Biological observations on the pufferfishes of south Konkan coast with special reference to the net-damaging species Lagocephalus spadiceus (Osteichthyes, Tetraodontidae)

Initial observations on destruction of fishing gear by pufferfishes, along the south Konkan coast, indicated that out of the 7 species inhabiting the region 4 occur in fairly good numbers, but only Lagocephalus spadiceus (Ric hardson,1845) causes large-scale damage. Biological studies were, therefore , conducted in order to understand the possible reasons which induce only c ertain species to damage the nets. While net-damaging species are essential ly meat or flesh eaters, the non-damaging forms predominantly feed on hard molluscan shells. Both sexes of L. spadiceus exhibited almost similar growt h rate and are homogenously destributed for major part of the year, excepti ng post-monsoon breeding season. It matures at around 9 cm size and breeds twice in a year-once during February-March with smaller to (9 to 15 cm) fem ales and again from September to November with larger (11 to 28 cm) females . The two breeding seasons coincide with the peak net-damaging periods.