UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

The present study examined seasonal variation in the proximate composition of flathead grey mullet, Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758), collected from the Balusutippa landing centre in the Godavari estuary, Andhra Pradesh, India, during 2021–2023. Monthly samples were analysed to determine moisture, protein, lipid, carbohydrate and ash contents using standard laboratory procedures, and Pearson's correlation analysis was applied separately for each year to assess relationships among biochemical constituents. Moisture was the predominant component of the edible muscle and remained comparatively high across the study period, ranging from 75.33% to 81.56%. Protein content varied from 11.45% to 19.54%, while lipid content ranged from 2.13% to 8.34%. Carbohydrate and ash contents were lower and less variable, ranging from 0.21% to 0.93% and 1.05% to 1.56%, respectively. Monthly patterns showed that moisture, protein and lipid contents fluctuated more visibly than carbohydrate and ash contents. Correlation analysis indicated consistent inverse relationships between moisture and protein contents (r = −0.675 to −0.808) and variable negative relationships between moisture and lipid contents (r = −0.061 to −0.541). Lipids were positively associated with carbohydrates in all study years (r = 0.087 to 0.509), and a comparatively stronger positive association was recorded between lipids and ash in 2023 (r = 0.541). These findings indicate that the proximate composition of Mugil cephalus from the Godavari estuary varied seasonally during the study period, particularly in relation to moisture, protein and lipid contents. The results provide baseline information for nutritional assessment and may support the informed utilisation of this estuarine fish resource.