Research Article

Age and growth of a newly described barb, Capoeta coadi (Cyprinidae), in Beheshtabad River, Tigris basin

Department of Natural Resources (Fisheries Division), Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran

^* Corresponding author: keivany@iut.ac.ir

Received: 27 March 2020
Accepted: 22 October 2020

Abstract

The Coad barb, Capoeta coadi Alwan, Zareian and Esmaeili, 2016, is a newly described endemic fish in Beheshtabad River, Tigris basin of Iran and little is known about its life-history. Life history characteristics were examined in 426 specimens collected monthly from Beheshtabad River (central Iran) during May 2013 to May 2014. The sex ratio was 1M:0.7F. Based on scale and opercular readings, the maximum ages of the population were 8⁺ years for females and 7⁺ for males. The most frequent age groups were 3⁺ and 4⁺ in males and females, respectively. Size varied from 8.94 to 42.95 cm in fork length and weight between 10.3 and 1255.5 g. Length–weight relationship implied that the growth was negatively allometric for both sexes. The von Bertalanffy growth model was estimated as Lt =35.97[1‑e^{‑0.205( t+0.586)}] and Lt = 49.31[1‑e ^{‑0.162( t‑0.208)}] for males and females, respectively. The growth performance index was estimated as 5.58 and 5.97 for males and females, respectively, indicating a faster growth rate for females.