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vol-16COMPARATIVE GROWTH STUDIES ON LETHRINUS LENTJAN,
LACEPEDE 1802 AND L. HAHSENA, FORSSKAL. 1775
(PISCES, LETHRINIDAE) IN THE RED SEA
ELHAM A. WASSEF* AND F. BAWAZEER
Girls College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
* National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Alexandria,
Egypt.
ABSTRACT
Growth characteristics for two lethrlnlds, Lethrlrus lentj… and
L• .-hsene In the Red Sea off Jeddah waters were studied. With ages
detennined by scale readings. back calculated lengths \4), to the
seventh year of life were obtained for each species. Regressions of
fish length on scale radius were also c~ted. Growth in length
appeared to be most rapid during the first year of life and slows
down as age progresses. Growth in weight, on the other hand, was
highest during the third and fourth years of life for L. lengtjan
and L. mahsena respectively. Within each species, males and females
gave virtually identical results in their growth rate. Three
exponential equations were derived for each species to represent
the length/weight relationship for separately males. fenBles and
sexes combined. Coefficient of condition (K) values were also
determined and variation of these values with fish size and .cnth
of capture were studied. The parameters of VonBertalatfy’s growth
equation L , K & t were estimated for the two species under
study
