Length-weight relationships and condition factor of two Sciaenid species Micropogonias furnieri and Cynoscion guatucupa from the Rio de la Plata and Uruguayan ocean coast, Southwestern Atlantic

The present study analyses the seasonal (summer: January, February, March; autumn: April, May, June; winter: July, August, September and spring: October, November, December) and annual (2006, 2007 and 2011) length-weight relationships and condition factors of Micropogonias furnieri and Cynoscion guatucupa from Río de la Plata and the Uruguayan ocean coast from data collected throught monthly landings by the Uruguayan coastal fleet in the Montevideo port (Uruguay). A total of 9,146 individuals of M. furnieri ranging from 15 to 69 cm total length (LT ); and 5,285 individuals of C. guatucupa, ranging from 21 to 54 cm LT were analyzed. For both species, the allometry coefficients showed that growth in the majority of seasons were negative (b < 3), except for M. furnieri in spring 2006 (isometric, b = 3) and during summer 2011 (positive, b > 3). For M. furnieri, no significant differences among slopes were found between 2006 and 2007 whereas 2011 showed significant differences compared to 2006 and 2007. For C. guatucupa no significant differences among slopes were found between 2007 and 2011, whereas 2006 showed significant differences with other years. The highest values for the condition factor in M. furnieri were recorded in summer 2006, and during the summer and autumn 2007 and for C. guatucupa in winter 2006 and autumn 2007. Significant seasonal and annual differences for condition factors were found for both species. This work provides the first reference regarding condition factor for both sciaenid species in the study area.