MATURATION AND SPAWNING OF RAINBOW TROUT, ONCORHYNCHUS MYKISS WALBAUM, 1792 (SALMONIFORMES : SALMONIDAE) FROM KASHMIR.

In present study, maturation and spawning season of rainbow trout O. mykiss was studied between August 2015 to January 2016 from three trout rearing farms namely Dachigam Trout Farm, Mammar Trout Farm and Achabal Trout Farm. The maximum ova diameter was observed during spawning phase (6.01mm) and minimum ova diameter was obtained during resting phase (1.19mm). The ova diameter analysis of O. mykiss (pooled and site-wise) revealed a significant difference with a p value <0.05, with the considerable increase in ova diameter frequency (pooled and site-wise). The results of GSI for the pooled data revealed maximum value of 15.05% in December and minimum value of 1.60% in August. The gonadosomatic index (site-wise) revealed maximum value of 21.39% at Dachigam in January. The monthly condition factor (K) revealed the highest values for the pooled data in the month of September (1.33) and lowest value in the month of November (1.10). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]