J. Exp. Zool. India Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 339-349, 2017 www.connectjournals.com/jez ISSN 0972-0030 LIST OF SPECIES (PISCES: ) RECORDED WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THREE NEW DISTRIBUTIONAL RECORDS FROM INDIAN WATERS

V. A. Iswarya Deepti, K. Sujatha* and K. V. L. Shrikanya Department of Marine Living Resources, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam - 530 003. India. e-mail: [email protected] (Accepted 11 January 2016)

ABSTRACT: To understand the diversity in any given area and management of resources, thorough knowledge of species composition, length groups represented in the catches of that particular region are essential. The present paper provides a list of forty three species of (Pisces: Serranidae) collected mainly from Visakhapatnam (Lat. 16.980N-20.20N, 82.190- 86.530E) where catches from various fish landing centres along central eastern coast of India are brought for sale. Few samples were also collected from fish landing centres of Mandapam, Kochi and Port Blair. The paper also includes brief descriptions and biometric characters of heniochus (Fowler, 1904) and E. bontoides (Bleeker, 1855) new record from Indian waters and E. maculatus (Bloch, 1790), a new record from coastal waters of mainland of India. Illustrations for rare species represented in the catches of this region were provided. Key words : 43 grouper species, three new records, Indian waters.

INTRODUCTION Akhilesh (2012) provided key for nineteen species of The updated field and market guide “Groupers of genus Pseudanthias of Western Indian Ocean. the World” by Craig et al (2011) facilitates accurate With the changing scenario of fishing and exploitation species identification for market species. Current of fishing grounds beyond 100 m depth, there is a need to distribution records of each species with an accompanying have an authentic record of species represented in the map also described in this field guide. In India, even though catches of this region. The present paper provides a list regional reviews of grouper fishes have been carried out of forty three species of groupers (Pisces: Serranidae) from different places along the west coast of India (James collected mainly from Visakhapatnam and few samples et al, 1996), detailed studies on and distribution from fish landing centres of Mandapam, Kochi and Port of groupers along east coast of India are meagre. Blair. The paper also includes distinguishing characters Rangarajan (1969), Selvaraj and Rajagopalan (1973), of three species, Epinephelus heniochus (Fowler, 1904), Luther (1974) recorded various grouper species from E. bontoides (Bleeker, 1855), new records from Indian Andaman seas. The fundamental information as is waters and E. maculatus (Bloch, 1790) that is first record available on the systematics of grouper fishes from from coastal waters of mainland of India. This has great Visakhapatnam has been published by Sujatha (2004). importance in providing an overall view of grouper She has given key to identification of sixteen species diversity of this region, species composition of the catches belonging to sub family Epinephelinae that are that helps to establish taxonomic database and confirm represented in the catches of Visakhapatnam. Dutt and distribution records and occurrence of species hitherto Sujatha (1984), Sujatha (1989), Seshagiri Rao (1992), unknown from this region. This study forms basis for Sujatha (1994), Chakraborty (1994), Zacharia et al carrying out molecular taxonomy studies and (1995), Burayya and Satyanarayana (1998), Selvaraj understanding genetic diversity of groupers of this region (1999), Govindaraju and Jayasankar (2004), Chavan and that are essential for conservation and management of Sundaram (2005), Chavan et al (2005), Varghese et al these vulnerable species. (2006), Kizhakudan and Rajapackiam (2007), Sujatha et MATERIALS AND METHODS al (2008), Rekha Nair (2008), Varghese et al (2011), Fresh specimens of groupers were collected from Sujatha and Shrikanya (2012), Rekha Nair et al (2013) various traditional fish landing centres, mainly from Basheer et al (2016) reported several grouper species Visakhapatnam (Lat. 16.980N-20.20N, 82.190-86.530E) from different regions of Indian waters. Heemstra and where catches from various fish landing centres along