UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Aims: This study aims to study the length weight relationship of the marine gastropod Chicoreus brunneus (Link, 1807) from Thoothukudi coast.

Place and Duration of Study: A total of forty five (45) individuals of Chicoreus brunneus were collected from the Thoothukudi coast in the month of June 2024.

Methodology: Length-weight measurements were done after all the collected samples were cleaned. Vernier calipers with an accuracy of 0.05 mm were used to measure the length and a digital weighing scale (Mettler Toledo balance) with a sensitivity of 0.01 g was utilized to weigh the specimens. Parameters of the length (L) and weight (W) relationship were estimated by using the formula W = aL^b, where W represents the total weight; a is the intercept indicating the initial growth; L refers to length and b represents the relative growth rates of the variables and provides information on growth.

Results: The total length of Chicoreus brunneus ranged from 4.8 cm to 8.5 cm while the weight ranged from 9.2 g to 32.38 g. Total mean length was calculated as 6.35±0.78 cm and total mean weight was calculated as 18 ±6.35 g. A linear regression study found a substantial positive association between length and weight (b=2.567, P<0.001) with a negative allometric growth pattern (b<3). The negative allometric pattern of Chicoreus brunneus suggests that their length increased more quickly than their weight, which may be due to various local environmental conditions.

Conclusion: This study examined the length-weight relationship of the species to better understand its growth patterns and ecological dynamics. The study's findings may give baseline information for the conservation and long-term management of the area's molluscan resources. Future research could build on these findings by integrating environmental characteristics to investigate their impact on development dynamics and health status.