
Length weight relationship, condition factor and length distributions of Cynoglossus senegalensis (Kaup, 1958) off the south coast of Cameroon
Cynoglossus senegalensis (Kaup, 1958) is a valuable species in the artisanal fisheries and has been identified as overexploited in many African countries. The main aim of this study is to determine its basic biological knowledge on the exploitation status in terms of length-weight relationship (LWR), condition factor, and the depth of information on size structure in the Cameroonian coast. A total of 553 samples were collected monthly from March 2021 to February 2022 from beach seine catches along the coastal waters off the south coast of Cameroon. The collected samples were analyzed for growth patterns using Excel 2016 in PC windows 10. The results showed: (1) LWR was W=0.0042(TL)3.0038 indicating an isometric growth pattern (R2=0.9844, t-Test, P>0.05, df=552); (2) a mean Fulton’s condition factor K=0.43 indicating that fishes were not in good condition; (3) a year-round presence of C. senegalensis with highest number of fishes in April and a lowest in August; (4) a trimodal size distribution with a highest length frequency class of ]8~10] and a lowest class of ]2~4]. The results suggest that: (1) the south coast of Cameroon might be a nursery and spawning areas for C. senegalensis; (2) the fishery perimeters of the beach are concentrated mostly on juveniles and immature specimens. The findings would be useful for fishery biologists and fishery managers in future studies on the population dynamics, the stock assessment, the sustainable management and the impact of fishing gear on the C. senegalensis. Our results will contribute to filling the knowledge gap of C. seneglensis in the south coast of Cameroon.
Ebango Ngando Narcisse1,2, Mboglen David3, Liming Song4,*, Chenhong Li1 and Ntyam Sylvie Carole3