Investigation on spawning season, fecundity rate and length at maturity Lm sub(50) of common kilka, Clupeonella cultriventris, in Mazandaran Province coastal waters

The spawning season, fecundity rate, male to female ratio and Lm sub(50) of the Caspian Sea common kilka (Clupeonella cultriventris) were investigated during March 2005 to February 2006 in the coastal waters of Mazandaran province. The mean fork length and the weight of ovigerous females were 99.47 plus or minus 9.8mm and 8.3 plus or minus 2.0g respectively. The sex ratio was 2:1 in which females were dominant. The common kilka spawning started from January and its peak occurred in May. The mean gonado-somatic index was 2.1 plus or minus 6.0mm and its maximum was estimated at 0.28 and 8.9 respectively with its highest recorded in May. The condition factor was calculated at 1.5 plus or minus 0.12. More than 50 percent of the fish specimens matured when their length exceeded 94.17mm......