On comparing groups of fishes based on length-weight relationships

Abstract

F. Torres, Jr., in a 1991 Fishbyte article, presented length-weight relationships derived from 122 graphs in van der Elst's 1981 "A guide to the common sea fishes of southern Africa". This author analyzes Torres's tabulated results to determine whether or not a, b, Ina, L max and InL max were correlated. Highly significant (P < 0.01) negative correlations between b and Ina (r = -0.868) and between Ina and InL max (r = -0.276) were detected. Thus, Torres's mean of b for this sample of 122 species may have been influenced not only by the species composition of the sample, but also by the range in size of individuals of each species.