Development of Standard Weight Equations for Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico Amphidromous Fishes

Abstract We collected and compiled length and weight information from four countries and one commonwealth to develop standard weight (Ws ) equations for three amphidromous fish species native to the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico regions: mountain mullet Agonostomus monticola (N = 9,768 individuals, 52 populations), river goby Awaous banana (N = 1,847 individuals, 62 populations), and bigmouth sleeper Gobiomorus dormitor (N = 2,983 individuals, 53 populations). Linear and quadratic Ws equations for three quartiles (25%, median, 75%) are presented for these three species. The length–weight relationship from eight lentic bigmouth sleeper populations was significantly different from that of lotic populations, reflecting higher weights of juvenile fish (<70 mm total length) in lentic environments. Thus, independent Ws equations were developed for lotic populations of bigmouth sleepers. Ws equations were not developed from lentic bigmouth sleeper populations alone due to the low number of applicable populations ...