SOME ASPECTS OF MORPHOMETRIC RELATIONSHIP AND FOOD AND FEEDING IN CARANX CARANGUS (BLOCH) FROM TUTICORIN WATERS (GULF OF MANNAR)

Abstract

The paired comparisons of morphometric characters of Caranx carangus reveal that all the four variables;fork length, body depth, eye diameter and wet weight have a very high significant relationship with totallength. Regression equations are given for the four pairs of comparisons, along with the correlationcoefficient V and students Y.The food and feeding study reveals that the dominant food was fish followed by crustaceans like prawnsand crabs. Stolephorus was the dominant food and preferred well by Caranx carangus, followed by sardines,Leiognathus, Metapenaeus spp., Thrissocles, Penaeus indicus and Portunus pelagicus as indicated bythe index of preponderance. Except in certain months there was a high correlation between the relativecondition (Kn) and the volume of food. The young ones measuring upto 149 mm sustain themselvesonly on prawns and those bigger than 150 mm thrive mainly on fish, prawn and crab in that order.