The relationship between length, weight and health status index (K) of Merluccius merluccius off the coast of Tripoli, Libya

Abstract

This study included the length-weight relationship and the health status coefficient (k) of this important fish species in the shores of Tripoli, Libya, to help in enhancing the effectiveness of fisheries management at the local and regional levels. 720 Merluccius merluccius were collected from the shores of Tripoli city, during the period from November 2023 to October 2024, with length ranging from 9.7 cm to 54.9 cm, and the weights from 11.4 to 1210 gm. Growth trend was positively allometric along this the duration of this study (b=3.117) with a correlation coefficient R2=0.969, which indicates that the change in fish weight increases more quickly than its length, and that the growth of the fish is at its best. The results showed that the health status coefficient (K) was 0.78 in autumn 0.78, in summer 0.73, 0.68 in winter, and 0.64 in spring, indicating that the health status is fluctuating so as it is high at the beginning of maturation and gonad development, then decreases after that and then revert to rise again gradually after the reproductive period for the M. merluccius fish in the coast of Tripoli.