332 



Fishery Bulletin 90(2). 1992 



6.40% 



6,90% 



!.20% 



12 40% 



1 1 .40% 



Figure 2 



Percentage contribution of food items to the 

 diet of juvenile, male, and female Cynoglossiis 

 arel and C. lida caught commercially off 

 Porto Novo, India, October 1981-September 

 1982. Only values >5% IRI are individually 

 shown; values < 5% IRI are clumped together 

 into a single category, the unshaded wedge 

 of the pie chart. PO = polychaetes, PR = 

 prawns; CF = crustacean fragments, FS = 

 fish scales, AM = amphipods, CO = cope- 

 pods, TN = tintinnids, FI = fishes, MI = 

 miscellaneous. 



as well as color and shape of ova, 

 were considered to define stage 

 of maturity in females. Degree of 

 transparency of the ovary was 

 also used as a criterion, since it 

 is one of its characteristic fea- 

 tures during early as well as 

 fully-mature phases. Color and 

 size of testis were used to deter- 

 mine the stage of maturity in 

 males. In both species, testes 

 were divided into four stages, 

 and ovaries into seven stages as 

 follows: 



Males: 



Stage I (Immature) Testis 

 minute, pale white. 



Stage II (Maturing) Testis 

 slightly enlarged, sac-like, 

 creamy white; no milt oozes out 

 on pressure. 



Stage III (Mature) Testis 

 enlarged, sac-like, creamy white; 

 whitish milt running from vent 

 on slight pressure. 



Stage IV (Spent) Not found 

 during the present study. 



Females: 



Stage I (Immature) Ovary 

 very small, thread-like and trans- 

 parent; under microscope, yolk- 

 less and transparent ova seen 

 with prominent nuclei in the cen- 

 ter; ova invisible to naked eye. 



Stage II (Virgin maturing) Ovary slightly thicker, 

 translucent and yellowish; occupying 1/3 to 1/2 of body 

 cavity; ova invisible to naked eye; under a microscope, 

 translucent ova seen with yolk granules around 

 nucleus. 



CYNOGLOSSUSAREL CYNOGLOSSUS LIDA 



JUVENILE (N 24) JUVENILE (n 24) 



6.90% 



5.10% 



2.40% 



5.10% 



7.80% 



59.20% 



12.90% 



, 44 70% 



MALE (N 627) 

 5.40% 



13.20% 



MALE (N 718) 



6.80% 



5.00% 



15,50% 



48.40% 



53.40% 



1 9.30% 



18.90% 



FEMALE (N: 569) 

 7.10% 



FEMALE (N: 640) 



7.40% 



12.00% 



16.80% 



12.30% 



19.60% 



65 go- 



stage III (Maturing) Ovary yellowish, granular, 

 extending to more than 1/2 the length of body cavity, 

 with vascularization; ova small; under microscope, 

 opaque; nucleus hidden by yolk. 



Stage IV (Mature) Ovary creamy yellow, with 



