Growth of penaeid prawns in Goa Waters

117-120Length-weight relationships and absolute growth were determined for 4 commercially important species of penaeid prawns. viz. Metapenaeus dobsoni, M. affinis, Penaeus merguiensis and Parapenaeopsis stylifera, occurring in Goa waters. In all the cases, exponent values suggested a deviation from isometrix growth. Difference in exponent values between the sexes of individual species was not significant for juveniles of any species and adults of P. merguiensis but was highly significant for adults of the other species. Absolute growth was derived separately for the sexes using Bertalanffy's growth model. Only in the case of M. dobsoni, female was outgrowing male throughout the life but males of other 3 species registered a faster growth in the initial stage. However, longevity and size attainment of females were greater than males of the respective species. P. merguiensis and M. affinis were found to be the two relatively fast growing species