Studies on length groups and length-weight relationship of puffer fishes (Pisces: Tetraodontidae) in the catches off Visakhapatnam, India

Abstract

The fishes of family Tetraodontidae were collected from the trawl, trammel net, shore seine and hook and line catches of Visakhapatnam (lat 17º39´N; long 83º14´E) from January 2009 to December 2011. Of the 15 species, a total of 2751 specimens belonging to ten species, regularly represented in the catches of this region, were collected for length frequency distribution and length-weight relationship (LWR) studies. From LWR estimates b value varied from 2.8113 to 3.0223. These studies on length frequency and LWR for <i>Arothron immaculatus, A. stellatus, Chelonodon patoca, Lagocephalus lagocephalus, L. guentheri, L. inermis, L. lunaris, L. sceleratus, Takifugu oblongus </i> and <i> Torquigener hypselogeneion </i> has been estimated for the first time from Indian waters.