CONDITION FACTOR RELATED TO REPRODUCTIVE ASPECTS OF (Leporinus obtusidens) (Characiformes: Anostomidae) COLLECTED AT DOWNSTREAM OF THE HIDROELECTRIC POWER STATION OF FUNIL, STATE OF MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the seasonal variation of condition factor (K) correlated with gonadossomatic (GSI) and hepatossomatic index (HSI) of Leporinus obtusidens (Valenciennes, 1837), collected downstream of the Hidroelectric Power Station of Funil, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and to evaluate if these indices can indicate the reproductive period of this species. The animals were captured between September/2006 and August/2007 and grouped seasonally. The length and the weight of 110 individuals were measured to calculate K, the weight of the liver was determined to calculate HSI and the weight of the gonad to calculate GSI. The K of females and males grouped and of males alone were significantly lower (p<0.05) in the summer. As for the females alone, no significant variation of the K was observed throughout the year. The values of HSI were significantly greater during the spring and summer for both sexes, whereas the GSI of males and females was superior (p<0.05) in the summer. In the correlation tests, K was not related with the GSI and HSI factors; however, strong correlation between GSI and HSI was found. K is not an index of the reproductive period of Leporinus obtusidens (Valenciennes, 1837), whereas GSI and HIS can be used for indicating reproduction.
KEYWORDS: fish; reproduction; reservoir.