POPULATION DYNAMICS OF THE INDIAN KILLIFISH APLOCHEILUS LINEATUS (VALENCIENNES) FROM THE RIVER TAMBARAPARANI, TIRUNELVELI. (CYPRINODONTIFORMES, APLOCHEILIDAE)
Dr. J. Michael Antony Prabhu Arachi*
ABSTRACT
Total and standard length of male and female varied between 35 - 75mm, 30 - 70mm and 28 - 65mm, 26 - 62mm respectively. The body weight ranged from 0.65 - 2.63g for male and 0.73 - 2.25g for female. The male and female ratio did not differ significantly from the expected 1:1 ratio. Male/female sex ratio varied with season. On the whole number of females in the population was high in all the months of the study period, but their numbers were more especially during the peak breeding months. Male A. lineatus was 0 - 6 age and female were 0 - 5 in general. Back calculated length at the time of first annulus formation was 40 - 43mmTL for males and 42 - 48mmTL for females. Growth of A. lineatus female was most rapid during the first and second year and remained constant thereafter whereas males showed slower growth rate at the first and second year and rapid growth thereafter. Initially females were larger in size males dominate in the later life. Total instantaneous mortality for the males was 1.326/year and for all females 1.208/year. The Fishing mortality coefficient was 0.406/year for males and 0.158/year for females.
Keywords: Killifish, growth, Aplocheilus lineatus, von Bertanloffy equation, mortality.
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