LENGTH-WEIGHT RELATIONSHIP, AGE AND GROWTH OF WILD CATFISH Arius arius (HAMILTON, 1822) IN PARANGIPETTAI EAST COAST OF TAMIL NADU

The catfishes constitute a momentous in terms of fisheries production in asian countries. The over fishing of marine fishes and lose stocks demands extend the studies towards understanding the identity and distribution of the stocks in space and time. The mathematical relationship between length and weight of fishes is a practical index suitable for understanding their survival, growth, maturity, reproduction and general well being. The length weight relationship, age and growth of Arius arius in parangipettai coast of Tamil Nadu were assessed. The study show the length and weight relationship of length groups shows the significant at p < 0.001 except the length groups 6-9 and 21-24 cm. The values of the exponent b in the length-weight relationships W= aL super(b) ranged from 3.1031 to 5.0423 and R super(2) = 0.9335 to 0.9818. The powell -Wetherall plots analysis shows that the L value was 215.00 mm and K value of 4.684. r = -0.870. The optimized values for K and L were estimated by the ELEFAN I shows 1.30 year-1 and 430.50 mm. The estimated growth performance index (O) for. Arius arius were 10.5 and 11 and t0 value of 1.29335. The total blood cell count shows increasing pattern in increasing in length groups. The lowest Blood Cells counts were examined in the 6-9 cm size and maximum counts were occurred in 30-33 cm size fishes.Original Abstract: El bagre es una especie fundamental en cuanto a pesquerias en los paises asiaticos. La sobrepesca de peces marinos y la perdida de poblaciones exige ampliar los estudios dirigidos a la comprension de la dinamica de los bancos pesqueros en el tiempo y el espacio. La relacion matematica entre la longitud y el peso de los peces es un indice practico adecuado para la comprension de la supervivencia, el crecimiento, la madurez, la reproduccion y el bienestar general de las poblaciones de peces. Se evaluaron el peso, la talla, la edad y crecimiento de ejemplares de Arius arius capturados en Parangipettai (costa de Tamil Nadu). El estudio demuestra una relacion estadisticamente significativa (p< 0,001) entre la longitud y el peso excepto en el grupo de tallas de 6-9 cm y 21-24 cm de longitud. Los valores del exponente b en las relaciones talla-peso W= aL super(b) variaron desde 3,1031 hasta 5,0423 con R super(2) = 0,9335 - 0,9818. El analisis de Powell-Wetherall encontro valores de L= 215,00 mm y K= 4,684, con r = -0,870. Los valores optimizados para K y L se calcularon mediante ELEFAN I alcanzando valores de 1,30 el pri