Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India

Fishery and biology of the octopus, Cistopus indicus (Orbigny, 1840) from Mumbai waters

Volume 53 Issue 1

Sujit Sundaram and V. D. Deshmukh

Abstract

Fishery of ,Cistopus indicus, by trawlers at New Ferry Wharf from 2000 to 2009 in Mumbai waters is described. The catch showed an increasing trend up to 2006 and declined thereafter. The catch ranged from 2 t (2002) to 324 t (2006) and the catch rate from 0.002 kg/hr (2002) to 0.181 kg/hr (2006). The relationship between dorsal mantle length (DML) and total body weight (TBW) for males was TBW = 0.001053 * DML2.69321 and for females was TBW = 0.009 * DML2.19221. Fish formed the major food item of both the sexes. Majority of the males in the landings was in mature stage, while the maximum number of females was gravid. The size (DML) at 50% maturity for females was estimated as 82.7 mm. The diameter of mature ova ranged from 2 to 6 mm and fecundity was 13,260.

Keywords

Octopus, Cistopus indicus, biology

Date : 02-09-2011