Reproductive biology of Amblypharyngodon melletinus muriyadensis – an ornamental fish of the Western Ghats of India

Abstract

Ornamental fish industry directlydepends on the fish and their ongoing availability. Fish spawn during a certain stage oftheir reproductive cycle some breed just once a year, while others do so at regular intervals all year long.Each speciescarefully chooses the best season to have the greatest number of offspring.Since allphasesof fisharenotappropriate forthe ornamental fish marketa scientific foundation is necessary for each species collection.Keecheri and Puzhakkal riversare two important rivers of Thrissur district,Kerala. The region hasimmensepotential with respect to ornamental fishtrade.Therefore,the availability ofAmblypharyngodon melettinus muriyadensisfor the trade was assessed in this work.In this studysexratio anddistribution of mature stageswas conductedto provide management cues and promotional basisfor sustainable yield ofornamental fish.The study revealedfemale dominance over male.It was identified that the fishbreed during monsoon season and mature at short length increasing their potential to produce offsprings.