Growth and Reproductive Biology of Shilluk, Leuciscus vorax (Heckel, 1843), in the Third River / central Iraq

Authors

  • Kadhim Jawad Lafat Al-Zaidy Branch of Pathology and Clinical Disease of Poultry Coll. Veterinary Medicine, University of Kerbala, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48165/ijar.2025.46.03.22

Keywords:

Water quality, Gonadosomatic index, Relative fecundity

Abstract

This study was conducted on several environmental parameters, and some reproduction physiological processes of the Shilluk fish Leuciscus vorax were conducted alongside the Third River throughout central Iraq between the months of January and December of 2022. The results indicated that the temperatures of the water ranged from 10.1°C in January to 34.7°C throughout July. Every month, the acidity value varied between 6.4 and 8.3. The total dissolved solids (T.D.S.) average each month varied between 4.04 ppt and 7.41 ppt. The oxygen content in the solution varied between 9.22 and 6.9 mg/L. Throughout the course of the research, data from 106 L. vorax specimens were gathered. The hormonal Gonadosomatic Index (GSI) as well as the formation of gonads was examined in order to estimate the fertilization time. The results show that this kind of organism undergoes one reproductive cycle annually, with spawning events taking place between the months of January and February. The overall length (TL) of the individuals varied from 10.83 to 53.1 cm. Comparative reproductive estimates varied between 63388 to 79695 eggs per kilogram of weight of the person, and eggs lengths at maximal maturation varied from 1.5 to 1.64 mm.

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Al-Zaidy, K. J. (2021a). Water quality and conservation status of fish fauna of Main Outfall Drain, Al-Diwaniya City, Iraq. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 910, No. 1, Article 012062). IOP Publishing.

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Al-Mukhtar, M. A. (1982). Biological study of two freshwater fish, Barbus luteus (Heckel) and Aspius vorax (Heckel), in Hammar Marsh, Basrah (Master’s thesis). University of Basrah, Iraq.

Published

2026-02-11

How to Cite

Jawad Lafat Al-Zaidy , K. (2026). Growth and Reproductive Biology of Shilluk, Leuciscus vorax (Heckel, 1843), in the Third River / central Iraq . The Indian Journal of Animal Reproduction, 46(3), 143-151. https://doi.org/10.48165/ijar.2025.46.03.22