An attempt was made to study the length‐weight relationship (LWR), growth and length at 50% maturity (L50) of Eleuthronema tetradactylus (Sahala) in Chilika lagoon, which will helpful for the future management of the stocks as well as the lagoon. For LWR study, a total of 255 fish specimens collected from April 2008 to May 2009 of which fork length (FL) and body weight (BW) were measured to the nearest 0.1cm and 0.01g respectively. The equation, y = 4E‐06x3.115 found from the study where the computed condition factor (a), growth coefficient (b) and regression coefficient (r2) were 4E‐06, 3.115 and 0.996 respectively. In total, 3356 number of specimen measured to study growth of the species. The estimated growth parameters found from von Bertalanffy Growth Function (VBGF) i.e., Linf(cm), K, and t0 were 78.1cm, 0.15, and ‐0.47 respectively. Logistic equations used to estimate the length at 50% maturity (L50) of a total of 68 specimens, sampled from April 2008 to May 2009. The estimated L50 was 315mmFL.

An attempt to study length-weight relationship (LWR), condition factor and reproductive aspects of Daysciaena albida was done in Chilika lagoon over one year. The fish specimens for the biological study were collected from landing centers of central and northern sector during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. The LWR from total length and body weight were computed both by sex and seasons. The equations found from the relationships were y=0.010x 2.992 for male, y=0.010x 2.998 for female and y=0.010x 2.996 as unsexed specimens. The highest condition factor (K)value was recorded during monsoon (1.42±0.08) followed by post-monsoon (1.4±0.09) and the lowest (0.92±0.11) during pre-monsoon seasons. The mean condition factor was registered as 1.06±0.09 in all the seasons of unsexed specimens. Among sex, males registered slightly higher K value than females. For reproductive study, maturation stages, gonad somatic index (GSI) and gastro somatic index (GaSI) were analyzed seasonally. Considering maturation stages highest maturation stages (stages 4 to 7) obtained during pre-monsoon season (in both sexes) which are considered as matured conditions for fish. The highest GSI was registered during pre-monsoon followed by postmonsoon and the lowest was during monsoon season among both the sexes. The GaSI value was lowest during pre-monsoon among males and gradually increased during monsoon and postmonsoon. But in case of female, lowest value was during monsoon and again increased afterwards and was highest in pre-monsoon.

Background: Herbal medications have been used for centuries in traditional Indian medicine to reduce fertility in several regions. Among them, Sida acuta (S. acuta) is a traditional herb having antifertility effects with other broad medicinal properties. In this work, it was studied for its effect on fertility in female rats. Objective: The purpose of this research was to conduct effectiveness and safety investigations on S. acuta root, an antifertility plant widely used in Asian countries. Methods: Fertile albino Wistar female rats (200-250 gm) were used for antifertility investigations. The animals were separated into four groups, each with six members, and treated with 200 and 400 mg/kg of the methanolic extract in combination with Ethinyl Estradiol (0.3mg/kg body weight) as per schedule. They all took place for seven days. On the 8th day, every positive rat was decapitated under ether anesthesia, and the uterus and surrounding tissues were taken from it for fast weight measurement. Results: The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, and flavonoids as secondary metabolites. RP-HPLC analysis was used to determine the concentration of colchicine in S. acuta roots extract, and it was found to have a retention period of 7.35 minutes. The female Wistar rats treated with S. acuta root study showed that the litter weight of the experimental group with MESA (200) was 42.13±0.77 and MESA (400) was 18.53±0.94 lower than the control group 61.5±0.29 which reveals that there was a decrease in litter weight, indicating the potential antifertility activity of the experimental group. It was shown that the extract was more effective in reducing the number of litters born (50 percent) and causing considerable anti-implantation activity (3.29) than the control in postcoital testing. The uterotrophic response was less pronounced than that elicited by ethinylestradiol alone when the extract was administered simultaneously (P<0.01). The estrogenic activity of the extract was, therefore, low at the contraceptive dosage level when taken alone. Both ethinylestradiol and these compounds, on the other hand, showed considerable antiestrogenic properties. Conclusion: The methanolic extract of S. acuta root showed significant antifertility effects and was found to be safe when used at the effective dosages found in this research.