An Assessment on Population Parameters of the African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) from Burullus Wetland, Egypt

Desouky, Mohammed; Azab, Ahmad; Şimşek, Emrah; Demirci, Aydin; Makkey, Ahmed

doi:10.21608/ejabf.2025.414253

An Assessment on Population Parameters of the African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) from Burullus Wetland, Egypt

Authors

10.21608/ejabf.2025.414253

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine some population parameters of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) from Burullus Wetland, Egypt. Samples (N=431) were collected with gillnets between January and December 2022. Their lengths ranged between 18.8 and 76.7cm, and their weights ranged between 40 and 3905g. The sex ratio (1:1.18) were slightly biased toward females. The value of length-weight ratio (LWR) coefficient (b) was calculated as 3.14, 3.25, and 3.18 for females, males, and combined sex, respectively. Therefore, positive allometric growth was recorded. Mean values of condition factors were calculated as K= 0.737± 0.005 and K_n= 0.396± 0.002. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated as L_∞=86.4cm, K=0.25 year^-1, t₀= -0.35, φ=3.27 for all samples. The first maturity length (L_m50) was estimated at 28.61 and 30.83cm for females and males, respectively. In conclusion, although African catfish have good growth performance in this region, the C. gariepinus stocks in this Wetland are overexploited.

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