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International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences Research Article

Sex identification in pearlspot made simple: A step towards sustainable breeding

Magdeline Christo and Divya Prema Radhakrishnan

Year : 2026 | Volume: 11 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 158-163

doi: https://doi.org/10.55126/ijzab.2026.v11.i05.021

Received on: 17/05/2026

Revised on: 13/06/2026

Accepted on: 24/07/2026

Published on: 30/09/2026

  • Magdeline Christo and Divya Prema Radhakrishnan( 2026).

    Sex identification in pearlspot made simple: A step towards sustainable breeding

    . International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences, 11( 5), 158-163.

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Abstract

Pearlspot (Etroplus suratensis), the state fish of Kerala, is a promising candidate species for commercial aquaculture. However, sex identification poses a major challenge in the culture system, as sexual dimorphism is prominent only during the breeding season, complicating broodstock management. Traditional methods rely on the dissection of the species for sex confirmation, which is impractical for farmers. The present study introduces a visual morphology-based technique for accurate sex determination of this candidate species. By enabling precise identification of males and females, it empowers aquaculturists to optimise stocking ratios in breeding programs, thereby increasing yield, boosting production efficiency, enhancing conservation, and supporting sustainable pearlspot farming.

Keywords

Etroplus suratensis, State fish, Sex determination, Aquaculture, Fisheries management.

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    © The Author(s) 2026. This article is published by International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (creativecommons.org), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.