© 2017 IJRAR April 2017, Volume 4, Issue 2 www.ijrar.org (E-ISSN 2348-1269, P- ISSN 2349-5138) COMMERCIALLY IMPORTANT ICHTHYOFAUNAL BIODIVERSITY OF ANNANKOVIL LANDING CENTRE (PARANGIPETTAI COAST), TAMILNADU R. RAJASEKARAN Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Annamalai University, Parangipettai – 608 502, Tamil Nadu ABSTRACT The coastline of Tamil Nadu has a length of about 1076 kms constitutes about 15% of the total coastal length of India and stretches along the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. The macrofaunal communities are probably the most diverse group on earth and soil represents a favorable habitat for macrofauna. Fishes have a variety of size, colors, attractive and behaviors in the aquatic ecosystem. Consumption is therefore increasing rapidly in many countries, but the importance of fish in daily diet is not yet fully realized. It is still a supplemental diet to a large section, mainly considered low weight of rich and delicious food items. The present investigation was carried out on marine fish accessibility along the Parangipettai coastal waters to identify and quantify. Stratified random sampling method was followed from each trawl and the collected fishes were identified up to species level by using the FAO identification sheet. A large collection of marine fish was made along the coastal line of Parangipettai and totally 15 species belonging to 14 families and 14 genera of marine fishes were identified over a 3 months study period from January 2016 to March 2016. Most of the species were commonly available in all the season along the Parangipettai coastal waters. The present study revealed the occurrence of commercially important marine fish species along the Annaankovil landing centre, Prangipettai , southeast coast of India. Keywords: Ichthyfauna, bycatch, trawl fishes, Parangipettai 1. INTRODUCTION million and there are about 1, 94,490 fishing crafts The fisheries sector plays an important role in operated in the country for harvesting marine fishery Indian economy and its contribution to the GDP is resources (CMFRI, 2010). Out of this about 72,500 about one percent. Export earnings from marine are mechanized crafts, 71,300 are motorized and the sector have increased from Rs. 3.92 crores in 1961- rest are non-mechanized. In mechanized sector there 62 to Rs. 12,901.47 crores in 2010-11 with 11.8% are about 35,200 trawlers. Fishing by all these crafts growth during 2009-10. There are 0.99 million active are concentrated in the depth zone up to 100 m. The fishermen employed directly and 0.61 million traditional crafts and motorized crafts are employed indirectly with the marine fisheries sector. concentrated more in the east coast (72% and 58%) The total fisher folk population in the country is 4.00 IJRAR19D1262 International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews (IJRAR) www.ijrar.org 813 © 2017 IJRAR April 2017, Volume 4, Issue 2 www.ijrar.org (E-ISSN 2348-1269, P- ISSN 2349-5138) where as the mechanized vessels are more along the India 2.8 million tons). The fishes landed daily were west coast (58%). marketed at the local fish market and in the India is a tropical country with multi-species surrounding villages and the choice items were moved fishery in the marine sector. Various types of fishing to interior places so also exported. The surplus is crafts and gears are used for fishing from the seas. sundried. As a wide range of fin fishes were The development of fisheries sector in India can be contributing in the catch, hence a checklist has been classified into three phases. Prior to 1965-66 is the made for the commercially important food fishes first phase when landings were mainly by non- occurring in the waters of Parangipettai (southeast mechanized indigenous crafts and gears and the coast of India). The present study is aimed at landings remained below one million tonnes during documenting the finfish diversity and stock assessment this phase. The second phase is the period upto 1985- along Parangipettai coast. 86 and the important features of this phase were 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE increased mechanization, improved gear materials, Assessment of finfishes in Indian waters has introduction of motorization of country crafts, been studied by only few researchers. Day (1989a) has expansion of export trade etc. The last phase is the described 1418 fish species under 342 genera from the period after 1986. This phase featured intensification British India. Talwar and sacker (1984a) described of mechanization, motorization of country crafts, 2546 fish species belonging to 969 genera, 254 multi-day voyage fishing etc. The average families and 40 orders, In India 2,782 species contribution from west coast is 67% and that from belonging to 973 genera, 246 families and 45 orders the east coast is 33%. are recorded. Fish forms a vital source of food and is man’s Manikandavelu (1996) recorded 222 coral reef important source of high quality protein, providing fishes in Gulf of Mannar, 76 falling under the marine 16% of the animal protein consumed by the world’s ornamental fish category. In a study at landing centres, population (FAO, 2000). Marine fisheries have trap sampling and scuba under water surveys, emerged as one of the largest industries in the Rajasegar and Sendhilkumar (2009) studied finfish country employing about 10 million people in 3,651 biodiversity in Karaikkal coast for a period of one year fishing villages along the 8,129 Km coastline of India from January to December 2003, and they recorded a earning foreign exchange of over 7250 crores in total of 196 species belonging to 18 orders, 87 families 2009-2010. and 134 genera. Naomi et al. (2006) investigated the Tamil Nadu has a coastline of about 1,076 Km trawlers operated in four centers at Kerala, which (13% of the country’s coastline), 1.9 lakh Km2 of recorded a total catch of 70,788 t, of which the finfish Exclusive Economic Zone (9% of India’s EEZ) and a resources constituted 81.6% (57,785 t). Similar type of continental shelf of about 41,412 Km2. Tamil Nadu survey carried out by Sujitha (2011) in fish diversity alone produced 363,000 tons of marine fish and 112,00 associated with coral reef patches around Netrani tons of inland fish amounting altogether to 475,000 Island, in Karnataka (South India) by visual census tons of total fish in the year 2008 (total for the whole method. A total of 69 species belonging to 39 genera, IJRAR19D1262 International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews (IJRAR) www.ijrar.org 814 © 2017 IJRAR April 2017, Volume 4, Issue 2 www.ijrar.org (E-ISSN 2348-1269, P- ISSN 2349-5138) 19 families and 3 orders were recorded in the transect km North of Cuddalore district. The study area is in four sites. Jitendrakumar et al. (2015) investigated located at the South - East coast of Bay of Bengal and ichthyofaunal diversity of Mangalore coast from the distance is 250 kms from Chennai. Parangipettai September-2012 to April-2013. Brahmane et al. (2014) enjoys tropical wet and dry climate, summer prevails reported the Ichthyofaunal diversity from four in the months of April and May while days in mid- different landing centers namely, Sikka bander, Bed May are the hottest (Agni) period during a year with (Rasulnagar), Bedibander and Vadinar located in the temperature regularly reaching 100°F. December and vicinity of Marine National Park (MNP), Jamnagar, January are winter months. Parangipettai receives Gujarat with the help of different fishing gears. average rainfall of 123.2 cm per annum most of the Rajaram and Murugan (2012) assessed the rainfall is received by the north-east monsoon. Ichthyofaunal diversity in the inshore waters around (b) Methodology the Great Nicobar Island. During this assessment 256 Samples (fishes) were collected from the species of finfishes belonging to 141 genera, 83 commercial fish landings at Annankovil of families and 18 orders were recorded. Parangipettai, during the January 2016 to March 2016. Though many works are available on finfish Later the specimens were examined the various biodiversity of various ecosystems of east coast of morphological characters for identification. The India but there is no detailed works has been carried specimens were examined in detail and identified out in Parangipettai coast. Hence an attempt has been following Day (1878), de Beaufort and Chapman made for the appraisal of finfish biodiversity of (1951), Munro (1955), Fischer and Bianchi (1984), Parangipettai coast. Ramaiyan et al. (1987) and Mohsin and Ambak (1996). For further studies specimens were preserved 3. MATERIALS & METHODS in 5% formalin after identification. Mechanized (a) Study area trawlers, mechanized boats, catamarans, plank-built Parangipettai (11°31′ 59.52″ N; 79°48′) is one boats and dugout canoes were mainly employed for among the major fish landing harbor in Tamil Nadu, fishing. Gill nets (35mm) and trawl nets (80cm-10cm) which is located 12 km South - East of Killai and 35 are commonly used gears in the study area. 4. RESULT SYSTEMATIC POSITION Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata 1. Rhinobatos granulutus Class : Chomdrichthyes Order : Rhinopritiformes Range in size from 50 – 280cm total length, Family : Rhinobatidae majority under 1 meter total length. Smallest listed Genus : Rhinobatos 34cm but thought to be juveniles, anteriorly flattened, elongate snout, stout tail, confluent with trunk, Species : R. granulates IJRAR19D1262 International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews (IJRAR) www.ijrar.org 815 © 2017 IJRAR April 2017, Volume 4, Issue 2 www.ijrar.org (E-ISSN 2348-1269, P- ISSN 2349-5138) pectoral fins expanded slightly& attached to head 3. Zebrias synapturoides (Jenkins, 1910) from nostrils to ½ the snout length. Relatively large Class : Actinoptergii dorsal fins which begin about mid-length of tail, Order : Pleuronectiformes Single-lobed pelvic fins only moderately expanded Family : Saleidae laterally, caudal fin not bilobed, often with dermal Genus : Zebrias denticles along dorsal midline.