Population studies on the fishes of the genus Chirocentrus Cuvier

Abstract

Four important morphometric characters namely, head length, predorsal distance, depth of body and pectoral fin length have been analysed in respect of the two species of Chirocentrus namely, C. nudus and C. dorab from the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar around the Rameswaram Island. The method of regression was used and comparisons were made using the analysis of covariance to find out the significant difference in the regressions between the sexes and localities. The significance of the difference was tested at 1% level of probability. The results indicate that in the case of C. nudus the pectoral fin is longer in male than in female and that each species of Chirocentrus occurring in the two localities could belong to the same popu- lation.