Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India

On the size of eggs found in the mouth of two males of the catfish Tachysurus caelatus (Valenciennes).

Volume 15 Issue 1

K. V. Sekharan and P. Mojumder

Abstract

Two males of the cat fish, Tachysurus caelatus (Val.) with eggs in the mouth were collected on 28th May 1965. The eggs in the mouth of one fish were yellow and large (11-15 mm), and were in advanced stage of development; their diameter frequency distribution was unimodal. On the other hand the eggs in the mouth of the other fish were in a bunch, and the diameter frequency distribution showed three groups each with a distinct mode. The largest group of eggs (11-13 mm) were yellow, but the embryos could not be distinguished. The other groups of ova were white, much smaller in size (less than 6 mm), were not fertilised and were obviously disintegrating. The present observations indicate that some species of fishes may release all size-categories of ova, both mature and immature, in the course of spawning.

Date : 31-08-1973