Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research (2015) 41, 307–313

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FULL LENGTH ARTICLE biology of gangetic whiting Sillaginopsis panijus (Hamilton, 1822) endemic to delta, Bangladesh

Muhammad Abu Bakar Siddik a,*, Md Abu Hanif a, Md Reaz Chaklader a, Ashfaqun Nahar b, Sultan Mahmud c a Department of Fisheries Biology and Genetics, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Patuakhali 8602, Bangladesh b Department of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Patuakhali 8602, Bangladesh c Department of Aquaculture, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Patuakhali 8602, Bangladesh

Available online 12 January 2016

KEYWORDS Abstract The aim of the present study was to establish the baseline data on fishery biology of Allometric growth; Sillaginopsis panijus which is very endemic in the southern coastal waters of Bangladesh. Altogether Length–weight; 300 individuals of S. panijus were sampled from five catchment areas within the Ganges delta in Condition factors; which males represent 46% and females 54% of the total sampled population. The overall sex ratio Form factor; in the populations agrees with the expected value of 1:1 in normal population. The values of allo- Ganges delta metric coefficient (b) of the LWRs indicated positive allometric growth (b > 3) in female and com- bined sexes, while male showed a negative allometric growth (b < 3). All the relationships among length parameters (SL–TL, SL–FL and TL–FL) of the were found significant with all (r2) values being >0.900. The mean values of CFs for males were higher than those of females in all different length classes. The study would expedite future studies on population assessment and sus- tainable conservation of the fish species along the southern coastal region of Bangladesh. Ó 2015 National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries. Hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Introduction considerable commercial importance in the coastal region of Bangladesh due to its deliciousness, white flesh and few bones Gangetic whiting Sillaginopsis panijus (Hamilton, 1822) a (Islam et al., 2012). There are, however, very few information member of , is an inshore marine and estuarine fish on the life history traits of the species except for a document on species found on the southern Asian coast including the their classification and description by Froese and Pauly (2014). Ganges delta in Bangladesh, , , Malaysia and The Ganges delta is a major spawning and growing area of occasionally as far south as the Indonesian fishes which supports a diverse fish fauna in the southern (Krishnayya, 1963; McKay, 1992). This species has coastal waters of Bangladesh (Islam, 2003; Sharker et al., 2015; Chaklader et al., 2015). Many catadromous, anadro- * Corresponding author. Tel.: +880 1768584609. mous and diadromous fishes use the Ganges delta seasonally E-mail address: [email protected] (M.A.B. Siddik). as a major breeding, feeding and migratory route with Peer review under responsibility of National Institute of Oceanography of Bengal (Islam, 2003; Siddik et al., 2013). However, over and Fisheries. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejar.2015.11.001 1687-4285 Ó 2015 National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries. Hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). 308 M.A.B. Siddik et al. the last century, the riverine ecosystems within this delta have has been done dealing with fishery biology of S. panijus around changed considerably due to human intervention, intense tour- the world. Thus the present study aimed to provide baseline ism, illegal logging, pollution and even global change conse- data of the endemic fishes, S. panijus in the Ganges delta. It quences which have altered water quality and quantity is considered to be the first to provide clear information (IUCN, 2000; Chaklader et al., 2014; Nahar et al., 2015; on some aspects of the biology of this fish species in this Sharker et al., 2015). These factors also rendered body mor- region and will thus further contribute to the development of phology and growth rate of fishes (Froese, 2006; Rypel and inclusive baseline data and the effective management plans Richter, 2008; Akel and Philips, 2014). Therefore, studies on for fishes not only in this region but also its whole geographical various aspects of fishery biology are crucial for sustainable distribution. conservation and management of the stock within the delta. As a biology parameter, LWR is considered the significant Materials and methods biological tool that generates overall growth and condition of fish (Wanner and Klumb, 2009; Philips, 2014; Sabrah, 2015). It A total of 300 individuals of S. panijus were captured with the is also useful for morphological comparisons between sexes of help of fishermen during day time using trawl nets from 5 population and life history study of fishes from different loca- rivers within the Ganges delta in the southern coastal region tions (El-Drawany, 2013; Akel and Philips, 2014; Sabrah, 0 of Bangladesh namely, the Karnafuli River (S1:91°85 N and 2015). In line with LWRs, the condition factors (CFs) of a spe- 0 0 22°32 E: 50 individual), the Meghna river (S2:90°66 N 0 0 cies are important to assess the overall health condition of and 22°79 E: 50 individual), the Tentulia River (S3:90°61 N 0 0 fishes, its productivity and physiology as well (Torres et al., and 22°27 E: 50 individual), the Baleshwar river (S4:89°89 0 2012; Ragheb, 2014). The form factor (a3.0) of a particular spe- N and 22°19 E: 50 individual) and the Marjata river (S5: cies can be applied to demonstrate whether the phenotypes of 89°590 N and 22°110 E: 50 individual) for a period of one year an individual are significantly different from others (Froese, from March 2014to February 2015 (Fig. 1). After collection, 2006; Ahmed et al., 2014). samples were preserved with ice and transported to the Information concerning the fishery biology and characteris- research laboratory. Total length (TL), fork length (FL) and tics are well stated in many fishes; however, to date no research standard length (SL) for every specimen were measured by

Figure 1 Map showing five sampling sites in Ganges delta, southern Bangladesh. Fishery biology of gangetic whiting Sillaginopsis panijus 309 slide calipers (Mitutoyo, CD-15PS, Japan) and weight (W) was Version 15.0 was used for all statistical procedures at 5% taken on a digital electronic balance (Shimadzu, EB-430DW, (p < 0.05). Japan) for each fish. The sex was identified by visual inspection of morphometric characteristics (Liang et al., 2005) and Results and discussion. gonads (Mahmood et al., 2011). The length and weight relationship of S. panijus was deter- Length composition and sex ratio mined according to Ricker (1975): W = aLb where, (a) and (b) are constant indicating the body form and the fish growth type. The total length of 300 species of S. panijus obtained for the However, the length–length relationships have been done using study ranged from 14.60 to 29.30 cm for males and 14.70 to the linear regression between TL, FL and SL for males, 28.70 cm for females. The number of sample, minimum and females, and pool samples separately. The 95% confidence 2 maximum lengths and body weights, 95% confidence limit levels of (b) and the coefficient of determination (r ) were cal- (CL) for male, female and pool sample are presented in Table 1. culated. In order to confirm whether (b) values obtained in the The length frequency analysis showed that the distribution of linear regressions were significantly different from the isomet- males and females of S. panijus was not normal according to ric value (b = 3), a t-test was applied, expressed by the equa- Kolmogorov–Smirnov test (p < 0.001) in the Ganges delta tion: ts =(b 3)/sb, where ts is the t-test value, b the slope (Table 2 and Fig. 2) but Mann–Whitney U-test (p < 0.001) and sb the standard error of the slope (b). showed significant differences in the length-frequency distribu- There are three condition factors that have been performed tions of S. panijus between males and females. to generalize the health condition of S. panijus in the present Among the specimens, the number of males was 138 indi- study as follows: viduals which constitute 46% of the studied samples, whereas the female samples were 162 individuals representing 54% of Fulton’s condition factor (Fulton, 1904): total population. These make a sex ratio of about 1:1.17 3 (KF) = 100 (W/L) . between sexes not showing significant (df =1, v2 = 1.92, Relative condition factor (Le Cren, 1951): b p < 0.05) variation from the expected ratio of 1:1 excluding (KR)=W/a L . b the length class 21.00–21.99 where significant variation was Allometric condition factor (Tesch, 1971): (KA)=W/L . observed (Table 2). However, there is no previous study deal- ing with the length composition and sex ratio available in the where W is the weight, L is the total length and a and b are the literature comparing these findings. LWR parameters. Finally, the form factor (a3.0) for S. panijus was determined using the equation given by Froese (2006): log a S(b 3) Length–length relationships (LLRs) a3.0 =10 where, a and b are regression parame- ters, S is the regression slope, and S = 1.358 considered mean slope. The length–length relationships among SL–TL, SL–FL and A t-test was used for possible variation in length–weight of TL–FL of S. panijus along with the estimated regression males and females, and the overall sex ratio was assessed using parameters and the coefficient of determination (r2) are given the chi-square test (Zar, 1996). An analysis of covariance in Table 3. The result showed lengths of the body parts in (ANCOVA) was used to compare relative condition factor almost all the LLR equations are proportional to the TL. between males and females within the same population. The The LLRs of S. panijus population were found to be highly sig- normality tests for each group were conducted by the nificant as the r2 > 0.94 in all cases. The present findings agree Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and Mann–Whitney U-test. SPSS with the results of Islam et al. (2012).

Table 1 The minimum, maximum, mean observed length (cm) and weight (g) with fish length of S. panijus caught by gill nets from different rivers in Ganges delta, Bangladesh. Sex n Measurements Min Max Mean ± SD CL 95% Male 138 TL 14.60 29.30 20.57 ± 3.66 19.95–21.19 FL 13.60 28.00 19.58 ± 3.58 18.98–20.18 SL 12.10 24.50 17.58 ± 3.00 17.08–18.08 BW 17.97 129.37 50.65 ± 27.42 46.03–55.26 Female 162 TL 14.70 28.70 20.76 ± 3.20 20.26–21.25 FL 13.90 26.90 19.66 ± 3.19 19.18–120.17 SL 12.10 23.50 17.99 ± 2.70 17.57–18.41 BW 18.02 117.42 51.32 ± 24.06 47.59–55.05 Pooled sample 300 TL 14.60 29.30 20.67 ± 3.41 20.28–21.06 FL 13.60 28.00 19.63 ± 3.37 19.25–20.01 SL 12.10 24.50 17.80 ± 2.84 17.48–18.13 BW 17.97 129.37 51.01 ± 25.60 48.96–53.92 Note: n = sample size; TL = total length; SL = standard length; FT = fork length; BW = body weight; CL = confidence limits; SD = standard deviation. 310 M.A.B. Siddik et al.

Table 2 The sex ratio of male and female with total length of S. panijus from different rivers in the Ganges delta, Bangladesh. Length class (TL, cm) Number of specimens Sex ratio (Male/Female) v2 (df = 1) Significance Male Female Total 14.00–14.99 2 1 3 1:0.5 0.33 ns 15.00–15.99 12 9 21 1:0.75 0.43 ns 16.00–16.99 14 14 28 1:1 0.00 ns 17.00–17.99 16 20 36 1:1.25 0.44 ns 18.00–18.99 12 10 32 1:0.83 2.89 ns 19.00–19.99 5 9 14 1:1.8 1.14 ns 20.00–20.99 20 18 38 1:0.9 0.11 ns 21.00–21.99 8 19 27 1:2 4.57 * 22.00–22.99 11 18 29 1:1.6 4 1.69 ns 23.00–23.99 10 14 24 1:1. 4 0.67 ns 24.00–24.99 8 15 23 1:1.88 2.13 ns 25.00–25.99 6 8 14 1:1.33 0.29 ns 26.00–26.99 8 3 11 1:0.38 2.27 ns 27.00–27.99 3 3 6 1:1 0.00 ns 28.00–28.99 2 1 3 1:0.5 0.33 ns 29.00–29.99 1 0 1 1:0 1.00 ns Overall 138 162 300 1:1.17 1.92 ns Note: ns, not significant; *, significant at 5% level (v2 t 1, 0.05 = 3.84).

Figure 2 Length–frequency distribution for males (A) and females (B) of S. panijus from Ganges delta, Bangladesh.

Table 3 The descriptive statistics and estimated parameters of the length-length relationships of S. panijus from the Ganges delta, Bangladesh. Sex n Equation abCL95% of a CL95% of br2 Male 138 SL = a + b TL 1.122 1.014 0.719–0.904 0.981–1.048 0.963 SL = a + b FL 1.138 0.921 0.854–0.985 0.890–0.952 0.962 TL = a + b FL 1.157 0.968 1.069–1.226 0.955–0.980 0.994 Female 162 SL = a + b TL 1.155 1.000 0.847–1.047 0.972–1.027 0.970 SL = a + b FL 1.178 0.915 1.032–1.276 0.887–0.943 0.964 TL = a + b FL 1.261 0.940 1.114–1.362 0.924–0.956 0.988 Pooled sample 300 SL = a + b TL 1.148 1.004 0.809–0.949 0.982–1.026 0.965 SL = a + b FL 1.154 0.919 0.949–1.125 0.898–0.989 0.941 TL = a + b FL 1.207 0.955 1.124–1.261 0.944–0.965 0.991 Note: n = sample size; SL = standard length; FT = fork length; TL = total length; a and b=the parameters of the relationships; CL = confidence limits; r2 = the coefficient of determination. Fishery biology of gangetic whiting Sillaginopsis panijus 311

Length–weight relationships (LWRs) to 3.5 (Froese, 2006; Moutopoulos and Stergiou, 2002), 2.5 to 4.0 (Kumolu-Johnson and Ndimele, 2010) and 2.7 to 3.3 The sample sizes (n), regression parameters and 95% confi- (Ozaydin and Taskavak, 2006) for most fishes. The value dence intervals for (a) and (b) of LWR parameters, coefficient b = 3 shows isometric growth, b<3 shows negative allomet- of determination (r2) and the growth type (GT) of S. panijus ric growth, and b > 3 shows positive allometric growth are presented in Table 4, Figs. 3 and 4. The regression models (Morey et al., 2003). In the present study, the calculated (b) in the study showed no differences in terms of growth patterns values indicated negative allometric growth (b < 3) in males, between males and females of S. panijus. The calculated value positive allometric (b > 3) in females and combined gender of (b) exponent for male, female and combined sexes was of S. panijus. The value of b exponent can be varied by a num- 2.994, 3.209 and 3.096, respectively. Islam et al. (2012) found ber of factors such as differences in the number of sampled the exponential in the length–weight equation (W = aLb) species, seasonal environmental conditions, habitat, maturity, was 3.480 for the same species nicely matching with the present preservation technique, and differences in the sampling areas findings. It is established that the (b) values may range from 2.0 (Jobling, 2008; Le Cren, 1951; Oscoz et al., 2005; Rypel and

Table 4 The descriptive statistics and estimated parameters of the length–weight relationships and form factor of S. panijus from the Ganges delta, Bangladesh.

2 Sex na b CL95% of a CL95% of br ts GT a3.0 Male 138 0.005 2.994 0.003–0.007 2.925–3.062 0.982 0.171 A 0.005 Female 162 0.003 3.209 0.001–0.005 3.137–3.282 0.979 5.649 A+ 0.006 Pooled sample 300 0.004 3.096 0.003–0.003 3.045–3.147 0.979 3.692 A+ 0.005 Note: n = sample size; a and b=the parameters of the relationships; CL, confidence limits; r2 = the coefficient of determination; ts = t-test

value; GT = growth type; A+ = positive allometry; A = negative allometry; a3.0 = form factor.

5.2 5.2 5 A 5 B 4.8 Ln(BW) = 2.9936Ln(TL) - 5.2226 4.8 Ln(BW) = 3.2095Ln(TL) - 5.8771 4.6 n=138, R² = 0.982 4.6 n=162, R² = 0.9792 4.4 4.4 4.2 4.2 4 4 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.4 Ln Body Weight

Ln Body Weight 3.2 3.2 3 3 2.8 2.8 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Ln Total Length Ln Total Length

Figure 3 Relationships between males (A) and females (B) of S. panijus (Hamilton, 1822) based on log transformed TL and BW in the Ganges delta, Bangladesh.

180 180 160 A 160 B 140 BW = 0.0054TL2.9936 140 BW = 0.0034TL3.209 120 n=138, R² = 0.982 120 n=162, R² = 0.979 100 100 80 80 60 60 40 Body Weight (gm)

Body Weight (gm) 40 20 20 0 0 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 Total Length (cm) Total Length (cm)

Figure 4 Relationships between TL and BW for males (A) and females (B) of S. panijus from Ganges delta, Bangladesh. 312 M.A.B. Siddik et al.

Table 5 Variation in different types of condition factors (KF, KR and KR) with length for S. panijus from the Ganges delta, Bangladesh.

Sex Measurements Min Max Mean SD CL95%

Female KF 0.380 0.6029 0.529 0.040 0.523–0.536 KR 1.033 1.1209 1.070 0.025 1.049–1.092 KA 0.001 0.0064 0.003 0.001 0.002–0.005

Male KF 0.431 0.6095 0.530 0.037 0.524–0.537 KR 1.036 1.1488 1.078 0.043 1.042–1.113 KA 0.002 0.0098 0.005 0.003 0.003–0.007

Pooled sample KF 0.431 0.6095 0.529 0.039 0.525–0.534 KR 1.033 1.1488 1.074 0.034 1.056–1.092 KA 0.002 0.0098 0.004 0.002 0.003–0.005

Note: KF = Fulton’s condition factor; KR = relative condition factor; KA = allometric condition factor; SD = standard deviation.

Richter, 2008). The lotic and lentic aquatic environment, pol- Conclusion luted and non-polluted environment would also regulate the condition of the fish species. Fish generally tend to be weightier It could be concluded that the findings of the study will con- in the lotic environment and lighter in the lentic environment tribute to the knowledge of all fish population within the vast (Mousavi-Sabet et al., 2014). The (b) values estimated in this areas of Ganges delta. It also may assist fishery scientists, man- study were within the expected range 2.3–3.5 that was pro- agers and conservationists to develop sustainable management posed by Ahmed et al. (2014). strategies conserving the stocks in one of the world’s largest deltas in Bangladesh. Condition factors (CFs) Conflict of interest There are a number of condition factors including Fulton’s, relative, and allometric were applied to assess the general The authors declare that they have no competing interests. health and productivity of S. panijus. However, the results showed that there were no variations on condition factors Acknowledgements between sexes of S. panijus collected from the Ganges delta, Bangladesh. The KF ranged from 0.4314 to 0.6095 (0.5304 The authors are thankful to Patuakhali Science and Technol- ± 0.0378) in males and 0.3804 to 0.6029 (0.5294 ± 0.0401) ogy University for providing fund and facilities to carry out in females (Table 5). The KR for males and females varied this research. Also thanks to the three anonymous reviewers between1.0364 and 1.1488 (1.0776 ± 0.0426) and 1.0331 and for their comments on this paper. 1.1209 (1.0705 ± 0.0254) in males and females, respectively (Table 4). The K varied from 0.0020 to 0.0098 (0.0050 A References ± 0.0026) for males and 0.0016 to 0.0064 (0.0034 ± 0.0017) for females (Table 5). The mean values of condition factors Ahmed, F., Ahmed, Z.F., Hossain, M.Y., Ohtomi, J., 2014. Popula- given by Hossain et al. (2013) for Xenentodon cancila (Bagri- tion biology of the Indian river shad, Gudusia chapra (Clupeidae) in dae) in Ganges river, Bangladesh were 0.17 ± 0.03 and 0.82 the old Brahmaputra river, north-eastern Bangladesh. Sains ± 0.10; 0.19 ± 0.03 and 0.90 ± 0.13; 0.00016 ± 0.00002 and Malays. 43, 1645–1655. 0.00027 ± 0.00004 for males and females in terms of KF, KR Akel, E.K., Philips, A., 2014. Fisheries and biodiversity of the beach and KA, respectively. However, in the present study, the condi- seine catch from the Eastern Harbor, Alexandria, Egypt. Egypt. J. tion factors are higher than those shown by Hossain et al. Aquat. Res. 40, 79–91. (2013) in the Ganges waters, which may be due to its higher Chaklader, M.R., Nahar, A., Siddik, M.A.B., Sharker, R., 2014. feeding activity. The differences in condition factors with dif- Feeding habits and diet composition of Asian Catfish Mystus ferent regions are mainly attributed to regional variations in vittatus (Bloch, 1794) in shallow water of an impacted coastal environmental conditions. habitat. World J. Fish Mar. Sci. 6 (6), 551–556. Chaklader, M.R., Siddik, M.A.B., Nahar, A., 2015. Taxonomic diversity of paradise threadfin Polynemus paradiseus (Linnaeus, Form factor (a3.0) 1758) inhabiting southern coastal rivers in Bangladesh. Sains Malays. 44 (9), 1241–1248. The estimated values of form factor (a ) in the present study El-Drawany, M.A., 2013. Some biological aspects of the Por’s 3.0 goatfish, (Family: Mullidae) from Tripoli Cost of Libya. Egypt. were 0.0049, 0.0058 and 0.0054 for males, females and the J. Aquat. Res. 39 (4), 261–266. pooled samples, respectively of S. panijus (Table 4). There is Froese, R., 2006. Cube law, condition factor and weight–length no literature review concerning the form factor of the species relationships: history, meta-analysis and recommendations. J. within its entire geographical distribution. Therefore, this Appl. Ichthyol. 22, 241–253. information could be considered the first detailed systematic Froese, R.; Pauly, D., 2014. ‘‘Sillaginopsis panijus” in FishBase. study for this species for future research. . Fishery biology of gangetic whiting Sillaginopsis panijus 313

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