Department of Marine Living Resources, College of Science and Technology, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam-530003, Andhra Pradesh, India
Sex ratio indicated that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the sexes in their occurrence. A scale of six stages of maturity of gonads was identified. The mean length at first maturity was found to be 85mm in females. Peak spawning takes place during September to December. GSI was found to be high during Sep to Dec in females. Fecundity varied from 6009 to 18786 ova. P. bindus was a carnivore, feeding mostly on copepods, lucifers, euphasids, crab zoeae, amphipods and megalopa larvae in the order of importance. There was no marked difference in the food composition between males and females. A common regression equation was given for both the sexes as W = 1.2694E-05 L3.0288 (r = 0.94). Analysis of covariance showed significant difference between regression slopes of males and females. Relative condition factor was low during September to December in males and during February and September to November in females of P. bindus.
Photopectoralis bindus, spawning biology, food and feeding habits, lengthweight relationship, relative condition factor, Visakhapatnam
