Swapnaja A. Mohite

Biology of Megalaspis Cordyla off Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India: Study of Horse Mackerel Along the Ratnagiri Coast of Maharashtra, India Swapnaja A. Mohite

Megalaspis cordyla, the horse mackerel belonging to the family Carangidae (Order: Perciformes) are the main contributors of the carangid catch along the Ratnagiri coast of Maharashtra, India. Present study analyses various aspects of biology of M. cordyla along the coast of Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, such as length frequency, length-weight relationship, food and feeding habits as well as reproductive development. Studies on reproductive biology showed that the spawning season started from May-August to January with peak spawning during May to October. The food and feeding studies revealed that M. cordyla was a pelagic, carnivorous fish, feeding mainly on fish, crustaceans and cephalopods etc. in which fish was the main item preferred.