Growth and mortality parameters of the three spot crab, Portunus sanguinolentus (Herbst, 1783) from Gulf of Mannar, South East Coast of India

Abstract

The stock characteristics of growth and mortality parameters of <em>portunus sanguinolentus </em>were studied from Gulf of Mannar. The carapace width of male and female <em>P. sanguinolentus </em>was ranged from 3.9 cm to 19.10 cm, carapace length 1.9 cm to 10.3 cm and the weight ranged from 15 to 328 g. The growth parameters of <em>P. sanguinolentus</em> (Male- L∞ = 19.31 cm, K = 1.08 yr-1, t_{0 =}-0.165: Female - L∞ = 20.49 cm , K = 1.43yr-1, t_{0 =}-0.121). The mortality parameters like natural mortality (M), fishing mortality, total instantaneous mortality (Z) and exploitation ratio (E) of <em>P. sanguinolentus</em> (Male- M = 2.00; F = 1.97; Z = 3.97 & E=0.4962: Female -M =2.3; F = 2.39; Z= 4.69 and E = 0.5095) were observed. The results showed that <em>P. sanguinolentus </em>population is marginally over exploited at Gulf of Mannar.