Length-weight relationship and condition factor of four poorly known deep-sea demersal finfishes from Indian EEZ

Abstract

Length-Weight Relationships (LWRs) and condition factor (K) were estimated for four deep-sea fish species belonging to four families from the Southeastern Arabian Sea and Western Bay of Bengal of the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The specimens of Lamprogrammus brunswigi (Ophidiidae), Alepocephalus blanfordii (Alepocephaliformes), Parascombrops pellucidus (Synagropidae) and Pterigotrigla hemisticta (Triglidae) were collected using a high-speed demersal trawl II (HSDT II, crustacean version) and an EXPO-model trawl onboard FORV Sagar Sampada during March 2020. The b values ranged from 2.97 to 3.34 and the coefficient of variation (r²) ranged from 0.92 to 0.95. P. hemisticta showed negative allometric growth, and the remaining three species showed positive allometric growth. The condition factor was found to be high for P. hemisticta (1.108) compared to P. pellucidus (0.453), A. blanfordii (0.257), and L. brunswigi (0.082).