Journal of Environmental Biology

Maturation profile and fecundity of the exotic Oreochromis niloticus

in the River Yamuna, India

Absar Alam¹*, N.K. Chadha², K.D. Joshi¹, S.K. Chakraborty², P.B. Sawant², Tarkeshwar Kumar² and A.P. Sharma³

¹Regional Centre, Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Allahabad-211 002, India

²Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai-400 061, India.

³ Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, Kolkata - 700 120, India

*Corresponding Author?s E-mail: absar_alam@rediffmail.com

Publication Data

Paper received:

27 November 2013

Revised received:

19 June 2014

Accepted:

21 August 2014

Abstract

The knowledge on the reproductive biology of fish Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) in riverine condition is meagre in the Indian sub-continent which is necessary for the development of an appropriate fishery management protocols for the rivers. In this context, the gonadal maturation profile and fecundity of O. niloticus was studied. Mature, spawning and spent females recorded in almost all the months of the year evidenced multiple and prolonged breeding behaviour. An overall sex ratio (M/F) of 1: 1.08 observed was statistically non-significant from expected 1:1 ratio (χ²=6.994219, p=0.8642) indicating that males and females were statistically equal in number. The absolute fecundity ranged from1192 to 4760 with mean of 2590 eggs from ovary weighing between1.91 g to 28.89 g. Monthly changes in gonado-somatic index (GSI) revealed that fish bred throughout the year except in July and August, but at peak between October-November and March-June. Size at first maturity of male was estimated as 229.6 mm with confidence limit of 235.9 and 223.6 mm and for female as 238.1 mm with confidence limit of 244.7 and 231.7 mm, respectively.     

 Key words

Fecundity, Gonado-somatic Index, Maturity, Oreochromis niloticus, Yamuna 

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