NO. 3 (1920) INSHORE FISHING EXPERIMENTS I2Q 



October to November is the spawning period: 2l" is the 

 minimum length for maturity in one species. The biggest specimen 

 measured 4*8" in length. 



6. Hilsa. — This was caught only twice during the year as noted 

 below : — 



LB. RS. A. P. 



1919, April 4040 



„ August 365 31 8 



Total ... 369 31 12 



The following table furnishes the data of their appearance and 

 the quantity caught : — 



1919, August 7th ... First caught off Mylapore by the local 



fishermen in their Vala Valai. They 

 measured 1 2" to 15" in length, one of 

 which 13*5" long had just developing 

 ova. 

 „ ,, 9th 238 were caught in our Chala Vala 



and drift nets. 

 ,, 10th 145 were caught in our Chala Vala- 



„ ,, nth Only a few were caught. 



They were never seen again till October 4th, when a few were 

 caught by local men. 



August to September seems to be the spawning season for 

 Hilsa. All the five specimens examined on 9th August 1919 were 

 females with about half-matured ova and these specimens 

 measured 11*5" to 14" long. Evidently these being anadromous, 

 were from the shoals that were on the look out for any river mouths 

 through which to ascend higher up for spawning. 



General points of interest.— Out fishing operations were greatly 

 hampered for about a month and a half by the appearance in the 

 inshore area of swarms of jelly fishes, 2" to 3" in diameter, from 19th 

 March to 30th April 1919. These appeared even the previous 

 year by 2nd April 1918 and disappeared by nth May 1918. Hence 

 they seem to be periodical visitants to Madras waters at about the 

 same time every year; during 1919 their appearance and dis- 

 appearance were a fortnight earlier. The prevalence of strong 

 south-west and west winds from 17th to 20th March 1919 coincides 

 with this phenomenon. 



