On the bumper catch of balistids from Tuticorin with notes on length-weight relationship and gut contents

Abstract

Three species, Balistes niger (Shaw) Odonus niger (Rupell) and Balistes capistratus (Shaw) constituted 89.5%, 8.6% and 1.9% of the Balistid fishery respectively. Samples ofBalistids were obtained at random and detailed analyses were carried out in the laboratory on the size range, length-weight relationship, gut contents and stages of maturity of gonads. The size of B. niger ranged from 125-129 to 160-164 mm with a single mode at 145 - 149 mm suggesting a single brood stock having been recruited into the fishery. The second dominant species O.niger exhibited a size range from 120 - 124 mm to 180 - 184 mm with two modes at 130 - 134 and 145 - 149 mm, and the size of B. capistratus varied from 140 - 144 mm to 210-214 mm with two dominant modes at 160 - 164 and 185 - 189 mm indicating a possible recruitment of two brood stocks in the fishery at two different time in these two latter species