A total of thirty eight ripe ovaries from the specimens of Rita pavimentata, measuring 230 to 355 mm in total length (TL) and 250 to 750 g in total weight (TW), were selected to study the fecundity. The relationship between fecundity 'and total length (TL), total weight (TW) and ovary weight (OW) was found to be linear. The coefficient of co-relation 'r' of the above relationship was found to be 0.92, 0.94 and 0.96 respectively. All these values are highly significant (P=0.01) indicating a close relationship between compared parameters. However, as indicated by value of 'r' (0.96), the fecundity is more closely related to ovary weight and hence the ovary weight may be a better index of fecundity than the total body length or weight

Qureshi, T.A.

Tiwari, V.K.

Aquatic Commons

J. Indian Fish. Assoc., 32: 81-86, 2005 81 
STUDIES ON FECUNDITY OF RITA PAVIMENTATA (GUNTHER) 
IN RELATION TO TOTAL LENGTH, TOTAL WEIGHT 
AND OVARY WEIGHT 
V. K.Tiwari and T. A. Qureshi* 
Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Deemed University (!CAR), 
Seven Bungalows, Mwnbai- 61. 
ABSTRACT 
A total of thirty eight ripe ovaries from the specimens of Rita pavimentata, 
measuring 230 to 355 ·mm in total length (TL) and 250 to 750 gin total weight 
(TW), were selected to study the fecundity. The relationship between fecundity 
'and total length (TL), total weight (TW) and ovary weight '(OW) was found 
to be linear. The coefficient of co-relation 'r' of the above relationship was 
found to be 0.92, 0.94 and 0.96 respectively. All these values are highly 
significant (P= 0.01) indicating a close relationship between compared 
parameters. However, as indicated by value of 'r' (0.96), the fecundity is more 
closely related to ovary weight and hence the ovary weight may be a better 
index of fecundity than the total body length or weight. 
Keywords: Rita pavimentata, fecundity, total length 
INTRODUCTION 
Rita pavimentata (Gunther), a 
common freshwater teleost is distributed 
in many parts of the India. This fish was 
a candidate species of the river Narbada 
during the year 1958 and had 
contributed about 37.60 % of the total 
fish catch which had come down up to 
13.98 % in the year 1966 
(Karamchandani et al.,1967). The 
present studies on relationship of 
fecundity with related body parameters 
viz. TL (total length), TW (total weight), 
OW (ovary weight) of this species may 
help in management of riverine fishery 
as these parameters are important indices 
of fecundity which in tum indicates the 
potential of auto - recruitment. 
Some important studies 
incorporating fecundity are due to Clark 
(1934), Bagenal (1967), Sinha (1975), 
Chonder (1977), Joshi and Khanna 
(1980), Varghese (1980), Nautiyal. 
(1985), Kiran et al. (2003) and. 
Somdutt et al. (2004). However the 
study on fecundity of this species is 
scanty, thus, present studies will further 
add to the knowledge of relationship 
between fecundity and above stated 
body parameters which in turn would 
serve as tool for better management of 
this resource. 
*Applied Aquaculture Department, Barkatullah University, Bhopal (M.P.) 
82 V. K.TIWARI AND T. A. QURESHI 
MATERIAL AND METHODS 
A total 38 mature female specimen 
of R. pavimentata caught in the month 
of July and August 2001 from Narbada 
river Hoshangabad (M.P.) was taken for 
the present study. The corresponding 
length and weight were measured as per 
the standard method up to the nearest 
mm and g respectively. Ovaries were 
examined to determine the maturity 
stages following the I.C.E.S. Scale 
(Wood, 1930) and fixed in 5% formalin 
for further studies. The relationship 
between fecundity and total length, total 
weight and ovary weight were calculated 
by using least square regression analysis 
(Bagenal, 1967). 
Maturity of ova ascertained by 
microscopic determination of ova 
diameter by using ocular micrometer. 
The ova size, under present study ranged 
from 0.238 to 1.824 mm in diameter. The 
ova diameter study indicates that ova in 
the range of 1.634 mm to 1.824 mm 
diameter with a mode 1.69 mm are in 
fully mature stage during the months 
from June to August. Mature ova from 
three random sub sample of the ovary 
of known weight were counted and the 
fecundity was determined by using the 
formula 
w X (Nl + N2 + N) 
F=-------
Where F= fecundity, W = total 
weight of ovary, (W 1 + W 2 + W) and 
(N 1 + N2 + N3) are the respective weight 
and ova counts of each sub sample. 
RESULTS 
During the present investigation, TL, 
TW and OW were found in the range 
of 230 mm to 355 mm, 250 g to 7 50 g 
and 11.2 to 42.6 g respectively (Tablel). 
The results are given below for each 
relationship separately. 
Table 1: Length and weight of the fish, ovary weight and fecundity of R. 
pavimentata 
S.No. length of Wt. of Fish Wt. of Ovary Fecundity No. of eggs/g 
Fish (mm) (g) (g) (No. of egg) Ovary wt. 
1 230 250 11.2 4850 433.0 
2 230 280 10.9 5100 467.9 
3 235 280 16.3 9200 564.4 
4 240 285 15.6 8600 551.3 
5 250 280 14.3 8100 566.4 
6 256 300 18.4 13000 706.5 
7 260 330 24.6 11300 459.3 
8 260 290 17.3 12600 728.3 
9 265 225 19.6 13400 683.7 
10 270 260 11.2 4850 433.0 
Contd .... 
STUDIES ON FECUNDITY OF RITA PAV/MENTATA 83 
S.No. Length of Wt. of Fish Wt. of Ovary Fecundity No. of eggs/g 
Fish (mm) (g) (g) (No. of egg) Ovary wt. 
11 275 345 29.3 18400 628.0 
12 275 340 21.9 13100 598.2 
13 275 290 16.6 11800 710.8 
14 280 310 21.6 13600 629.6 
15 285 360 24.8 16600 669.4 
16 290 385 27.3 17380 636.6 
17 290 380 28.5 14700 515.8 
18 293 390 26.3 17300 657.8 
19 295 400 33.8 24700 730.8 
20 295 370 25.7 16900 657.6 
21 295 380 26.1 17000 651.3 
22 295 430 32.8 24300 740.9 
23 300 410 33.9 25400 749.3 
24 300 408 31.1 23700 762.1 
25 310 450 32.9 24600 747.7 
26 312 520 35.8 27100 757.0 
27 315 480 31.8 23600 742.1 
28 315 470 31.5 23400 742.9 
29 315 475 33.2 24300 731.9 
30 315 530 34.9 25300 724.9 
31 320 620 35.7 33800 946.8 
32 330 635 38.3 35200 919.1 
33 335 580 37.4 27800 743.3 
34 335 690 41.2 38300 929.6 
35 336 690 40.2 37000 920.4 
36 345 660 34.2 26700 780.7 
37 345 680 39.4 28300 718.3 
38 355 750 42.6 42000 985.9 
The scattered diagram of total length fish weight and fecundity suggests a 
against fecundity was found to be linear linear relationship between these 
(Fig. la). The value of correlation parameters (Fig.l b) the value of 
:oefficient 'r' is derived as 0.92. The regression coefficient 'b' and constant 
value of' b' (264.04) and 'r' (0.92) are 'a' calculated empirically. 
found highly significant (p=O.Ol) and The above value of 'b' (62.062) was 
indicate a linear, close and positive found to be highly significant (p = 0.01) 
:.:onelation. with't' test (t = 8.21). The value of 'r' 
The scattered diagram between total was calculated to be 0.94 for above 
84 
en (!) 
(!) 
w 
1.1.. 
0 
d 
z 
CJ) 
(!) 
(!) 
w 
1.1.. 
0 
0 
z 
CJ) 
Ci 
Ci 
w 
1.1.. 
0 
0 
z 
V. K.TIWARI AND T. A. QURESHI 
SCATTERED DIAGRAM OF TOTAL FISH LENGTH 
AND FECUNDITY 
50000 
40000 
30000 
20000 
10000 
0 
220 
50000 
40000 
30000 
20000 
10000 
0 
240 260 280 300 320 340 360 
LENGTH (mm) 
Fig. I a 
SCATTERED DIAGRAM OF FISH WEIGHT AND 
FECUNDITY 
y = 62.082x- 6393.5 
.. 
380 
200 200 400 500 600 700 800 
50000 
40000 
30000 
WEIGHT OF FISH (g) 
Fig.lb. 
SCATTERED DIAGRAM OF OVARY WEIGHT AND 
FECUNDITY 
20000 ~- ~ 1 o 09 .e )1. - 77 e 2 .e 
10000 
10 15 20 25 30 
OVARY WEIGHT (G) 
Fig.lc 
35 40 
STUDIES ON FECUNDITY OF RITA PAVIMEN'fATA 85 
relationship and was found highly 
significant (p = 0.01) justifying a close, 
positive and linear relationship between 
TWandF. 
A linear relationship was found for 
the ovary weight and the fecundity 
(Fig.1c). The value of regression 
coefficient 'b' and constant 'a' were 
calculated empirically. The above 'b' 
value ( 1.4201) was found highly 
significant (p= 0.01) when tested with 
't' test (t = 7.40). The value of 
correlation coefficient 'r' was found to 
be 0.96, which is also highlysignificant 
(p = 0.01) indicating a positive linear 
relationship between OW and F. 
DISCUSSION 
Different relations have been found 
to exist between fecundity and above 
body parameters by various workers. 
Chondet (1977), Singh et al., (1982), 
Singh and Shrivastava (1982), Kiran and 
Puttaiah (2003), Somdutt et al. (2004), 
have observed linear relationship 
between fecundity and total le~gth 
whereas Sinha ( 1975) found the 
relationship curvilinear in P. sarana from 
Loni reservoir. 
The linear relationship between body 
weight and fecundity was observed by 
Gupta (1968), Sinha (1975), Hodgkiss 
and Man (1978), Singh et al., (1982), 
Kiran and Puttaiah (2003), Somdutt et 
al., (2004). Yuen (1955) and Varghese 
(1980) have reported curvilinear 
relationship. 
The linear relationship between ovary 
weight and fecundity was observed by 
Bhatanagar (1964) in L. dero and L. 
bata, Sinha (1972), Kiran and Puttaiah 
(2003) and Somdutt et al. (2004) in 
Puntius sarana, in Chela utrachi. 
Among the above three parameters, 
based on values of coefficient 
correlation (r), closest correlation was 
observed with the OW (r= 0.96) 
followed by TW(r= 0.94) and TL 
(r= 0.92). Hence, it is concluded that 
the ovary weight is a better index of 
fecundity than the total length and total 
weight. The result is matching with the 
results observed by Kiran et al., (2003) 
and Somdutt et al., (2004). 
REFERENCES 
Bagenal T. B., 1967. A short review of 
fish fecundity. In Biological 
basis of freshwater fish 
production (ed. Gerking S.D.). 
Blackwell Scientific Publication, 
Oxford: pp 89-112. 
Bhatnagar, G. K., 1964. Observation 
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Chon dar, S.L., 1977. Fecundity and its 
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Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 
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Clark, F.N., 1934. Maturity of 
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carrulea), determined by ova-
diameter measurements. Calif. 
Dept. and Game fish Bull., 42: 
1- 49 pp. 
86 V. K.TIWARI AND T. A. QURESHI 
Dwivedi, S. N. and Menezes, E.R., 
197 4. A note on the 
morphometry and ecology of 
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and Schneider) in the estuary of 
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Gupta, M. V., 1968. Studies on the 
taxonomy, biology and fishery of 
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Joshi, S.N. and Khanna, S.S., 1980. 
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* Not referred to in original. 
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Studies on fecundity of Rita pavimentata (Gunther) in relation to total length, total weight and ovary weight

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Studies on fecundity of Rita pavimentata (Gunther) in relation to total length, total weight and ovary weight

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