Reproductive biology of Nemipterus japonicus (Bloch, 1791) in the trawl grounds along the north-east coast of India

The reproductive biology of Nemipterus japonicus (Bloch, 1791) along the north-east coast of India was studied during 2012-2015 based on samples from the trawl landings at Digha, Paradeep, Visakhapatnam and Kakinada. Adults dominated the landings. Significant contribution by females was observed in most months of the year. Size at first maturity for females was 15.1 cm. Peak spawning season was during August to February and September to March in the northern and southern regions. Maturity and gonado-somatic index (GSI) were found to correlate well with sea surface temperature (SST). Fecundity increased with length and weight and varied from 13,176 to 1,30,798. Ova diameter distribution indicated the species to be a multiple/batch spawner.