Length-weight relationships of three reef fish species from Kei Islands, Southeast Maluku, Indonesia

This study is aimed to evaluate the length-weight relationship (LWRs) of three dominances reef fishes collected during January-December 2016 in 13 sites of fish landing in Kei Islands, Southeast Maluku. A simple linear regression was used as a tool for analysis the LWRs of these three species. A total of 744 fishes were collected from the gill net and handline fishery, they were Siganus lineatus (n=185), Caesio cuning(n=307) and Lethrinus lentjan (n=252). The results from linear regression analysis clarified that the growth pattern of S. lineatus was positive allometric (b = 3.02, r² = 0.7773), where increasing ofits weight isfaster than its length. Conversely, the growth pattern of C. cuning and L. lentjan were negative allometric, where increasing of their lengths are faster than their weights (b=2.72, r²=0.90 and b = 2.89, r² = 0.94, respectively). Furthermore, this finding helps in implementation a sustainable management of fish resources in the future.