Age and growth of bassan barbel, Barbus pectoralis (Actinopterygii: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae), under conditions of a dam reservoir

Background. Bassan barbel, Barbus pectoralis Heckel, 1843, is widely distributed in the lakes and river systems of Turkey and its neighbouring countries. Bassan barbel is a fish species of commercial value. The aim of this study was to provide necessary biological features of bassan population from Kemer Reservoir. Materials and Methods. Biological aspects of Bassan barbel were studied based on a total of 206 specimens collected from Kemer Reservoir, during the period December 2004-November 2005. The fish age was determined from scales. Length-weight relation and Fulton's condition factor were used to evaluate fish condition. Results. The fish were from 1 to 6 year-old. Forklength (FL)-weight(W)relations were estimated as W = 0.011 · FL2.980 for all specimens studied. The estimated growth parameters of the von Bertalanffy equation were: L? = 34.8 cm, W? = 549.58 g, K = 0.168 · year-1 and t0= -1.590 year for all specimens examined. Conclusion. The fish from Kemer Reservoir were characterized by an average growth rate and it was observed that the specimen grew fast during the first two years of life. The reason why bassan barbel had low condition values is probably because the environmental conditions in the reservoir were poor