Age and growth properties of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) living in Kan Stream, upper Çoruh River, Turkey

Abstract

Age and growth were analyzed for brown trout from the Stream Kan, upper Çoruh River, from January 2001 to December 2001. Age varied between 0-7 years and the ratio of male to female was 1:1.05. Fork length and total weight for brown trout varied by 6.9-22.1 cm and 4.9-158.5 g for males, by 6.8-26.1 cm and 4.3-211.9 g for females, respectively. Fork length and total weight at the same age classes were not statistically significant between males and females. The highest specific growth rate occurred between age 1 and age 2 for both sexes. The von Bertalanffy equations were used to determine growth in length for both sexes and overall population separately. The growth parameters for males, females and overall population were estimated as L ∞ = 32.5 cm, K = 0.169, t 0 = −0.978, L ∞ = 36.7 cm, K = 0.139, t 0 = −1.065 and L ∞ = 35.9 cm, K = 0.147, t 0 = −1.002, respectively. Overall growth performance (φ) suggested that difference between the growth of brown trout from Kan stream and those from some other populations was found not statistically significant.