COMPARATIVE ACCOUNT OF SEX RATIO AND SEXUAL DIMORPHISM IN TWO SPECIES OF GOBIIDS FROM THE VASAI CREEK OF MUMBAI

Abstract

Gobiid fishes Parachaeturichthys ocellatus and Boleophthalmus boddaerti were sampled from Vasai creek from January 2010 to December 2010. A total of 485 P.ocellatus and 721 B.boddaerti of different sizes were collected. The sex ratio was 1:0.73 in favour of males in P.ocellatus while it was 1:1.07 in favour of females in B.boddaerti . Sexual dimorphism was distinct in both the species. In male  P.ocellatus the region around the pelvic and anal fins were reddish brown, the second dorsal fin ray was longer and the urinogenital papilla was straight, thin, long and pointed while in female it was short, round and fleshy. In male B.boddaerti second, third and fourth fin rays were long and soft filamentous and urinogenital papillae conical flat and short while in females it was round and bulged.