Research Article
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Length-weight relationship, condition factor dynamics, and feeding preference of Clarias batrachus (Linnaeus, 1758) from the rivers of Bataan, Luzon Island, Philippines

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 70 - 78

Mark Nell Corpuz , Roselle Rojero , Mark Anthony Ocampo , Emmarie Padilla

Abstract

There is a paucity of information on Philippine catfish (Clarias batrachus) thriving in fishery areas in Bataan, Luzon Island, and the Philippines. The study examined the length-weight relationship (W = aLb), condition factor, and stomach content of C. batrachus collected from two major river systems in Bataan (Orani and Bagac Rivers), Philippines. A total of 60 fish specimens (12.4–25.5 cm) were collected using a 12-v electrofishing gear and fishing net. Although the specimens from Orani were significantly larger than those from Bagac, the latter exhibited an isometric growth rate (b = 3). Orani population displayed a negative allometric growth (b < 3). Female and male samples, regardless of site variability, showed a statistically isometric growth rate (b = 3). The condition factor of C. batrachus was K = 1.0, irrespective of site and sex variation, signifying that the populations are in good condition. Five food items were detected in Bagac, with the Gobiidae family emerging as the predominant prey items based on number (48.89%), frequency of occurrence (100%), and weight (72.83 %). Orani recorded three food items, primarily macroinvertebrates (Chironomidae), accounting for 75 %N, 86.67 %O, and a frequency of 91.19%. The Index of Preponderance and Index of Relative Importance recognized Gobiidae and Chironomidae as the two most important food items in Bagac and Orani, respectively. The baseline dataset generated from this study is hoped to provide insights into the current population status of this important fishery resource for improved riverine conservation management.

Keywords

Bagac Growth coefficients Index of preponderance Orani Prey items

Ethical Statement

The Animal Care and Use Committee of Peninsulares Ethics Review Board of the Bataan Peninsula State University (REDO.PROJ.OC026) approved protocols for animal experiments.

Thanks

The authors extend their gratitude to BPSU-RDO, DOST, and Iskolar ng Bataan for partially funding this study; they expressed reverence to the local fisherfolks of Tagumpay in Orani and Parang in Bagac for their assistance during fish collection and to the anonymous reviewers who provided constructive comments and recommendations.

References

  • Abobi, S.M. (2015). Weight-length models and relative condition factors of nine (9) freshwater fish species from the Yapei Stretch of the White Volta, Ghana. Applied Zoology, 79, 30427-30431.
  • Admassu, D., Abera, L., Tadesse, Z. (2015). The food and feeding habits of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell), in Lake Babogaya, Ethiopia. Global Journal of Fisheries and Aquaculture, 3(4), 211–220.
  • Ahmad, R., Pandey, R.B., Arif, S.H., Nabi, N., Jabeen, M., Hasnain, A.U. (2012). Polymorphic β and γ lens crystallins demonstrate latitudinal distribution of threatened walking catfish Clarias batrachus (Linn.) populations in North-western India. Journal of Biological Sciences, 12, 98–104. https://doi.org/10.3923/jbs.2012.98.104
  • Allen, D.J. (2011). Clarias batrachus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011:e.T166613A6247551. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.20111.RLTS.T166613A6247551.en
  • Blaber, S.J.M. (2000). Tropical estuarine fishes; ecology, exploitation and conservation. Blackwell Science, Oxford. 371 p. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470694985
  • Corpuz, M.N.C. (2018). Diet variation and prey composition of exotic clown featherback, Chitala ornata (Gray 1831) (Osteoglossiformes: Notopteridae) in Laguna De Bay, Luzon Island, Philippines. Asian Fisheries Science, 31(4), 252–264.
  • Corpuz, M.N.C., Espaldon, M.V.O. (2023). Socio-ecological system assessment for conservation planning in riverine and mangrove fishery areas in Bataan, Philippines. AACL Bioflux, 16(2), 1114–1126.
  • Corpuz, M.N.C., Ocampo, P.P., Camacho, M.V. (2013). Morphometric and morphomeristic variations of five populations of indigenous Celebes Goby, Glossogobius celebius (Perciformes: Gobiidae) from Southern Luzon, Philippines. The Philippine Agricultural Scientist, 96(1), 75-85. 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02314.x.
  • Datta, S.N., Kaur, V.I., Dhawan, A., Jassal, G. (2013). Estimation of length-weight relationship and condition factor of spotted snakehead Channa punctata (Bloch) under different feeding regimes. SpingerPlus, 2, 436. https://doi.org/10.1186/2193-1801-2-436
  • De Leon, K.J.A., Manliclic, A.D.C., Corpuz, M.N.C. (2017). Spatial and sexual variation on morphometrics, length and weight, and condition factor dynamics of endemic silver therapon (Leiopotherapon plumbeus, Kner). International Journal of Agricultural Technology, 13(7), 1567–1577.
  • Debnath, S. (2011). Clarias batrachus, the medicinal fish: an excellent candidate for aquaculture and employment generation. International Conference on Asia Agriculture and Animal IPCBEE, 13, 32–35.
  • Fafioye, O.O., Ayodele, O.P. (2018). Length-weight relationship and condition factor of four commercial fish species of Oyan Lake, Nigeria. Examines in Marine Biology & Oceanography, 2(4). https://doi.org/10.31031/EIMBO.2018.02.000543
  • Falsone, F., Geraci, M.L., Scannella, D., Gancitano, V., Di Maio, F., Sardo, G., Quattrocchi, F., Vitale, S. (2022). Length-Weight Relationships of 52 Species from the South of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea). Fishes, 7(2), 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7020092
  • Flores, R.C., Corpuz, M.N.C., Tungol, F.E., Villafuerte, A.A., Antonio, S.S. (2015). Assessment of aquaculture biosecurity measures in Bataan, Philippines. International Journal of Life Sciences, Biotechnology, and Pharma Research, 4(4), 189–192.
  • Froese, R. (2006). Cube law, condition factor and weight–length relationships: history, meta-analysis and recommendations. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 22, 241–253. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0426.2006.00805.x
  • Froese, R., Pauly, D. (2023). FishBase 2006. World Wide Web electronic publication.
  • Fulton, T. (1902). Rate of growth of sea fish. Scotland Science Investment Report, Scotland, pp: 20.
  • Gümüş, A., Yilmaz, M., Polat, N. (2002). Relative importance of food items in feeding of Chondrostoma regium Heckel, 1843, and its relation with the time of annulus formation. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 26, 271–278.
  • Hossain, Q., Hossain, M.A., Parween, S. (2006). Artificial breeding and nursery practices of Clarias batrachus (Linnaeus, 1758). Scientific World, 4(4), 32–37.
  • Hyslop, E.J. (1980). Stomach contents analysis: a review of methods and their application. Journal of Fish Biology, 17, 411–429. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1980.tb02775.x
  • Jisr, N., Younes, G., Sukhn, C., El-Dakdouki, M. (2018). Length-weight relationships and relative condition factor of fish inhabiting the marine area of the Eastern Mediterranean city, Tripoli-Lebanon. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research, 44(4), 299-305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejar.2018.11.004
  • Manko, P. (2016). Stomach content analysis in freshwater fish feeding ecology. Slovakia: University of Prešov. 116 p. ISBN: 978-80-555-1613-4.
  • Mazumder, S.K., Das, S.K., Bakar, Y., Ghaffar, M.A. (2016). Effects of temperature and diet on length-weight relationship and condition factor of the juvenile Malabar blood snapper (Lutjanus malabaricus Bloch & Schneider, 1801). Journal of Zhejiang University Science B, 17(8), 580-90. https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B1500251
  • Natarajan, A.V., Jhingran, A.G. (1962). Index of Preponderance—a method of grading the food elements in the stomach analysis of fishes. Indian Journal of Fish, 8, 54–59.
  • Paller, V.G.V., Ocampo, P.P., Corpuz, M.N.C. (2011). Fish Ark Philippines: direction for the conservation of native and endemic Philippine Freshwater Fishes Project 1: Survey of diminutive freshwater fishes indigenous to isolated crater lakes, mountain crater lakes, mountain streams and cataracts in Southern Luzon, Philippines. Retrieved 15 July 2020 from http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=PH2012000274
  • Ramesh, I., Kiran, B.R. (2016). Food and feeding habits of catfish, Clarias batrachus (Linn) in Bhadravathi Area, Karnataka. International Journal of Research in Environmental Science, 2(4), 56–59. https://doi.org/10.20431/2454-9444.0204006
  • Romero, C.S., Villaflor, K.C., Dela Rosa, D., Corpuz, M.N.C. (2016). Environmental variables affecting the riverine ichthyofaunas and macroinvertebrate communities in Orani river systems (Tala-Silahis continuum), Bataan, Philippines. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference in Research, Education, Management, and the Social Sciences, 31-48.
  • Rosli, N.A.M., Isa, M.M. (2012). Length-weight and Length-length relationship of Longsnouted Catfish, Plicofollis argyropleuron (Valenciennes, 1840) in the Northern Part of Peninsular Malaysia. Tropical Life Sciences Research, 23(2), 59-65.
  • Sakhare, V.B., Chalak, A.D. (2014). Food and feeding habits of Clarias batrachus (Linnaeus, 1758) from Ambajogai, Maharashtra, India. Journal of Fisheries, 2(2), 148–150.
  • Santos, D.A., Manliclic, A.D.C., Corpuz, M.N.C. (2020). Length-weight relationship and condition factor of silver therapon, Leiopotherapon plumbeus (Terapontidae) from two brackishwater habitats. AACL Bioflux, 13(2), 1495–1503.
  • Wakil, U.B., Haruna, A.B., Mohammed, G.A., Ndirmbita, W.L., Bukar-Kolo, M.Y., Muhammed, U. (2014). Examinations of the stomach contents of two fish species (Clarias gariepinus and Oreochromis niloticus) in Lake Alau, North-Eastern Nigeria. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 3(5), 405–409. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aff.20140305.23

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 70 - 78

Mark Nell Corpuz , Roselle Rojero , Mark Anthony Ocampo , Emmarie Padilla

Abstract

References

  • Abobi, S.M. (2015). Weight-length models and relative condition factors of nine (9) freshwater fish species from the Yapei Stretch of the White Volta, Ghana. Applied Zoology, 79, 30427-30431.
  • Admassu, D., Abera, L., Tadesse, Z. (2015). The food and feeding habits of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell), in Lake Babogaya, Ethiopia. Global Journal of Fisheries and Aquaculture, 3(4), 211–220.
  • Ahmad, R., Pandey, R.B., Arif, S.H., Nabi, N., Jabeen, M., Hasnain, A.U. (2012). Polymorphic β and γ lens crystallins demonstrate latitudinal distribution of threatened walking catfish Clarias batrachus (Linn.) populations in North-western India. Journal of Biological Sciences, 12, 98–104. https://doi.org/10.3923/jbs.2012.98.104
  • Allen, D.J. (2011). Clarias batrachus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011:e.T166613A6247551. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.20111.RLTS.T166613A6247551.en
  • Blaber, S.J.M. (2000). Tropical estuarine fishes; ecology, exploitation and conservation. Blackwell Science, Oxford. 371 p. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470694985
  • Corpuz, M.N.C. (2018). Diet variation and prey composition of exotic clown featherback, Chitala ornata (Gray 1831) (Osteoglossiformes: Notopteridae) in Laguna De Bay, Luzon Island, Philippines. Asian Fisheries Science, 31(4), 252–264.
  • Corpuz, M.N.C., Espaldon, M.V.O. (2023). Socio-ecological system assessment for conservation planning in riverine and mangrove fishery areas in Bataan, Philippines. AACL Bioflux, 16(2), 1114–1126.
  • Corpuz, M.N.C., Ocampo, P.P., Camacho, M.V. (2013). Morphometric and morphomeristic variations of five populations of indigenous Celebes Goby, Glossogobius celebius (Perciformes: Gobiidae) from Southern Luzon, Philippines. The Philippine Agricultural Scientist, 96(1), 75-85. 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02314.x.
  • Datta, S.N., Kaur, V.I., Dhawan, A., Jassal, G. (2013). Estimation of length-weight relationship and condition factor of spotted snakehead Channa punctata (Bloch) under different feeding regimes. SpingerPlus, 2, 436. https://doi.org/10.1186/2193-1801-2-436
  • De Leon, K.J.A., Manliclic, A.D.C., Corpuz, M.N.C. (2017). Spatial and sexual variation on morphometrics, length and weight, and condition factor dynamics of endemic silver therapon (Leiopotherapon plumbeus, Kner). International Journal of Agricultural Technology, 13(7), 1567–1577.
  • Debnath, S. (2011). Clarias batrachus, the medicinal fish: an excellent candidate for aquaculture and employment generation. International Conference on Asia Agriculture and Animal IPCBEE, 13, 32–35.
  • Fafioye, O.O., Ayodele, O.P. (2018). Length-weight relationship and condition factor of four commercial fish species of Oyan Lake, Nigeria. Examines in Marine Biology & Oceanography, 2(4). https://doi.org/10.31031/EIMBO.2018.02.000543
  • Falsone, F., Geraci, M.L., Scannella, D., Gancitano, V., Di Maio, F., Sardo, G., Quattrocchi, F., Vitale, S. (2022). Length-Weight Relationships of 52 Species from the South of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea). Fishes, 7(2), 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7020092
  • Flores, R.C., Corpuz, M.N.C., Tungol, F.E., Villafuerte, A.A., Antonio, S.S. (2015). Assessment of aquaculture biosecurity measures in Bataan, Philippines. International Journal of Life Sciences, Biotechnology, and Pharma Research, 4(4), 189–192.
  • Froese, R. (2006). Cube law, condition factor and weight–length relationships: history, meta-analysis and recommendations. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 22, 241–253. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0426.2006.00805.x
  • Froese, R., Pauly, D. (2023). FishBase 2006. World Wide Web electronic publication.
  • Fulton, T. (1902). Rate of growth of sea fish. Scotland Science Investment Report, Scotland, pp: 20.
  • Gümüş, A., Yilmaz, M., Polat, N. (2002). Relative importance of food items in feeding of Chondrostoma regium Heckel, 1843, and its relation with the time of annulus formation. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 26, 271–278.
  • Hossain, Q., Hossain, M.A., Parween, S. (2006). Artificial breeding and nursery practices of Clarias batrachus (Linnaeus, 1758). Scientific World, 4(4), 32–37.
  • Hyslop, E.J. (1980). Stomach contents analysis: a review of methods and their application. Journal of Fish Biology, 17, 411–429. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1980.tb02775.x
  • Jisr, N., Younes, G., Sukhn, C., El-Dakdouki, M. (2018). Length-weight relationships and relative condition factor of fish inhabiting the marine area of the Eastern Mediterranean city, Tripoli-Lebanon. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research, 44(4), 299-305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejar.2018.11.004
  • Manko, P. (2016). Stomach content analysis in freshwater fish feeding ecology. Slovakia: University of Prešov. 116 p. ISBN: 978-80-555-1613-4.
  • Mazumder, S.K., Das, S.K., Bakar, Y., Ghaffar, M.A. (2016). Effects of temperature and diet on length-weight relationship and condition factor of the juvenile Malabar blood snapper (Lutjanus malabaricus Bloch & Schneider, 1801). Journal of Zhejiang University Science B, 17(8), 580-90. https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B1500251
  • Natarajan, A.V., Jhingran, A.G. (1962). Index of Preponderance—a method of grading the food elements in the stomach analysis of fishes. Indian Journal of Fish, 8, 54–59.
  • Paller, V.G.V., Ocampo, P.P., Corpuz, M.N.C. (2011). Fish Ark Philippines: direction for the conservation of native and endemic Philippine Freshwater Fishes Project 1: Survey of diminutive freshwater fishes indigenous to isolated crater lakes, mountain crater lakes, mountain streams and cataracts in Southern Luzon, Philippines. Retrieved 15 July 2020 from http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=PH2012000274
  • Ramesh, I., Kiran, B.R. (2016). Food and feeding habits of catfish, Clarias batrachus (Linn) in Bhadravathi Area, Karnataka. International Journal of Research in Environmental Science, 2(4), 56–59. https://doi.org/10.20431/2454-9444.0204006
  • Romero, C.S., Villaflor, K.C., Dela Rosa, D., Corpuz, M.N.C. (2016). Environmental variables affecting the riverine ichthyofaunas and macroinvertebrate communities in Orani river systems (Tala-Silahis continuum), Bataan, Philippines. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference in Research, Education, Management, and the Social Sciences, 31-48.
  • Rosli, N.A.M., Isa, M.M. (2012). Length-weight and Length-length relationship of Longsnouted Catfish, Plicofollis argyropleuron (Valenciennes, 1840) in the Northern Part of Peninsular Malaysia. Tropical Life Sciences Research, 23(2), 59-65.
  • Sakhare, V.B., Chalak, A.D. (2014). Food and feeding habits of Clarias batrachus (Linnaeus, 1758) from Ambajogai, Maharashtra, India. Journal of Fisheries, 2(2), 148–150.
  • Santos, D.A., Manliclic, A.D.C., Corpuz, M.N.C. (2020). Length-weight relationship and condition factor of silver therapon, Leiopotherapon plumbeus (Terapontidae) from two brackishwater habitats. AACL Bioflux, 13(2), 1495–1503.
  • Wakil, U.B., Haruna, A.B., Mohammed, G.A., Ndirmbita, W.L., Bukar-Kolo, M.Y., Muhammed, U. (2014). Examinations of the stomach contents of two fish species (Clarias gariepinus and Oreochromis niloticus) in Lake Alau, North-Eastern Nigeria. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 3(5), 405–409. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aff.20140305.23
There are 31 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Aquaculture and Fisheries Stock Assessment
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Mark Nell Corpuz 0000-0002-2582-0772

Roselle Rojero 0009-0000-0394-4478

Mark Anthony Ocampo 0009-0001-6321-9355

Emmarie Padilla 0009-0001-7773-7890

Early Pub Date February 1, 2025
Publication Date
Submission Date July 6, 2024
Acceptance Date August 1, 2024
Published in Issue Year 2025Volume: 8 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Corpuz, M. N., Rojero, R., Ocampo, M. A., Padilla, E. (2025). Length-weight relationship, condition factor dynamics, and feeding preference of Clarias batrachus (Linnaeus, 1758) from the rivers of Bataan, Luzon Island, Philippines. Aquatic Research, 8(2), 70-78.

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