Age, Growth and Stock assessment of Malabar sole, Cynoglossus macrostomus (Norman) off Kerala Coast

The age and growth of the Malabar sole, Cynoglossus macrostomus (Norman) occurring along the coastal seas, off Kerala have been studied by length - frequency method and by reading the growth checks on scales. The growth rate was found to be very fast during the first six months. But with the onset of sexual maturity by the end o f one year and further, the growth rate slowed down. The length frequency studies showed that the fish grows to 115.0 mm, 136.5 mm, 152.5 mm and 161.1 mm at the completion of I to IV year of life respectively. The growth rings on scales indicated that the fish attains 118.5 mm, 134.6mm and 149.8 mm when 1 to 3 ring are formed on the scales. There was no growth difference in males and females. The growth checks have been found to be armual and are formed as a result of spawning stress. The time o f formation of the rings on scales was found to be durmg October to December and February to April which comcided with the two spawning peaks in Malabar sole population. Von Bertalanffy growth equation was fitted to the observed values and the growth parameters were estimated as length infinite (L06) = 166 riim and K = 0.714/yr. The length at age, annual increment and the growth rate obtained by the different methods were almost identical