Abstract

The morphological, anatomical and reproductive features of the little Indian squid, Loliolus (Loliolus) hardwickei (Gray, 1849) were studied based on samples collected from boat seine operated along the Vizhinjam Coast. The species was found to be a new entrant to the fishery along the Vizhinjam Coast. A total of 27 morphometric characters were measured and 13 indices were calculated and reported. Dorsal mantle length (DML) of the specimens ranged from 2.6 to 6.8 cm with a mean DML of 4.5±0.88 cm. The largest specimen observed was a male with DML 6.8 cm. Fully mature (Stage IV) specimens were found to have a higher gonadosomatic index (12.54±2.64 in females and 0.8±0.21 in males). Average length and width of spermatophores were 3.078±0.092 mm and 0.11±0.02 mm respectively. Samples with higher DML were in advanced maturity stages (Stage V). Size composition (DML) of samples revealed that 50% of squids were within the 4-5 cm size range.

Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call