The Gonadal Length-Weight Relationships of Hilsa Shad (Tenualosa ilisha) in Relation to Fecundity, Total Length and Body Weight

Abstract

The current study was carried out to estimate the range and average number of ova (eggs) released by a female Hilsa shad (Tenualosa Ilisha) individual during the breeding season, as well as to establish a relationship between Fecundity (F) and Total Length (TL), Total Weight (TW), Gonadal Length (GL) and Gonadal Weight (GW). The fecundity of T. Ilisha was determined by studying the ovaries of 20 individuals with TL ranging from 37.60 cm to 49.90 cm. In this study, only ovaries bearing nearly ripe eggs were considered for the data collection. For each specimen, the total number of ova was computed by multiplying the estimated number of ova in the sample by the ratio of total ovary weight to sample weight. The largest specimen (TL 499 mm and TW 1252 g) was found to have 2272864 eggs, while the smallest (TL 376 mm and TW 617 g) had 835461 eggs. The association between Fecundity and TL, TW, GL, and GW were found to be significant at the 5% level (p<0.05) of significance. It was also discovered that for significant 't' values, Fecundity increases linearly with Total Length, Total Weight, and Gonadal Weight.