Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit
Date of this Version
1996
Abstract
Declining buroot (Lola lola) abundance across some portions of North America has prompted a search for additional evaluation tools, including a measure of condition. Weight - length data were compiled for 10293 burbot from 79 North American populations. These data were used to develop a 75th percentile standard weight (W,) equation using the regression-line-percentile technique. The proposed equation is log10 W3 = - 4.868 + 2.898 log10 TL, where Ws is the standard weight in grams, and TL is the maximum total length in millimetres. The equation is valid for burbot ≥20 cm and will allow calculation of relative weights (Wr) for this species. Based on the length of the longest burbot in our data set ( 104.3 cm), we propose minimum standardized length categories of 20, 38, 53, 67, and 82 cm for stock, quality, preferred , memorable, and trophy length, respectively. The standard length categories will allow I determination of mean W, by length group, as well as calculation of stock density indices. Differences in W, values , were present between lentic and lotic burbot populations, suggesting variation in body shape and a need for establishment of different W, objective ranges.
Comments
Published in Canadian Journal of Zoology 74: 570 - 575 (1996).