REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF STRIPED SNAKEHEADCHANNA STRIATA INHABITING OF THE RIVER KRISHNA

The striped snakehead Channa striata is a highly commercial food fish and it has long been valued as an important fish but has become increasingly targeted, commercial fisheries due to demand for its nutrition. Currently, the fish population in the River Krishna undergoing a significant decline due to Natural, Anthropogenic stress, habitat destruction and unregulated fishing activities. To prevent this fish population decline, there is a need for comprehensive effort in the conservation and managing their reproduction. The objective of the present study was to investigate the reproductive biology of snakehead fish in the River Krishna. A total of 120 fishes were examined their reproductive stages are recorded. The findings revealed that the size of the fifty percent maturity at 30cm and gonads development started at 15cm. The peak spawning season was observed in month of August and followed by middle of the September, coinciding with monsoon season. The fish demonstrated a relatively high reproductive potential with fecundity ranging from 4,552 to 96,452 eggs depending upon the length. The study provides primary information on reproductive parameters of C. striata from the River Krishna which can be utilised for conservation and management of resources.