Length–weight relationship and size at maturity of the Picnic seabream, Acanthopagrus berda (Forsskål, 1775)

Abstract

Length-weight relationship of Acanthopagrus berda was investigated from 720 specimens collected from Korapuzha estuary, Calicut, India. Length-weight relationship for male, female, transitional, undifferentiated and total sample population of A. berda were determined as W = 0.3994L^2.536, W = 0.1694L^3.0584, W = 0.14778L^3.1044, W = 0.12015L^3.285 and W = 0.16515L^3.037, respectively. The overall mean b value (3.03±0.02) indicated isometric growth. Fecundity ranged from 117,821 to 2,225,243 eggs in females weighing 109.5 to 1753 g. Length at 50 % maturity was observed at 22.0 cm TL for males and 28.6 cm TL for females.  Males (13 – 24 cm TL) dominated smaller length classes whereas females (25 – 43 cm TL) dominated in classes > 25 cm TL indicating protandrous hermaphroditism in A. berda.