Vol. 47 No. 5, 2008

Age and Growth of the Tibetan Catfish Glyptosternum maculatum in the Brahmaputra River, China

Hong-Jing Li^1,2 and Cong-Xin Xie^1,*

¹College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
²College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, Henan 464000, China

Hong-Jing Li and Cong-Xin Xie (2008) Glyptosternum maculatum was successfully aged using otoliths, opercula, and vertebrae.  The maximum age obtained from vertebrae was 13 yr, while that obtained from otoliths and opercula was 12 yr.  Age determinations using otoliths, opercula, and vertebrae showed good agreement with no significant difference among them.  The index of the average percentage error for independent readings of 2 appraised materials was 0.11%, 0.2%, and 0.17%, respectively.  Relationships between body weight (W) and total length (L) are described as follows: W_♀ = 5E - 06L^3.142 (for females) and  W_♂ = 5E - 06L^3.1474 (for males), both of which describe isometric growth.  A power relationship (females,  a = 29.068 and v = 97.173; males, a = 13.402 and v = 107.88) was estimated between the total length and vertebra radius.  von Bertalanffy parameters estimated from back-calculated sizes at age were L_∞ = 342.66 mm, k = 0.1142/yr, and t₀ = − 0.7488 yr for females; and L_∞= 460.24 mm, k = 0.0882/yr, and t₀ = − 0.2312 for males.

Key words: Age, Growth, Glyptosternum maculatum, Brahmaputra River, Tibet.

*Correspondence: Tel: 86-136-07131932.  Fax: 86-027-87282114.   E-mail:xiecongxin@mail.hzau.edu.cn