Sex-specific growth patterns of Coptodon zillii: a comparative evaluation of nonlinear growth models using AICc

Abstract

Abstract Background This study aimed to accurately estimate the growth of Coptodon zillii by comparatively evaluating six nonlinear growth models using the corrected Akaike Information Criterion (AICc), Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), ΔAIC (difference in AICc between each model and the best model), and AIC weights to evaluate relative model support. Results Model selection revealed that the optimal growth function differed by sex, confirming clear sexual dimorphism. The "vbt0p" model is the best fit for males, females, and combined sexes. The nonlinear mixed-effects model showed strong overall support with perfect AIC weights. Models such as Gompertz and Logistic had moderate support, while the Schnute model consistently performed poorly. Conclusions Findings highlight the importance of sex-specific growth considerations for sustainable fisheries management in Lake Nasser.