Growth and Reproduction Properties of Endemic Capoeta Kosswigi and Barbus Ercisianus in the Delicay Stream (Van, Turkey)

Abstract

In this study, the growth and reproductive characteristics of Capoeta kosswigi Karaman, 1969 and Barbus ercisianus Karaman, 1971, which are endemic to the Lake Van Basin, in Delicay (Van) were investigated. A total of 309 C. kosswigi and 288 B. ercisianus specimens were caught by electrofishing between April and August 2018. The fork length of C. kosswigi and B. ercisianus ranged from 3.7-26.1 cm and from 4.3-22.7 cm, and the total weights ranged from 0.6-227.4 g and from 1.2-140.0 g, respectively. The most intensive catching was in C. kosswigi population of 5.0-6.9 (27.5%) cm and 0-19.9 (67.0%) g in the groups, and 12.0-13.9 (24.7%) cm and 0-9.9 (23.3%) g groups in B. ercisianus. Condition factor was determined as 1.305 +/- 0.008 (0.798-1.886) in C. kosswigi and 1.158 +/- 0.006 (0.864-1.559) in B. ercisianus. The length-weight relationships were calculated as W = 0.01435 x L-2.952 (r(2) = 0.996) for C. kosswigi and W = 0.01276 x L-2.959 (r(2) = 0.994) for B. ercisianus. The M:F ratio was calculated as 1:0.15 in C. kosswigi and 1:0.64 in B. ercisianus. It was established that C. kosswigi attained sexual maturity when they reached to 11 cm fork length for males, 18 cm fork length for females. Maturation of B.ercisianus individuals occurred at 9 cm fork length in males and 12 cm fork length in females. The spawning in C. kosswigi was observed from 1st week of May to 2nd week of July, and in B. ercisianus from 1st week of May to 1st week of August. It may be suggested that minimum catching size must be 20 cm fork length for C. kosswigi and 15 cm fork length for B. ercisianus.