Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF BANDED PEARL SPOT ETROPLUS SURATENSIS (BLOCH 1790) (TELEOSTEI: CICHLIDAE) FROM THAMIRABARANI RIVER, WESTERN GHATS OF INDIA

A. Pon Saravana Kannan, P. Jawahar and N. Jayakumar

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out during June 2012 to May 2013 on reproductive biological aspects of Etroplus suratensis collected from Manimutthar, Tirunelveli, and Srivaikundam, situated in Thamirabarani riverine system (8° 42’N and 77.15° 24’E) of Western Ghats of India. The number of ova was found to vary from 2,820 to 4,123 in the size range of 170 mm - 280 mm. The relationship between fecundity and total length is established as Log y = -0.02+1.50x. The length at 50% maturity was estimated as 155 mm (TL) for females and for males it was 150 mm (TL).