Author(s)

Yih-Tsong Ueng^1*, Feng-Jiau Lin², Yi-Shin Chan¹, Chun-Wen Tsao¹, Ming-Jhih Chen^1,3

¹Department of Environmental Engineering, Kun-Shan University, Tainan.
²Tainan Hydraulics Laboratory, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan.
³Tainan Municipal Dawan Elementary School, Tainan.

This study of feeding guild fish from the same coast of subtropics helps to suggest conservation of fishery resources. A total of 2,537 specimens of Plotosus lineatus (Plotosidae) were collected from July 2013 to March 2019 on the coast of Taiwan. The average total body length (TL) was 23.7 cm ± 4.7 cm and 20.3 cm ± 2.9 cm, and the average body weight (W) was 94.1 g ± 59.6 g and 56.6 g ± 30.8 g among 174 males and 630 females, respectively. The LWRs of male and female were ln(W)_M = 3.2914 × ln (TL) − 6.0395, and ln(W)_F = 3.0917 × ln(TL) − 5.3629. The male specimens were large than female in TL and W. The average OSW/TL ratios were 0.722 ± 0.044 and 0.649 ± 0.029 among 41 male and 49 female specimens, respectively. The OSW of the male head was wider than that of the female head (F = 91.5; p < 0.001), and the head widths of the male fish were significantly more than those of their female counterparts, causing the OSs to form granular protrusions. The average CFW/TL ratios were 0.198 ± 0.034 and 0.252 ± 0.032 among the male and female specimens, respectively. The CFW of the male specimens was narrower than that of the female specimens (F = 58.9; p < 0.001), and the CF gap of the male fish was narrower than that of the female fish. The P. lineatus exhibits significant sexual dimorphism. The average eggs number of each female was 2375.6 eggs/individual ± 1140.9 eggs/individual (N = 161). The major prey of P. lineatus were shrimps, crabs, and fishes; the total relative frequencies of occurrence of the prey were 57.1%, 32.6%, and 37.2%, respectively (N = 282), and their total relative abundance levels were 40.2%, 26.3%, and 25.8%, respectively (N = 445). Proper scientific knowledge management will improve the development of fisheries.

Plotosus lineatus, Population Structure, Skull Development, Feeding Guild, Taiwan

Ueng, Y. , Lin, F. , Chan, Y. , Tsao, C. and Chen, M. (2022) Sexual Dimorphism, Length-Weight Relationships, Fecundity, and Diet of the Striped Eel Catfish Plotosus lineatus (Plotosidae) on Taiwan’s Southwest Coast. Natural Resources, 13, 77-90. doi: 10.4236/nr.2022.133006.