Reproductive Biology of the Catfish Pachypterus atherinoides (Bloch, 1794) with Special Reference to Its Lentic and Lotic Ecosystems.

The study of reproductive biology is extremely crucial in fishery. Pachypterus atherinoides (Bloch, 1794) is a good food as well as an ornamental catfish in the World. The present study aims to examine the seasonal reproductive behavior of P. atherinoides regarding both its lentic and lotic ecosystems. The study was conducted over two years in selected lentic and lotic aquatic ecosystems of the Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur districts of West Bengal, India using the seasonally observed gonadosomatic index (GSI), fecundity, and gonad maturation stages for both habitats in the study area. The study reveals P. atherinoides to show single annual spawning between June-September. No significant difference was found regarding breeding period in terms of lentic and lotic aquatic ecosystems. This study can help aquaculturists regarding the culture, captive breeding, and conservation of P. atherinoides, as well as researchers regarding the biometric study of another fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]