Spawning habits and their relationship with certain ecological factors in the tropical glassy perchlet <i>Chanda</i> (= <i>Ambassis</i>) <i>commersonii</i> (Cuv. and Val.)

Abstract

Relationships between spawning habits and feeding, condition cycles (biological factors) and salinity, rainfall (physical factors) for 2 y are studied. Spawning season is demarcated as the period between June and March, with peak activities in July, October-November, and January-March. Feeding rate and intensity are higher during periods of spawning and post-spawning, especially so in the case of females. Relative condition factor showing only minor variations from unity furnishes a more sensitive index of somatic differences during the breeding seasons. The outbreak of rains trigger high gonadal activity while much of the peak periods of spawning coincide with periods of higher salinity.