Length-weight relationship in three species of silverbellies
from Chennai coast

Abstract

Length-weight relationship in three species of silverbellies - Photopectoralis bindus, Secutor insidiator and Gazza minuta
was studied based on the data obtained from 742, 862 and 1900 samples of each species respectively, collected during the
period January 2004 -February 2006. Analysis of covariance revealed no significant difference between males, females and
indeterminates in all the three species. The coefficients ‘a’ and ‘b’ of the LW equation were derived as 0.000011989 and
3.0515 for P. bindus, 0.00002369 and 2.905 for S. insidiator and 0.00002088 and 2.9228 for G. minuta. Statistical test for
isometric growth (H0:b=3) carried out using student’s ‘t’-test on the regression coefficient ‘b’ revealed that the values of b
estimated for the three species do not deviate significantly from the isometric value of ‘3’ at 5% level