Rajaguru: Biology of Cynoglossus arel and C lida from Indian waters 



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prominent blood vessels; occupying 2/3 of body cavity; 

 ova visible to naked eye and rich with yolk. 



Stage V (Ripe) Ovary resembling Stage IV, but oc- 

 cupying more than 2/3 of the body cavity; under a 

 microscope, ova slightly translucent with yolk granules; 

 ova not running out of genital aperture on application 

 of gentle pressure. 



Stage VI (Oozing) Ovary yellowish and transpar- 

 ent, occupying entire length of body cavity; ripe ova 

 running out through genital aperture on application of 

 gentle external pressure on ovary; imder a microscope, 

 ova transparent. 



Stage VII (Spent) Not found during the study. 



Results 

 Feeding ecology 



Food composition In Cynoglossus arel, polychaetes 

 made up the bulk (44.5-48.4% IRI) of the diet of adults 

 (Tables 1-2, Fig. 2). At least 11 species of polychaetes, 

 viz, Nephtys polybranchia, N. oligobranchia, Clymene 

 annandalei, Phyllodoce sp., Ancistrosyllis constricta, 

 Nereis chilkaensis, Diopatra sp., Onuphis sp., Eunice 



sp., Terebellides stroemi, and Stemaspis sp., were con- 

 sumed. The next most important prey items were 

 prawns (18.9-19.6% IRI), crustacean fragments (15.9- 

 16.8% IRI), and fish scales (11.4-12.0% IRI). The 

 prey species which were consumed in smaller quantities 

 included bivalves (represented by Amussium sp.. 

 Placenta sp.. Area sp., and Pinna sp.), gastropods 

 (by Umbonium sp., Turritella sp., and Dentalium sp.), 

 and fishes (by gobiids and Cynoglossus monopus) 

 (Tables 1-2). 



In adult C. lida, polychaetes (same species as in 

 C. arel) dominated (53.4-65.9% IRI) (Tables 3-4, Fig. 

 2), while crustacean fragments (14.4-19.3% IRI) and 

 prawns (12.3-15.5% IRI) ranked next in importance. 

 The prey species which were consumed in smaller quan- 

 tities included bivalves (represented by Placenta sp.), 

 gastropods (by Umbonium sp. and Turritella sp.), 

 and fishes (by gobiids and Cynoglossus monopus) 

 (Tables 3-4). 



Food of juveniles and adults Differences can be 

 seen in stomach contents between juveniles and adults 

 of both species (Tables 1-5, Fig. 2). Larger tongue- 

 fishes ate larger individuals of food species than did 



