​Assessment of Fecundity and Its Relation with Body Parameters of Common Carp, [Cyprinus carpio (var.) communis] in Dal Lake, Kashmir

Abstract

Background: Fecundity is an important parameter in fisheries that predicts the reproductive capability of fish stock. Information on the fecundity of Common carp is helpful in estimating the amount of offspring produced in spawning season, which is essential for the stock assessment of the species. Assessment of the fecundity of a fish is essential for evaluating the commercial potentialities of its stock, life history, practical culture and actual management of the fishery. Common carp is a commercially important fish which has the potential to meet the demand of food in the country. Scanty of data is available on fecundity parameter of common carp in Kashmir waters. Therefore, this research work aims to estimate the fecundity of Common carp collected from the Dal lake of Kashmir. Methods: The present study aims to estimate the fecundity of Common carp, [Cyprinus carpio var. communis] existing in Dal Lake, Kashmir. The 30 fish samples were collected once every month from the month of January 2018 to December 2018. Fishes were brought to Fisheries Resource Management (FRM), Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K Laboratory for the estimation of total length, weight of fishes and weight of ovaries. Gravimetric and actual counting method was used for the estimation of fecundity. Result: It was observed that the number of eggs varied from 16650 (for a fish with total length 180mm and total weight 120 g) to 129000 (for a fish with total length 430 mm and total weight 1300 g. The mean absolute fecundity was recorded as 68864.07± 6563.59 for a fish with a mean total length of 301.43 ± 13.93 mm and mean total weight of 435.1 ± 66.51 g. The relative fecundity ranged from 99.2-240.8 and the mean relative fecundity was 185.96. Significant positive correlation was found between fish weight and absolute fecundity. (r= 0.907, p less than 0.01), fish length and absolute fecundity (r= 0.976, p less than 0.01), Ovary weight and absolute fecundity (r= 0.998, p less than 0.01). Relative fecundity showed a significant negative correlation with weight, length and absolute fecundity (r= -0.747, p less than 0.01; r= -0.419, p less than 0.05 and r= -0.460, p less than 0.05 respectively.