Resumen de Reproductive and Feeding Biology of Goldspotted Grenadier Anchovy, Coilia dussumieri Off Saurashtra Coast, Northern Arabian Sea
Shubhadeep Ghosh, Vinay Kumar Vase
The information on the biology of Coilia dussumieri was outdated, and this study provides updates about the reproduction and feeding ecology of individuals from Saurashtra, the northern Arabian Sea in India. Total length ranged from 7.0 cm to 21.0 cm. The sex ratio (F/M) was 1.09. Sizes at sexual maturity for females and males were 14.7 cm and 14.5 cm. Fishes spawned throughout the year, with the peak from January to April. Absolute fecundity ranged from 4254 to 21,334 eggs, with a mean of 10,607. Egg diameter varied from 240 µm to 960 µm with a single modal peak at 701–800 µm. Feeding intensity increased with fish size, highest from May–August and lowest from January-April. Below 12.5 cm, fishes fed on zooplankton; dominated by copepods, cladocerans, and foraminiferans. Feeding after that was mostly on nekton; Acetes (61.20%), and teleost juveniles (27.16%). Monthly variations in gonadosomatic index were significantly explained by bottom temperature (20.52%), net primary productivity (13.10%), chlorophyll-a (3.21%); and for predator–prey weight ratio by bottom temperature (38.66%). The present study provides updates and, considering the scarcity of information for other species in this genus, may contribute significantly to the management of Coilia stocks in tropical waters.
