Fisheries sector have been gaining importance globally due to their role in national economy, foreign exchange
earnings and employment generation besides providing nutritious food and cheap protein not only to the fisher
folk but also to the rapidly growing population. Bombay duck fishery supported by single species, Harpodon
nehereus, contributes about 4-5 % of the estimated average annual marine landings of India. With a peculiar
discontinuous distribution fishery is utmost importance in two maritime states of India i.e. Gujarat and
Maharashtra contributing 92% of the total landings and the remaining 8% landings were from West Bengal
and Orissa coasts. H. nehereus forms a commercial fishery along Hooghly estuarine systems. The present
study aims on the morphometric and meristic counts of H. nehereus. During the period of investigation, 373
fish samples with length range (145 to 302 mm) and weight range (28 to 212 gm) were examined. Highest
significant correlation (P<0.01) was observed between reference length and other morphometric parameters of
both sexes. Percentage range difference in male's morphometric characters like post orbital length (15.24) and
snout length (15.04) are environmentally controlled and others like standard length (11.09), pre-dorsal length
(12.18), height of pelvic fin (13.39) and height of pectoral fin (12.10) are intermediate controlled (genetic and
environmental factors). But in case of females, none of the characters are controlled by environmental factors
and parameters like pre-dorsal length (10.37) and post orbital length (12.37) are intermediate controlled,
remaining parameters in both sexes are genetically controlled (hereditary). Meristic counts includes dorsal fin
with 10-13 soft rays, pelvic fin with 9 soft rays, pectoral fin with 10-12 soft rays and anal fin with 13-15 soft
rays