J. Appl. Ichthyol. 25 (2009), 362–364
2009 The Authors
Journal compilation 2009 Blackwell Verlag, Berlin
ISSN 0175–8659
Received: June 21, 2008
Accepted: September 29, 2008
doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0426.2009.01233.x
Short communication
Length–weight relationships of fish species caught in the Upper Uruguay River,
Brazil
By A. P. de Oliveira Nuñer and E. Zaniboni-Filho
Laboratório de Biologia e Cultivo de Peixes de Água Doce, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Rodovia, Florianópolis, Santa
Catarina, Brazil
The Uruguay River in South American originates in Brazil and
together with the Paraná and Paraguay rivers forms the Prata
Basin, which has a drainage area of 3.1 million km2.
Data for this survey aimed to evaluate the influence of
damming on fish populations in the Upper Uruguay River.
From these data, length–weight relationships were reported for
56 fish species, with other information available in ZaniboniFilho et al. (2004).
Gillnets with different mesh sizes, seine nets, hook and line
and cast net were used, but a standard fishing effort was always
made at each site. The equipment was selected according to the
environmental and hydrological conditions of the sampling
sites.
Nets were retrieved after 12 h. The captured specimens
were identified in the field, measured to the nearest millimeter total length using an ictiometer, and to the nearest
0.01 g of fresh weight with an electronic balance. When
necessary, fish samples were sent to senior taxonomists for
identification.
Length–weight relationships were estimated using the
model: log W = log a + blog L, where W is the fresh weight
in grams, L is the total length in cm and a and b the equation
parameters. The model was estimated for each species using
the linear function of the GRAPHPAD PRISM 4.0 software.
Materials and methods
Results and discussion
Fishes were sampled at 2- or 3-month intervals from September 1995 to March 2002, at 15 sites distributed along the
Upper Uruguay River basin.
Analyzed were 24 865 fishes total, distributed among 56
species representing seven orders and 17 families from the
Upper Uruguay River, Brazil (Table 1).
Summary
Length–weight relationships were estimated for 56 species,
representing seven orders and 17 families of fishes from the
Upper Uruguay River, Brazil. For most of these species, no
length–weight relationships were previously available.
Introduction
Table 1
Total length (L, cm) and weight (W, g) relationships for fish species caught in Upper Uruguay River, Brazil, September 1995–March 2002
Order
Family
Species
n
Lmin–Lmax
b
CI for b
a
CI for a
R2
Atheriniformes
Characiformes
Atherinidae
Acestrorhynchidae
Anostomidae
Odontesthes bonariensis
Acestrorhynchus pantaneiro
Leporinus amaea
Leporinus obtusidensa,b
Leporinus striatusb
Schizodon nasutusa
Astyanax bimaculatusa
Astyanax fasciatusa
Astyanax gr. scabripinnisa
Bryconamericus iheringii
Bryconamericus stramineus
Galeocharax humeralis
Oligosarcus brevioris
Oligosarcus jenynsii
Salminus brasiliensis
Serrasalmus spilopleura
Steindachnerina biornata
Steindachnerina brevipinna
Hoplias lacerdaeb
Hoplias malabaricus
Apareiodon affinis
Prochilodus lineatus
10
1538
398
92
20
1058
1776
2388
2676
1409
793
284
188
1127
194
198
306
557
439
290
848
171
6.9–20.7
6.0–34.3
8.5–19.4
20.0–76.0
11.3–16.4
11.0–43.5
2.4–17.5
1.5–16.8
1.7–15.6
1.5–11.4
1.9–11.4
10.5–30.5
4.0–28.0
2.0–31.0
47.0–91.0
6.0–26.0
3.0–18.8
3.7–22.6
3.8–74.5
13.1–55.2
3.2–18.1
16.6–80.0
3.12
3.23
2.98
2.14
2.95
2.98
3.23
3.25
3.22
3.30
3.27
3.29
3.12
3.04
2.77
3.29
3.03
3.06
2.98
3.08
3.22
3.06
3.00–3.25
3.21–3.26
2.86–3.10
1.95–2.33
2.59–3.32
2.95–3.01
3.19–3.26
3.22–3.27
3.20–3.24
3.25–3.33
3.17–3.35
3.21–3.37
3.06–3.18
3.02–3.07
2.56–2.96
3.25–3.32
2.99–3.08
3.00–3.11
2.93–3.04
3.02–3.13
3.18–3.25
2.90–3.22
0.003
0.004
0.001**
0.406
0.010
0.010
0.009
0.006
0.007
0.006
0.006
0.004
0.007
0.008
0.032
0.010
0.013
0.011
0.011
0.008
0.006
0.011
0.002–0.005
0.0040–0.0044
0.0007–0.0023**
0.206–0.800
0.004–0.025
0.009–0.011
0.008–0.010
0.006–0.007
0.006–0.007
0.005–0.006
0.005–0.006
0.003–0.005
0.006–0.008
0.008–0.009
0.014–0.075
0.009–0.011
0.011–0.014
0.010–0.013
0.009–0.013
0.007–0.010
0.005–0.006
0.006–0.021
0.99
0.97
0.86
0.85
0.94
0.97
0.95
0.97
0.97
0.95
0.88
0.96
0.98
0.98
0.79
0.99
0.98
0.96
0.96
0.98
0.98
0.89
Characidae
Curimatidae
Erythrynidae
Parodontidae
Prochilodontidae
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Length–weight relationships of fish in the Uruguay River
363
Table 1
(Continued )
Order
Family
Species
n
Lmin–Lmax
b
CI for b
a
CI for a
R2
Cypriniformes
Gymnotiformes
Perciformes
Cyprinidae
Gymnotidae
Cichlidae
Siluriformes
Sciaenidae
Auchenipteridae
Cyprinus carpiob
Gymnotus carapoa
Crenicichla celidochilus
Crenicichla igara
Crenicichla jurubi
Crenicichla minuano
Crenicichla missioneira
Crenicichla tendybaguassu
Crenicichla vittata
Geophagus brasiliensis
Gymnogeophagus gymnogenysb
Pachyurus bonariensis
Tracheolyopterus galeatus
Tracheolyopterus teaguei
Rhamdella longiuscula
Rhamdia quelen
Ancistrus taunayi
Hypostomus commersonii
Hypostomus isbrueckeri
Hypostomus luteus
Hypostomus regani
Hypostomus roseopunctatus
Hypostomus ternetzi
Hypostomus uruguayensis
Loricariichthys anus
Iheringichthys labrosus
Luciopimelodus pati
Megalonema platanuma
Parapimelodus valenciennisa
Pimelodus absconditus
Pimelodus atrobrunneus
Pimelodus maculatus
Steindachneridion scriptuma
Synbranchus marmoratusb
45
28
83
107
64
225
166
30
78
705
361
39
317
98
25
668
25
401
1602
382
97
131
14
11
118
245
21
11
69
848
120
572
385
14
13.7–66.5
33.1–76.0
6.5–26.8
6.7–31.2
8.2–30.3
4.0–26.0
4.5–28.3
10.3–19.6
4.5–31.0
1.5–18.9
1.8–14.2
10.8–21.6
7.5–19.7
8.9–19.7
13.1–22.0
11.5–51.0
8.5–14.0
5.3–60.5
8.4–30.8
10.0–40.5
14.5–39.7
8.9–30.5
8.7–34.3
13.2–34.5
13.2–38.2
14.5–28.8
50.0–85.0
19.2–35.0
5.7–16.0
5.5–28.7
10.0–25.7
10.0–51.0
20.0–100.0
32.6–49.0
2.89
2.78
2.97
3.23
2.87
3.08
3.13
2.91
3.37
3.11
2.93
3.21
3.41
3.56
2.88
3.13
3.52
2.99
2.93
2.80
3.10
2.83
3.09
2.82
3.31
3.14
1.89
3.88
3.61
3.39
3.30
3.31
1.96
3.28
2.73–3.05
2.47–3.09
2.88–3.07
3.15–3.30
2.75–2.99
3.00–3.16
3.06–3.19
2.67–3.15
3.29–3.44
3.08–3.14
2.87–2.99
3.02–3.40
3.32–3.51
3.29–3.82
2.40–3.37
3.09–3.18
3.25–3.79
2.94–3.04
2.90–2.96
2.76–2.84
3.03–3.16
2.74–2.91
2.97–3.22
2.51–3.13
3.18–3.43
3.04–3.23
1.53–2.25
3.18–4.59
3.32–3.89
3.35–3.43
3.12–3.48
3.26–3.37
1.85–2.07
2.63–3.94
0.026
0.006
0.010
0.005
0.014
0.008
0.007
0.013
0.003
0.015
0.018
0.007
0.006
0.003
0.009
0.005
0.005
0.010
0.014
0.024
0.007
0.020
0.009
0.017
0.002
0.005
1.049
0.0004*
0.002
0.002
0.003
0.003
0.738
0.0005*
0.014–0.047
0.002–0.021
0.008–0.013
0.004–0.006
0.010–0.020
0.007–0.010
0.005–0.008
0.007–0.026
0.003–0.004
0.014–0.016
0.016–0.020
0.004–0.012
0.004–0.007
0.002–0.007
0.002–0.036
0.005–0.006
0.002–0.009
0.008–0.011
0.013–0.015
0.021–0.027
0.006–0.009
0.016–0.026
0.006–0.013
0.006–0.045
0.001–0.002
0.003–0.006
0.230–4.794
0.000–0.004*
0.001–0.003
0.002–0.003
0.002–0.005
0.003–0.004
0.487–1.119
0.000–0.006*
0.97
0.93
0.98
0.99
0.97
0.97
0.98
0.96
0.99
0.98
0.97
0.97
0.94
0.88
0.87
0.97
0.97
0.97
0.96
0.98
0.99
0.97
0.99
0.98
0.96
0.95
0.86
0.94
0.91
0.97
0.92
0.96
0.77
0.91
Heptapteridae
Loricariidae
Pimelodidae
Synbranchiformes
Synbranchidae
CL, 95% confidence interval.
a
Maximum length longer than in FishBase.
b
Samples consisted mostly of juveniles.
**Value multiplied for 103.
*Value multiplied for 102.
FishBase (http://www.fishbase.org – Version 06 ⁄ 2008)
showed 12 species in the Uruguay River with estimated
length–weight relationships already in the database: Apareiodon affinis, Astyanax bimaculatus, Astyanax fasciatus, Leporinus obtusidens, Pachyurus bonariensis, Pimelodus maculatus,
Serrasalmus spilopleura, Trachelyopterus galeatus (BeneditoCecilio et al., 1997), Cyprinus carpio (Tsimenidis, 1976),
Gymnotus carapo (Barbieri and Barbieri-Cruz, 1983), Hoplias
malabaricus (Domanico, 1998) and Prochilodus lineatus
(Carozza and Cordiviola de Yuan, 1991). Of all analyzed
species only Cyprinus carpio is an exotic (Zaniboni-Filho
et al., 2004).
The values of b parameter estimated for Astyanax bimaculatus and Prochilodus lineatus were higher than in FishBase,
because they lie outside the upper limit of the mean confidence
interval estimated from those data. These extreme b values
were not related to a limited range of sizes, since similar
numbers of randomly selected small, medium and large size
specimens were analyzed as recommended by Froese (2006).
Nor were these extreme b values related to the presence of
early juveniles, since more than 80% of sampled individuals
from the various species presented maximum lengths longer
than half the maximum length registered at FishBase, except
Cyprinus carpio, Gymnogeophagus gymnogenys, Hoplias lacer-
dae, Leporinus obtusidens, Leporinus striatus and Synbranchus
marmoratus.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the staff involved in this study, which
consisted of associated researchers, graduate and undergraduate
students. We also thank Tractebel Energia and Consórcios Itá
and Machadinho for financial support, and the Conselho
Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientı́fico e Tecnológico (CNPq)
and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nı́vel
Superior (CAPES) for grants awarded to the authors.
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AuthorÕs address: Alex Pires de Oliveira Nuñer, Laboratório de
Biologia e Cultivo de Peixes de Água Doce,
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Rodovia
SC 406, 3532, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina 88066000, Brazil.
E-mail: [email protected]