Age, diet, growth and reproduction of a Population of Cobitis paludica (deBuen, 1930) in the Palancar Stream (southwest of Europe, Spain) (Pisces : Cobitidae)

A total sample of 99 specimens of the vulnerable fish species Cobitis palud ica (de Buen, 1930), was collected on a monthly basis from a tributary of t he River Guadalquivir between September 1990 and September 1991. Female lon gevity was 1 year longer than that of males, the former reaching age-class 5+. The diet of C. paludica consisted mainly of Ostracoda and chironomid la rvae, benthic prey of small size and occasionally other resources, such as Macrobiotid eggs spawned during winter. Detritus in gastrointestinal conten t was scarce, which differs from other populations. Back-calculations of le ngth were performed from scale annuli measurements. The relationship betwee n standard length and scale radius was different for males and females. Fem ales were larger than males of the same age. Both back-calculated length an d theoretical length, calculated by applying von Bertalanffy's model, were larger for females. The relationship between female standard length (SL) an d fecundity (F) was log F = -7.465 + 5.5753 log SL.