salazar, M. Y. (2006). Estado de conservación de los peces
de la familia Goodeidae (Cyprinodontiformes) en la mesa central
de México. Revista de Biologia Tropical, 54(1), 163–171. https://doi.
org/10.15517/​RBT.V54I1.13989
DOF. (2015). Diario Oficial de la Federación. Norma Oficial Mexicana
NOM-032-SAG/PESC-2015. Dirección General de Normalización
Agroalimentaria de la Secretaria de Agricultura, Ganadería,
Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación. México, D.F. 14 pp.
Froese, R. (2006). Cube law, condition factor and weight-length re-
lationships: History, meta- analysis and recommendations.
|
      3
Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 22, 241–253. https://doi.
org/10.1111/j.1439-0426.2006.00805.x
Guzmán-Arroyo, M., Ortiz-Martínez, J. M. (1995). Artes de pesca. In:
Guzmán-Arroyo, M. La pesca en el lago de Chapala: hacia su orde-
namiento y explotación racional (pp. 73–91). Guadalajara, México:
Comisión Nacional del Agua-Universidad de Guadalajara.
Lyons J., González-Hernández G., Soto-Galera E., Guzmán-Arroyo M.
(1998). Decline of Freshwater Fishes and Fisheries in Selected
Drainages of West-Central Mexico. Fisheries, 23, (4), 10–18. https://
doi.org/10.1577/1548-8446(1998)023<0010:doffa​f>2.0.co;2
Miller, R. R., Minckley, W. L., & Norris, S. M. (2005). Freshwater fishes of
Mexico (p. 490). Chicago, USA: The University of Chicago Press.
Moncayo-Estrada, R., Escalera-Gallardo, C., & Lind, O. T. (2011). Spatial
patterns of zooplanktivore Chirostoma species (Atherinopsidae)
during water-level fluctuation in the shallow tropical lake Chapala,
Mexico: Seasonal and interannual analysis. Neotropical Ichthyology,
9(4), 815–824. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679​-62252​01100​0 400012
Ricker, W. E. (1973). Linear regressions in fishery research. Journal of
the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 30, 409–434. https://doi.
org/10.1139/f73-072
Ricker, W. E. (1975). Computation and interpretation of biological sta-
tistics of fish population. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of
Canada, 191, 1–382.
Silva, R. S., Corrêa, F., Oliveira, L. P., & Vieira, L. J. S. (2019). Length–
weight relation of the 14 fish species occurring on sandy beaches
along a tropical river in the Amazon. Journal of Applied Ichthyology,
35(2), 622–624. https://doi.org/10.1111/jai.13852
Torres-Orozco, R., & Pérez-Hernández, M. A. (2011). Los peces de
México: Una riqueza amenazada. Revista Digital Universitaria, 12(1),
1–15.
Zar, J.H. (1996). Biostatistical analysis. Nueva Jersey, USA: Prentice Hall.
How to cite this article: Duvan Gomez-Vanega H, López-
Uriarte E. Length-weight relationships of six fish species of
tropical lake, Mexico. J Appl Ichthyol. 2020;00:1–3. https://
doi.org/10.1111/jai.14107