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Proceedings of the International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 2014, 4(3): 95-105
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Article

Morphometry and meristic counts of Bombay duck, Harpodon nehereus (Hamilton, 1822) along Sunderban region of West Bengal, India

V. Vinaya Kumar1,4, A. Devivaraprasad Reddy2, Sampurna Roy Choudhury1, C. H. Balakrishna3, Y. Satyanaryana3, T. S. Nagesh1, Sudhir Kumar Das1
1Department of Fishery Biology and Resources Management, Faculty of Fishery Sciences, WBUAFS, Kolkata - 94, West Bengal, India
2Department of Fish Processing Technology, College of Fishery Science, SVVU, Muthukur-524 344, Andhra Pradesh, India
3Fisheries Development Officer, Joint Director Fisheries, Fishing Harbor, Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
4Fishery Resources Assessment Division, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Cohin, Kerala, India

Received 4 January 2014;Accepted 10 February 2014;Published online 1 September 2014
IAEES

Abstract
Fisheries sector have been gaining importance globally due to their role in national economy, foreign exchange earnings and employment generation besides providing nutritious food and cheap protein not only to the fisher folk but also to the rapidly growing population. Bombay duck fishery supported by single species, Harpodon nehereus, contributes about 4-5 % of the estimated average annual marine landings of India. With a peculiar discontinuous distribution fishery is utmost importance in two maritime states of India i.e. Gujarat and Maharashtra contributing 92% of the total landings and the remaining 8% landings were from West Bengal and Orissa coasts. H. nehereus forms a commercial fishery along Hooghly estuarine systems. The present study aims on the morphometric and meristic counts of H. nehereus. During the period of investigation, 373 fish samples with length range (145 to 302 mm) and weight range (28 to 212 gm) were examined. Highest significant correlation (P<0.01) was observed between reference length and other morphometric parameters of both sexes. Percentage range difference in male's morphometric characters like post orbital length (15.24) and snout length (15.04) are environmentally controlled and others like standard length (11.09), pre-dorsal length (12.18), height of pelvic fin (13.39) and height of pectoral fin (12.10) are intermediate controlled (genetic and environmental factors). But in case of females, none of the characters are controlled by environmental factors and parameters like pre-dorsal length (10.37) and post orbital length (12.37) are intermediate controlled, remaining parameters in both sexes are genetically controlled (hereditary). Meristic counts includes dorsal fin with 10-13 soft rays, pelvic fin with 9 soft rays, pectoral fin with 10-12 soft rays and anal fin with 13-15 soft rays.

Keywords Bombay duck;Harpodon nehereus;morphometry;meristic counts;Sunderban region.


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