SOME MORPHOMETRIC STUDIES OF COMMON CARP CYPRINUS CARPIO IN RELATION TO BODY SIZE, FROM ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Thirty three farmed Cyprinus carpio, of different body sizes ranging from 6.1-25.5cm total length and 3.3-330gm body weight were used for the analysis of morphometric variables (head length, head width, dorsal fin length, body girth, body depth, tail length and tail width) in relation to total length and body weight of the fish to investigate allometric growth. It was observed that all these relations showed very high correlation. Slopes of the log transformed data were used to compare with an isometric slope. It was found that all the parameters examined showed isometric growth except head width which showed positive allometry in relation to total length. Head length, head width and tail length showed positive allometry while other parameters showed isometric growth in relation to body weight. Growth in terms of weight was almost proportional to the cube of its length, the values of the slope (b= 3.17) were not consistent with cube law (positive allometry, b<3.0). Regression parameters were found to be highly significant.