Length-weight relationship and condition factor of Ilisha melastoma (Clupeiformes: Pristigasteridae) off Pakistan

The length-weight relationship and condition factor for ilisha melastoma (bloch and schneider,1801) is described from samples collected between march 2004 and march 2005. the maximum standard length registered for males and females was 19.7 cm and 19.8 cm,respectively. the length-length relationship between the total length (tl),fork length (fl) and standard length (sl) for i. melastoma was found to be highly significant (r2> 0.96,p< 0.001). the value of b of the length-weight relationship was 2.68 which indicated a negative allometric growth trend of this species. the relative condition factor (kn) varied from 0.90 ± 0.08 to 1.03 ± 0.08. the means of the kn value were significantly different in april,july 2004 and march 2005. the two-way anova indicated no significant differences in kn value between three seasons,pre-monsoon (january-april),monsoon (may-september) and post-monsoon (october-december) and between different size-classes. © 2012 zoological society of pakistan.