Comparison of length-weight relationship, condition factor, and dressing percentage of the Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) across the natural habitats in Bangladesh

Length-weight relationship and condition factor are important population parameters in fisheries management as they provide valuable information about growth and fitness in an aquatic habitat. A study was conducted to analyze different phenotypic traits including length-weight relationship, condition factor and relative condition factor and dressing percentage in order to identify variability in population traits and health conditions of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) in six natural habitats across Bangladesh. Samples were collected from the coastal rivers of Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Patuakhali, Bhola and Cox’s Bazar region. The total length and wet weight of the samples ranged between 20.57 to 40.33cm and 120 to 630g, respectively. Strong positive correlations (0.759-0.955) were found between the length and weight of all the stocks. All the stocks showed negative allometric growth (b<3). The highest value of slope b was observed in Patuakhali (2.99) indicating the faster growth rate and Satkhira was the lowest (2.12). The highest condition factor (1.09 ± 0.13) was observed in Satkhira, while the lowest (0.93±0.09) was found in Cox’s Bazar. The relative condition factor (K_n) was highest (1.13±0.39) in Bhola, whereas the lowest (0.935± 0.10) was in Cox’s Bazar. Stocks of Satkhira and Bhola had relative condition factors greater than 1, which indicated that the observed weight of the fish stocks was more than expected. The highest value of dressing percentage was observed in Satkhira (59.48±2.2) and significant differences (P<0.05) were found among all the stocks. This study will pave the way of helping in proper conservation and management of this species in Bangladesh.