Length–weight relationship for ten native fish species captured in the streams of the Contas River basin, Northeastern Mata Atlântica freshwater ecoregion, Brazil

Abstract

This work describes the length-weight relationship (LWR) of ten fish species from the Contas River Basin, Bahia State, Brazil. Sampling was conducted quarterly between November 2012 and November 2013 in 18 wadeable streams (nine in the Diamantina Plateau, Caatinga biome, and nine in the Atlantic forest biome). The fishes were caught using electrofishing (800V DC) and hand nets (2.0 mm mesh size) in 50 meters stretch by the sample unit. Collected fishes were fixed in formalin and preserved in alcohol, and thus some shrinking probably occurred. The values of parameter b of the LWR (W = aLb) ranged between 2.763 and 3.267. It is the first record of LWR parameters for nine species, all endemic to Northeastern Mata Atlântica freshwater ecoregion (NMAF). Moreover, new maximum lengths are presented for five species.