Estimation of Fecundity and Gonadosomatic Index (GSI) of Gangetic Whiting, Sillaginopsis panijus (Hamilton, 1822) from the Meghna River Estuary, Bangladesh

Specimens of Gangetic whiting, S. panijus, were collected from the Meghna estuary to estimate the fecundity and Gonadosomatic Index (GSI) during April-September, 2011. The morphometric and meristic features of the fish were measured. The co-efficient of correlations between total length and head length with other body measurements were significant (P<0.01). The logarithmic length-weight relationship of the fish followed a straight line. The fish followed LeCren’s law, the exponential value in the length-weight equation was found to be 3.480 which are within the range from 2.0-4.0. The fecundity ranged from173745 to 374077 with a mean of 310605.1±22833.84 having an average total length of 36.06±0.52cm, body weight of 300.36±24.41g and gonad weight of 28.65±2.98g. The right ovaries of the most specimens were more fecund than the left ones. The relationships between the fecundity and the total length (TL), body weight (BW), gonad weight (GW) were linear (i.e., Y=20693X-39511 and r=0.875464 for TL; Y=840.9X+61471 and r=0.943848 for BW; Y=7546X+94066 and r=0.947309 for GW). Gonadosomatic index was found higher (9.95±0.15%) in peak season, August. Findings of the present study highlighted the importance of fish, S. panijus in the fisheries sector of Bangladesh and should be useful for sustainable fishery management in the Meghna River estuary and elsewhere in Bangladesh.