Some aspects of the life history of Turcinoemacheilus hafezi (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae) from Beshar River, southwestern Iran

We collected the specimens of Turcinoemacheilus hafezi throughout the spawning season (January to July, 2012) in Beshar River (south-west Iran) and investigated its age, growth, and reproductive characteristics. The maximum age was 2+ years. Total length and weight of the specimens ranged from 29 to 61 mm and 0.17 to 1.39 g, respectively. Length-weight relationship was estimated as W = 3E-05TL2.57 for females, W = 3E-06TL3.22 for males and W = 1E-05TL2.88 for the population. Sex ratio was 1:1.1 in favor of males. The growth model was isometric for males and sexes combined and negative allometric for females. Based on the gonadosomatic index (GSI) values, spawning appears to occur between late February and late April in Beshar River. The highest mean GSI was 6.73 for males and 14.50 for females in April. The absolute fecundity ranged 42–726 with a mean of 184.87 eggs. Fecundity was also positively correlated with fish size (length and weight). Egg diameter ranged from 0.4 to 1.6 mm with a mean of 0.84 mm.