(Parangipettai Coast), Tamilnadu

Home , Exocoetus volitans, Killai, Parangipettai, Pelates, Pelates quadrilineatus, Stolephorus

© 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

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© 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,

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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, Species : R. granulates elongate snout, stout tail, confluent with trunk,

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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. Short, relatively Species : Z. synapturoides straight mouth, Small molariform teeth and well developed spiracles. 2. Rastrelliger kanagurta (Cuvier, 1817) Class : Actinopterygii Order : Perciformes Family : Scombridae Genus : Rhinobatos Body elongate and flat. Eyes on right side, Species : R. granulates nearly continguous, their diameter a little longer than snout, without tentacle; mouth small, curved, cleft reaching to below middle of eye. Posterior rays of dorsal and anal fins joined to basal half of caudal fin, which is quite distinct and rounded; pectoral fins well developed, asymmetrical; pelvic fins short,

asymmetrical. Scales on both sides of body ctenoid Body moderately deep, its depth at margin of (rough). Color: grayish, with 12 or 13 darker gill cover 4.3 to 5.2 times in fork length; head longer crossbars, continued in an obliquely caudal direction than body depth. Maxilla partly concealed, covered on dorsal and anal fins; posterior part of caudal fin by the lacrimal bone, but extending to about hind with a circular area of dark brown, marginated with margin of eye; gillrakers very long, visible when yellowish-white, and with a number of yellowish mouth is opened, 30 to 46 on lower limb of first arch; white spots and blotches in the centre. a moderate number of bristles on longest gillraker, 4. Ablennes hians 105 on one side in specimens of 12.7 cm, 140 in Class : Actinoptergii specimens of 16 cm, and 160 in specimens of 19 cm Order :Beloniformes fork length. Intestine 1.4 to 1.8 times fork length. Family : Belonidae Colour: narrow dark longitudinal bands on upper part Genus : Ablennes of body (golden in fresh specimens) and a black spot Species : A. hians on body near lower margin of pectoral fin; dorsal fins yellowish with black tips, caudal and pectoral fins yellowish; other fins dusky.

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brackish waters and estuaries. It croaks when taken out of water, thus its common name. 6. Sardinella longiceps Class : Actinoptergii Order : Clupeiformes Family : Clupeidae

Genus : Sardinella Body strongly compressed; elongate jaws form Species : S. longiceps a relatively short beak, with numerous needle-like teeth; no gill rakers; fins without spines; dorsal and anal fins with long concave front lobes; dorsal fin with large, dark rear lobe, with 23-26 rays; anal fin 24- 28; pectorals concave 13-15; tail base compressed, without a keel; tail fin strongly concave;470-525 Body elongate, subcylindrical, its depth less scales in front of dorsal fin. Dark bluish above, silvery than 30% of standard length, belly rounded. The white below; 12 black bars or vertically elongated pelvic finray count of 8 distinguishes S. blotches on side. longiceps from all other clupeids in the northern 5. Pelates quadrilineatus Indian Ocean. A faint golden spot behind gill Class : Actinoptergii opening, followed by a faint golden midlateral line; a Order : Perciiformes distinct black spot at hind border of gill cover Family : Terapontidae (absence of pigment). Genus : Pelates 7. Exocoetus volitans Species : P. quadrilineatus Class : Actinoptergii Order : Beloniformes Family : Exocoetidae Genus : Exocoetus Species : E. volitans

About 8cm, up to 30cm. Adults have a silvery body with 4-6 dark horizontal lines, a black blotch behind the head and below the start of the dorsal fin and another in front of the dorsal fin. Tail fin pale or dusky without lines. Often seen in schools in

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Elongate, broadly cylindrical bodies; head 9. Sillago sihama deep; snout shorter than eye, blunt, profile steep; Class : Osteichthyes mouth small, lower jaw a little longer than upper jaw; Order :Perciformes no teeth; 29-37 gill rakers; fins without spines; dorsal Family : Sillaginidae 13-15 rays; anal 12-15 rays; pectoral reaches to tail Genus : Sillago fin base, its 1st ray unbranched; pelvic fin with Species : S. sihama origin nearer pectoral base than anal origin, fin very short, ends well before anal origin; anal origin under dorsal fin origin; tail deeply forked with a longer lower lobe; lateral line low on the body, no branch to origin of pectoral; scales large, smooth, easily shed; normally 6 rows of scales between dorsal origin and lateral line; 16-21 scales before dorsal fin; juveniles with nape hump, no chin barbell. 8. Stolephorus commersonii Body elongate. Snout pointed; upper head Class : Actinopterygii profile slightly convex; mouth small, terminal; Order : Clupeiformes villiform teeth present in jaws and on vomer (roof of Family : Engraulidae mouth); 2 or 3 (usually 2), series of scales on cheeks; Genus : Stolephorus a small, sharp spine on opercle; gillrakers on lower Species : S. commersonii limb of first arch 7 to 9. First dorsal fin higher than second and with 11 weak spines; second dorsal fin with 1 spine and 20 to 23 soft rays; anal fin with 2 spines and 21 to 24 soft rays. Lateral line with 66 to 73 scales; 5 to 6 scale rows above lateral line. Color: back light brown, lower ventral flanks and belly

whitish or silvery, without dark blotches. Both dorsal Body slender, oval in cross-section; belly fins and caudal fin dusky, other fins pale. rounded, with 1 to 4 small, needle-like scutes between 10. Mugil cephalus pectoral and pelvic fin bases. Maxilla tip pointed; Class : Actinopterygii isthmus (between gill openings on underside of head) Order : Mugiliformes tapering evenly forward to hind margin of gill Family : Mugiliodae membrane. Pelvic fin tips reaching beyond dorsal fin Genus : Mugil origin; anal fin origin below last dorsal fin rays. Color: Species : M. cephalus light transparent fleshy brown, with a silver stripe down flanks; back with 2 pigmented areas behind head and a double pigment line before dorsal fin origin.

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Depth of body less than in S. koreanus (22.8 to 25.2% vs 24.4 to 26.7% of fork length). Gillrakers on first arch moderate: 1 or 2 on upper limb; 7 to 12 on lower limb; 8 to 14 total. First dorsal fin with 15 to 18 spines, usually 16 or more; second dorsal with 18 to 24 rays, usually 20 to 22, followed by 7 to 10 finlets; anal fin with 19 to 23 rays; followed by 7 to 10 finlets, usually 8; pectoral fin rays few, 20 to 23, Body cylindrical, robust. Head broad, its width modally 21. Lateral line with many fine auxiliary more than width of mouth cleft; adipose eyelid well branches extending dorsally and ventrally in anterior developed, covering most of pupil; upper lip thin, third, gradually curving down toward caudal without papillae, labial teeth of upper jaw small, peduncle. Intestine with 2 folds and 3 limbs. Color: straight, dense, usually in several rows; mouth cleft sides silvery white with several longitudinal rows of ending below posterior nostril. Two dorsal fins; the round dark brownish spots (smaller than eye first with 4 spines; the second with 8-9 soft rays; diameter) scattered in about 3 irregular rows along origin of first dorsal fin nearer to snout tip than to lateral line. First dorsal fin membrane black (up to caudal fin base; origin of second dorsal fin at vertical the 8th spine white posteriorly, with the distal margin between a quarter and a half along anal fin base. Anal black; pectoral, second dorsal and caudal fins dark fin with 8 soft finrays. Pectoral fins with 16-19 rays; brown; pelvic and anal fins silvery white. pectoral axillary about one-third length of fin. 12. Euthynnus affinis Scales in leteral series 36-45. Color back blue/green, Class : Actinopterygii flanks and belly pale or silvery; scales on back and Order : Perciformes flanks usually streaked to form longitudinal stripes; Family : Scombridae dark pectoral axillary blotch. Genus : Euthynnus 11. Scomberomorus guttatus Species : E. affinis Class : Actinopterygii Order : Perciformes Family : Scombridae Genus : Scomberomorus Species : S. guttatus

A medium-sized fish with a robust, elongate and fusiform body. Teeth small and conical, in a single series; gillrakers 29 to 34 on first arch. Two dorsal fins, the first with 11 to 14 spines; both fins

separated by only a narrow interspace (not wider than

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© 2017 IJRAR April 2017, Volume 4, Issue 2 www.ijrar.org (E-ISSN 2348-1269, P- ISSN 2349-5138) eye), anterior spines of first much higher than those especially across cheek. A large blackish blotch on mid-way, giving the fin a strongly concave outline; the upper back below the posterior of the dorsal second dorsal fin much lower than first and followed spines. by 8 to 10 finlets; pectoral fins short; never reaching 14. Lutjanus cyanopterus the interspace between the dorsal fins; two flaps Class : Actinopterygii inter-pelvic process between pelvic fins; anal fin Order : Perciformes followed by 6 to 8 finlets. Body naked except for Family : Lutjianidae corselet and lateral line. A very slender caudal Genus : Lutjanus peduncle with a prominent lateral keel between 2 Species : L. cyanopterus small keels at base of caudal fin. Color: back dark blue with a complicated striped pattern which does not extend forward beyond middle of first dorsal fin; lower sides and belly silvery white; several characteristic dark spots between pelvic and pectoral Dorsal spines (total):10; Dorsal soft fins. rays (total): 14; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7 - 8. 13. Lutjanus guttatus Mouth with thick lips. Preopercular notch and knob Class : Actinopterygii weak. Scale rows on back rising obliquely above Order : Perciformes lateral line. Back and sides pale to dark gray with a Family : Lutjianidae reddish tinge. The dorsal and caudal fins are grayish; Genus : Lutjanus the anal and pelvic fins reddish; the pectoral fins Species : L. guttatus translucent or grayish. 15. Signanus javus Class : Actinopterygii Order : Perciformes Family : Signidae Genus : Signanus Species : S. javus

Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total):12-13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8. Pre-opercular notch and knob weak. Scale rows on back rising obliquely above the lateral line. Pale crimson on side, often with silvery sheen of horizontal rows of bluish spots; belly golden yellow. Head with bluish spots and irregular broken lines,

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The streaked spine foot (Siganus javus) is a 6. REFERENCES species of rabbit fish. Like all rabbit fishes, it has 1. Arumugam N and P.Natarajan.2010 Disappearance of molluscan shellfishes from Manakudy estuary, venomous spines on the dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins. west coast of India. Proc. Symp. Water Pollution and It is a herbivore, feeding mostly on algae in shallow, Management, Vivekananda college, coastal waters, brackish lagoons, and rocky or coral Agasteeswaram.1-5. 2. Ayoola.S.O and M.P.Kuttan 2009 Seasonal reefs. It is found throughout most of the Indo-Pacific variation in fish abundance and physicochemical region, in groups usually consisting of around 10. It parameters of Logos lagoon Nigeria.African has an adult size ranging between 25 and (large J.Environ. Sci. Tech., 5: 149-156. 3. Balasubramaniam, T. S., 2000. Modifications of craft males) 55 cm. It inhabits shallow waters between 2 and gear in diversified tuna fishery undertaken at and 20 m deep. Tharuvaikulam, Gulf of Mannar, India. Mar. Fish. 5. SUMMARY Infor. Serv., T & E Ser., 164: 19-24. The present investigation was carried out on 4. Bell.J.D, A.S.Steffe and M.Westoby 1988 Location of sea grass beds in estuaries; effects on associated marine fish accessibility along the Parangipettai fish and decapods. J.Exp.Biol.Ecol.,122: 127-146. coastal waters to identify and quantify. Stratified 5. Brinda.S .M.Srinivasan and S.Balakrishnan 2010 random sampling method was followed from each Studies on diversity of fin fish larvae in Vellar estuary, south east coast of India. World trawl and the collected fishes were identified up to J.Fish.Mar.sci.2(1): 44-50. species level by using the FAO identification sheet. 6. Day, F. 1878. The fishes of India: being a nature A large collection of marine fish was made along the history of the fishes known to inhabit the seas and fresh waters of India,Burma and Ceylon. William coastal line of Parangipettai and totally 15 species Dawson and sons, London, 778 pp. belonging to 14 families and 14 genera of marine 7. Day, J.H.S.J.M.Blaber and J.G.Wellace 1981 fishes were identified over a 3 months study period Estuarine fish. In: J.H(ed) Estuarine ecology with particular reference to Southern Africa, Balkema, from January 2016 to March 2016. Most of the Rotterdam, 197-221. species were commonly available in all the season 8. de Beaufort, L. F. and Chapman, L. M. 1951. The along the Parangipettai coastal waters. The present fishes of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. Leiden: study revealed the commercially important E.J. Brill, 484 pp. 9. De Bruin, G.H.P.; Russell, B.C. and Bogusch. A. occurrence of marine fish species along the 1995. FAO species identification field guide for Annankovil landing centre, Parangipettai coastal fishery purposes. The Marine Fishery Resource of Sri waters, southeast coast of India. Lanka. Rome, FAO, 400p, 10. FAO. 2001. The state of world fisheries and

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