Reproductive traits of sandbird octopus, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amphioctopus aegina</Emphasis> (Gray, 1849) from Mandapam coastal waters (Palk Bay), Southeast Coast of India

The sandbird octopus Amphioctopus aegina (Gray, 1849) is one of the important octopod species in trawl catches in Mandapam waters (Palk Bay). The reproductive biology of this species from these waters was studied from October 2001 to September 2002. In the majority of months(Jan–June), the sex ratio was biased towards males. The ratios of males to females increased consistently with respect to weight Total weight at first maturity were 78.78g for females and 40.8 g for males. Four maturity stags were recognized for females and two for males. Maturation and spawning occur all year round, with a peak during October and another peak during January–February. In males, no definite seasonal changes were observed in gonadosomatic index (GSI) values. In females there were two peaks in GSI values during October and January–February. For individuals of a DML range of 67–85 mm fecundity varied between 2,962–8,820 oocytes. The average relative fecundity was estimated at 68 to 83 and the average number oocytes per gram of ovary were 488 to 539.