Length–weight relationships and condition factors of mullets Liza macrolepis and Moolgarda engeli (Pisces: Mugilidae) harvested from Lambada Lhok waters in Aceh Besar, Indonesia

Abstract

Background: The mullets fish Liza macrolepis and Moolgarda engeli are predominant in the Lambada Lhok waters in Aceh province. At present, no scientific report on this species in Aceh waters is available. Therefore, the objective of the present study is to examine the growth pattern and condition factor of the species of mullets L. macrolepis and M. engeli harvested from the aforementioned coastal waters. Methods: The sampling was done in three locations in the Lambada Lhok waters from July to November 2018. The fish were captured using gillnets from 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM four times a month for five months.  A total of 242 L. macrolepis and 109 M. engeli were used for the analysis. The growth pattern was analyzed using linear allometric model; then, two condition factors, Fulton’s and relative weight, were calculated. Results: The study revealed a b value of 2.49 for the male L. macrolepis and 1.81 for the female. The b value was 3.22 for the male M. engeli and 3.41 for the female. The b value of the fish was higher during the dry season. The Fulton’s condition factor of the male L. macrolepis was 1.19, and that of the female was 1.19. The relative condition factor of this species was 100.11 and 100.01 for males and females, respectively. The Fulton condition factor of male M. engeli was 1.05 and that of the female was 1.06. The relative weight condition factors were 101.08 and 100.61 for the male and female, respectively.   Conclusions: The growth pattern of M. engeli tends to be isometric, whereas that of L. macrolepis has a negative allometric growth pattern. The condition factors indicate that the Lambada Lhok waters are still in good condition and support the growth of the mullets, but M. engeli is more adaptable than L. macrolepis.