Models for length back-calculation in Caspian kutum, Rutilus kutum (Pisces: Cyprinidae) from the Caspian Sea

The Caspian kutum, Rutilus kutum (Kamensky 1901) specimens were sampled by purse seine in the northern Iranian coast of the Caspian Sea at four locations: Feridoonkenar Shahed, Mahmoudabad Khoram, Lariim Azadi fishing coop, and the Shiroud River in Ramsar city. “Back-calculation” is a retrospective method of estimating the characteristics of growth of fish in terms of length and rate of growth in the years preceding capture. Back-calculation of fish lengths at previous ages from scales or otoliths is a widely used approach to estimate both individual and population growth history. The back-calculated lengths of the Caspian kutum,Rutilus kutum (Kamensky 1901) were obtained using six different models, namely scale proportional hypothesis , body proportional hypothesis , Fraser Lee, nonlinear scale proportional hypothesis, nonlinear body proportional hypothesis, and the newest method, Morita Matsuishi model. The results showed that the preferred back-calculation models is Fraser Lee model for both males and females, while the nonlinear body proportional hypothesis is only for the females.