A preliminary study of the pelagic fish eggs and larvae of the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay

A study of the occurrence, distribution and development of fish eggs and larvae as an integral part of a fishery research programme serves as a valuable aid in the proper management of fisheries. Although there are several practical difficulties in studies of this nature, some progress has been made in this direction during the last few years in India. Devanesan and John (1940, 1941) have reported the occurrence of the eggs of Rastrelliger kanagurta and Kowala thoracata oflf the West Hill coast. Devanesan and Chidambaram (1941) gave a brief account of the eggs and newly hatched larvae of Anodontostoma chacunda and Caranx crUmenophthalmus. A few eel eggs from the Madras coast have been recorded by Aiyar et td. (1944—abstract). In a tabular statement Chacko (1950) gave the salient feature of the eggs and larvae of 16 species of fishes collected from the waters around the Krusadai Island, based on the observations of Delsman (1925-38). It has been, however, noticed that there are some variations in the descriptions given by Chacko and by Delsman. Nair and Bhimachar (1950) described three forms of eel eggs from the Gulf of Mannar. An account of the eggs and larvae of Sardinella sirm, Anchoviella tri, Thrissocles sp. and Solea ovata was given by John (1951). Descriptions of the eggs and larvae of the genera Thrissocles, Anchoviella, Cynoglossus, Caranx, Saurida and a pelagic egg mass from the Madras plankton were given by Nair (1952). The present paper deals with the pelagic fish eggs and larvae occurring in the Grulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay off Mandapam