Updating Length-Weight Relationships for 21 Reef and Bottomfish Species From the CNMI

Length-weight relationships are a valuable resource when working with survey data, and necessary input for many stock assessment models. Data from the CNMI Commercial Fisheries Biosampling Program were used to generate length-weight relationships for 11 bottomfish management unit species and 8 coral reef ecosystem component species. These represent entirely new estimates for 10 of the bottomfish species and considerable improvements over previously available values for most of the coral reef species, with much greater sample sizes and expanded size ranges.

Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) Administrative Reports are issued to promptly distribute scientific and technical information to marine resource managers, scientists, and the general public. Their contents cover a range of topics including biological and economic research, stock assessment, trends in fisheries, and other subjects. Administrative reports typically have not been reviewed outside PIFSC; therefore, they are considered informal publications. The material presented in administrative reports may later be published in the formal scientific literature after more rigorous verification, editing, and peer review. Other publications are allowed to cite PIFSC Administrative Reports as they wish, provided the informal nature of the contents is clearly indicated and proper credit is given to the author(s).

Matthews T, Schemmel E, Cruz E 2024. Updating length-weight relationships for 21 reef and bottomfish species from the CNMI Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, PIFSC Administrative Report, H-24-06, 15 p.
https://doi.org/10.25923/a31h-9z36