Journal of Applied Ichthyology

The study calculated the Length-Based Spawning Potential Ratio (LB-SPR) for several species, including red grouper (Epinephelus morio), black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci), gag grouper (M. microlepis), yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus), lane snapper (Lutjanus synagris), hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus), and white grunt (Haemulon plumierii). Data were obtained from the small-scale commercial fleet operating in the red grouper fishery on the Campeche Bank within the Yucatan Peninsula. Monthly records of total length (cm) from April 2017 to May 2018, totaling 10,182 fish, were collected from five fishing ports along the Yucatan Peninsula coast. Biological data, such as growth and reproductive patterns and exploitation parameters were gathered from scientific literature. The LB-SPR package on the R Core Team platform was utilized for analysis. Despite being the largest, groupers exhibited immaturity () and low Spawning Potential Ratio (SPR). Red and black groupers showed particularly low SPR values (0.10 and 0.05, respectively), indicating a looming risk of local extinction. The gag grouper achieved the highest SPR value (0.26) among groupers, although it was very close to the minimum critical value (i.e., 0.20). Snappers, hogfish, and white grunt were generally captured in the adult state (). Yellowtail, hogfish, and white grunt displayed high SPR values (0.44, 0.72, and 0.98, respectively). Lane snapper had a low SPR (0.28) but fell within the range for maintaining satisfactory stock productivity, albeit with reduced yields. The findings emphasize the urgent need to adjust the current management framework for the red grouper fishery, focusing on improving fishing gear selectivity to address heightened pressure on both juvenile groupers and adult lane snapper. Implementing these measures is crucial to mitigate the risks of local extinction and population decline for each species.

Cryptobenthic reef fishes (CRFs) are often neglected in reef biodiversity assessments, trophodynamic studies, and biomass models. This oversight is due to the challenges associated with recording them in traditional underwater visual surveys and the scarcity of literature detailing their life history, ecology, and body growth parameters. Given their pivotal role in the functioning and maintenance of coral reef ecosystems, addressing these information gaps for CRF species is of great importance. In this study, we have computed the length-weight relationships (LWRs) for 32 CRF species spanning seven families in the Red Sea. This marks the first comprehensive report of LWR parameters for CRFs from this region, and for 31 of these species, it serves as their first LWR data report. The coefficient of determination (r²) ranged from 0.82 to 0.99, indicating a good fit for the LWRs. Half of the presented species belong to the Gobiidae family, including three undescribed species. In addition, we present LWRs for species from the families Blenniidae (5 spp.), Tripterygiidae (2 spp.), Apogonidae (4 spp.), Pseudochromidae (3 spp.), Plesiopidae (1 spp.), and Scorpaenidae (1 spp.). This research contributes invaluable insights into the growth patterns of CRFs not only in a global context but also beyond, as 50% of the recorded species are endemic to the region. The data generated holds great significance for conducting functional diversity analyses, ecosystem assessments, and coral reef health monitoring. By capturing this critical information, this work provides foundational metrics to take significant strides toward the conservation of these essential coral reef fishes.

The contamination of aquatic environments by heavy metals can have detrimental effects on fish, impacting their growth and overall health, including the regulation of antioxidant genes. An investigation was carried out to assess the distribution and habitat of Gymnocypris eckloni in the Yellow River basin. Simultaneously, heavy metal concentrations in its habitat and in selected locations within the upper Yellow River were measured. In an effort to explore the potential roles of specific genes in antioxidant responses, G. eckloni was exposed to low concentrations of copper (Cu²⁺) and lead (Pb²⁺) for varying durations (12, 24, and 48 hours). The mRNA levels of GeCu/Zn-SOD, GeMn-SOD, GeHsp90, and GeMT were quantified in the gills, kidneys, and liver through qRT-PCR. The findings suggest that the habitat of G. eckloni is generally safe; however, occasional exceedances of safety standards could pose a potential threat to its growth. Importantly, the expression of GeCu/Zn-SOD, GeMn-SOD, GeHsp90, and GeMT exhibited responses to the low concentrations of copper-induced and lead-induced stress. Notably, GeCu/Zn-SOD, GeMn-SOD, and GeMT demonstrated heightened sensitivity to lead compared to copper. Furthermore, the expression of these genes displayed tissue-specific responses under identical metal stress conditions. These results indicate that GeCu/Zn-SOD, GeMn-SOD, GeHsp90, and GeMT genes have the potential to serve as early, sensitive biomarkers for the detection of metal toxicity induced by Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺. This study also provides valuable insights into the functioning of antioxidant genes under oxidative stress in fish.

Ethiopia has considerable freshwater potential. Currently, the recognized fish diversity in the country’s freshwater ecosystem is more than 200. Despite the presence of such high fish diversity with considerable economic returns, ichthyofaunal studies on Ethiopian rivers are scarce. Thus, this study aimed to identify and compare ichthyofaunal diversity and distribution in floodplain rivers of the Abbay and Tekeze Basins, Ethiopia. Fish were collected using gillnets, cast nets, hooks, electrofishing, and mosquito nets and identified to the species level. Gillnets had stretched mesh sizes of 4–14 cm with a panel length of 25–75 m and a width of 1.5–2 m per mesh size. They were set in the afternoon (5:00 p.m.) and lifted the following morning (7:30 a.m.). Immediately after capture, fish were preliminary identified in the field and tagged with proper information (e.g., sampling locality and date of collection). Similar fishing efforts were applied at all sampling sites for two dry and two wet months over a period of two years (2018-2019). In the present study, both alpha and beta diversity indices were also examined. Identification keys and an annotated checklist of species were generated for easy naming of the entire fish species in the basins. In the ichthyological collection, 43 fish species with 11 new records from the Ayima, Gelegu, and Shinfa Rivers were identified. The first two rivers in the Abbay Basin were the richest in species and number of individuals. Gelegu River had the highest abundance as well. Generally, this study was conducted in areas where no fish biodiversity studies have been undertaken, and the results obtained from this study could be important for fish biodiversity conservation.

The length-weight (LW) and length-length (LL) relationships of 39 demersal fish species belonging to 19 families were calculated. Fish samples were collected monthly during the open (September–February) and close (March–August) shrimp fishing seasons from 2014 to 2022 by the artisanal fishery in the Bahía Magdalena-Almejas lagoon system (BMA), using small boats and a shrimp bottom trawl with 16–17 m top rope and 38 mm mesh opening. Total (TL) and standard (SL) lengths and total weight (TW) were measured for all fish specimens. The b parameter of the LW relationship ranged from the minimum of 2.483 for Cynoscion parvipinnis to 3.775 as the maximum for Bagre panamensis while, for the LL relationship, the parameter b ranged from 0.685 for Balistes polylepis to 0.994 for Orthopristis cantharinus. Both LW and LL relationships were highly correlated (; . The parameter b of the LW relationship indicated that 59% of the fish species showed isometric and 41% allometric growth. Information on LW and LL relationships is updated for thirteen species, and four are reported for the first time: Citharichthys xanthostigma, Ophidion galeoides, Pleuronichthys guttulatus, and P. ritteri. This study will be useful to update the LW relationship parameters for data-poor fish species and contribute to the accuracy of fish stock assessment in the BMA fisheries.

We studied the effects of salinity on the egg fertilization, hatching, and tadpole growth and survival rates of the Thailand frog (Rana tigerina Dubois, 1981), an introduced species that is commonly cultured in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Salinity levels of 2, 6, and 4% significantly affected the fertilization and hatching rates of the eggs, as well as the tadpole survival rates from the newly hatched to yolk sac exhaustion stages, respectively . Notably, during the stage from yolk sac exhaustion to juvenile tadpole, a salinity of 3% resulted in an increase in the final weight of the tadpoles throughout the stage and a significant increase in Phase 1 (the tadpole stage from yolk sac exhaustion to the onset of foreleg emergence) and Phase 2 (the tadpole stage from the onset of foreleg emergence to the onset of hind leg emergence); however, it did not show a significant effect on tadpole survival rates in Phases 1 and 2 of this stage . A salinity level of up to 5% showed no significant effect on the growth performance but caused a significant reduction in the survival rates of the tadpoles during this stage. We recommend that the artificial reproduction process of Thai frogs should be performed using salinities of <2%, with salinities of ≤2 and 3% being suitable for rearing tadpoles from the newly hatched to yolk sac exhaustion stage and from the yolk sac exhaustion to juvenile stage, respectively.