T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Marine fin fish and shell fish fisheries of India

SYLLABUS

Unit I) Marine Fin Fish Fisheries of India – i) Coastal fisheries (up to 45 fathoms) – Stromateus sinensis, Stromateus cinereus,Stromateus niger, Polynemus tetradactylus, Psuedosciaena diacanthus, Trichiurushaumela, Synagris 8aponicas, Scomber microlepeidotus, Cybium guttatum, Sardinellalongiceps. ii) Deep sea fisheries (more than 45 fathoms) of Indian Exclusive Economic Zone –Thunnus albacore, Sarda orientalis, Rhincodon typus.iii) Commercial potential & major landing centres of the above fishes. Unit II) Marine Shell Fish Fisheries of India – iii) fisheries – ; etapenaeus affinis, Parapenaeopsisstylifera, indicus, polyphagus, . iv) Molluscan fisheries – Pinctada vulgaris, Sepia pharaonis, Loligo duvaceli.iii) Commercial potential & major landing centres of the above shell fishes.

Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod

BOOKS of REFERENCE

1. General and applied Ichthyology – (Fish and Fisheries) by S.K. Gupta and P.C. Gupta 2. Fisheries and Indian Fisheries by C.B.L. Srivastava 3. Fisheries of India by Bal and Rao.

Fishing Industry of India

Fishing is an important livelihood of the people in India. Besides, seafood is a cheap and nutritional component of their diet. The total commercial marine catch for India has stabilized over the last ten years at between 1.4 and 1.6 million tones, with fish from the clupeoid group (e.g. sardines, Indian shad and whitebait) accounting for approximately 30% of all landings. The eventual number of living fish species may be close to 28,000 in the world. Day (1889) described 1418 species of fish under 342 genera from the British India. VPM'sJayaram B (1981) N listed Bandodkar 742 freshwater species of fishes College under 233 genera, of64 families Science, and 16 orders from Thane the Indian region. Talwar (1991) estimated 2546 species of fish belonging to 969 genera, 254 families and 40 orders. The Indian fish population represent 11.72% of species, 23.96% of genera, 57% of families and 80%

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

of the global fishes. Fish production in India has increased at a higher rate compared to food grains, milk, eggs and other food items. India ranks second in the world fish production with an annual fish production of about 6.9 million metric tonnes. Fisheries sector contributed Rs. 34,758 crores to the GDP during 2005-06, which was 1.2% of the national GDP and to 5.3% of the agricultural GDP. However, the share of fisheries sector in the State Domestic product was estimated to be 1.44% in 2005-06. There has been a gradual shift (as shown in the figure abow) in the production scenario from marine to inland fisheries in recent years.

Coastal Regions of India

VPM's B NDistribution Bandodkar pattern of fish as indicated inCollege the distribution maps below of (after Science, Fishbase) Thane

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Coastal Fisheries: (Commercial potential & major landing centres)

Stromateus sinensis Synonym: Pampus Common name: Butterfish chinensis (accepted # WoRMS = World Register of Local Name: poplet Marine spp.)

Distinguishing characters: Body firm, very deep, compressed; dorsal spines (total): 0; dorsal soft rays (total): 43-50; anal soft rays: 39-42; pelvic absent; caudal peduncle short, deep, strongly compressed, lacking scute-like scales or fleshy keels; snout blunt, rounded, forehead almost straight; eye small; grayish to brownish dorsally, silvery white on sides; covered in dark pigment spots; Fins silvery to grayish, darkest distally. Distribution: and western Pacific: to eastern , north to . Not recorded from or New Guinea. Commercial potential: Occurs seasonally singly or in small schools over muddy bottoms; may enter estuaries. It is sold in fresh condition in local markets and fetches lucrative export potential; highly demanded for its low fats, white flesh and taste. The present annual production of marine fish from India is of the order of 1.5 Mt, of which the pomfret contribute nearly 2-3% of the total catch which averages to 38,087 t of Indian pomfret landings. The important commercially landings of pomfrets along the east coast are in W Bengal, AP, Pondicherry and Orissa (total of 1000 t); along west coast in Maharashtra (18,000 t) and Gujarat (2000 t) followed by Kerala (800 t), Karnataka (450 t) and Goa (100 t).

Major landing centres: The important commercially landings of pomfrets along the east coast are in W Bengal, AP, Pondicherry and Orissa (total of 1000 t); along west coast in Maharashtra (18,000 t) and Gujarat (2000 t) followed by Kerala (800 t), Karnataka (450 t) and Goa (100 t). The annual average catch of P. VPM'schinensis B was however,N Bandodkar formed about 1 % of the pomfret College landings in India. of Science, Thane

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Stromateus cinereus Synonym: Pampus argenteus Common name: Silver pomfret Local Name: Poplet (accepted #Fishbase)

Distinguishing characters: Body firm, very deep, oval, and compressed; Operculum and pelvic fins absent; gill opening reduced to a vertical slit on the side of the body; gill membrane broadly united to isthmus; Dorsal and anal fins preceded by a series of 5 to 10 blade-like spines with anterior and posterior points; Caudal fin deeply forked, the lower lobe longer than the upper. Color is gray above grading to silvery white towards the belly. Distribution: Indo-West Pacific: Persian Gulf to Indonesia, north to Hokkaido, Japan. Extra-limital captures have been made from the Adriatic and off Hawaii. Inshore species, usually occur in schools over muddy bottoms. Commercial potential: Silver pomfret is used in Chinese medicine. Sold fresh in local markets or shipped frozen to urban centers and has good export potential; highly demanded for its low fats, white flesh and taste. The present annual production of marine fish from India is of the order of 1.5 Mt, of which the pomfret contribute nearly 2-3% of the total catch which averages to 38,087 t of Indian pomfret landings. The important commercially landings of pomfrets along the east coast are in W Bengal, AP, Pondicherry and Orissa (total of 1000 t); along west coast in Maharashtra (18,000 t) and Gujarat (2000 t) followed by Kerala (800 t), Karnataka (450 t) and Goa (100 t).

Major landing centres: The all-India average annual landing of P. argenteus during the five year 1984-88 was 23 967 t. Maharashtra and Gujarat contributed 42.6% and 3S.6% respectively. On the east coast, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal and Orissa contributed about 85% and 95% respectively. The landings in Karnataka, VPM'sKerala andB Tamil N NaduBandodkar were comparatively low. College of Science, Thane

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Stromateus niger Synonym: Parastromateus Common name: Black pomfret niger (accepted # Fishbase) Local Name: Halwa

Distinguishing characters: Deep-bodied and strongly compressed fishes; lateral line ends in weakly-developed scutes on the caudal peduncle; pelvic fins lost in individuals over 9 cm; lower jaw slightly protruding; color is brown above, silvery-white below; the anterior parts of the dorsal and anal fins bluish-gray; the other fins yellowish. Distribution: Indo-West Pacific: East Africa to southern Japan and Australia. The species is continuous in distribution on west of India. Their abundance shows regional variation. Commercial potential: Adults inhabit coastal areas with muddy substrate. Found near the bottom during daytime and near the surface at night. They also enter estuaries. Normally form large schools. Along the Indian coast, the pomfrets are exploited by a variety of gears such as drift nets, dol nets, purse seines and trawls. F. niger is landed mainly by trawlers. Onate, purse seiners contributed as much as 900 t of the landings. Probably it is this gear which causes much damage to the resource. The present annual production of marine fish from India is of the order of 1.5 Mt, of which the pomfret contribute nearly 2-3% of the total catch which averages to 38,087 t of Indian pomfret landings. The important commercially landings of pomfrets along the east coast are in W Bengal, AP, Pondicherry and Orissa (total of 1000 t); along west coast in Maharashtra (18,000 t) and Gujarat (2000 t) followed by Kerala (800 t), Karnataka (450 t) and Goa (100 t).

Major landing centres: Black pomfret forms an important fishery in Maharashtra and Gujarat contributing to 25,000 t average landings. It shows an increasing catch trend in Maharashtra. The statewise catch% depicts in Maharashtra (33.3%) Gujarat (22.8%), Karnataka (11.4%) and Andhra Pradesh (14.6%) together accounted for the bulk of the landings. In Kerala, the present annual yield of F. niger is 1,048 t and MSY (maximum sustainable yield) is 1,055 t which necessitates the reduction of effort by 20%. In Karnataka, VPM'sthe present B (1984 N- 88)Bandodkar yield is 1428 t and the MSY College is 1 856 t; the effort ofneeds Science,to be reduced by 60%. ThaneThe landings in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and Orissa were generally poor.

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Polynemus tetradactylus Synonym: Common name: Indian salmon (threadfins) Eleutheronema tetradactylum (accepted # Local Name: Rawas WoRMS)

Distinguishing characters: Body oblong; two dorsal fins; mouth ventral; prominent snout; 4 free pectoral filaments reaching nearly to the end of ventral; caudal deeply forked; adipose eyelids; fin membranes vivid yellow, except in large specimens; length of head 5 times and height of body 5-6 times in total length. Distribution: Indo-West Pacific: Persian Gulf to Papua New Guinea and northern Australia. Replaced by Eleutheronema rhadinum, in East Asia (Japan, China, Viet Nam). East and west coasts of India, Ceylon, Andamans, Penang, Thailand, Malacca, China, Formosa, Phillippines and North and West Australia. Common along Bombay- Saurashtra coasts; Commercial potential: Adults occur mainly over shallow muddy bottoms in coastal waters during January to April. Also enter rivers. Juveniles found in estuaries. During winter, adults ascend the rivers. P. tetradactylus is second important species to P. indicus. They usually form loose schools, although larger fish are more often observed in pairs or singly. Feed on and fish. It is encountered occasionally in trawl catches in small numbers, but does not support a trawl fishery. Major landing centres: The major landing centres are West Bengal, Orissa and Gujarat coasts. Though there is no estimation of the catch of P. tetradactylum separately from other species, its magnitude can be judged from the report on the marketing of fish in the Indian Union (1951). It is found that 3.23% of the total catch from VPM'sthe Bombay B coastN andBandodkar 2% of the total catch from Collegethe Kathiawar coast ofcomprised Science, of this species and Thane the two together contributed from the Bombay and Saurashtra coasts. In Orissa and West Bengal it formed 13.2 and 4.3% respectively of their total landings.

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Psuedosciaena diacanthus Common name: Slate-cod croaker Synonym: Protonibea diacanthus (accepted # WoRMS) Local Name (marathi): Ghol

Distinguishing characters: Dorsal profile nearly convex while ventral profile straight; snout blunt; two dorsal fins, anterior spiny; pectoral rounded and caudal rhombic. Distribution: Found in coastal waters over muddy bottoms, off the sea-bed. Ascend tidal rivers and estuaries. Indo-West Pacific: Persian Gulf east to , Indonesia, Sri Lanka, north to South China Sea, south to Queensland (Australia). In India it is common along Bay of Bengal, East coast of India and Andamans Islands up to Bay of Bengal on north. Found in coastal waters over muddy bottoms, off the sea-bed. Ascend tidal rivers and estuaries. Feed mainly on and small fishes. Commercial potential: P. diacanthus is caught in seines, pelagic and bottom trawls, driftnets etc. P. diacanthus is highly demanded for fresh consumption and major catch is exported. Sold fresh and dried salted in markets. Swim bladder is used for making isinglass. East coast is high in P. diacanthus fishery. Sciaenid fishery contributes to 4.9 % of total fish landings in India and has a great potential. Major landing centres: Major landing centers are Gujarat (12000 t); Maharshtra (12000 t); T.N. (8500 t); Kerala (6000 t); A.P. (6000 t). sciaenid catch along Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts is pretty high, each contriute about 25% of the total catch in India. Protonibea diacanthus locally known as ‘ghol’ were landed by multiday trawlers operating 50 - 60 km away from Okha (Jakhau) at depths of 60 - 70 m for 5 - 6 days.

Trichiurus haumela Synonym: Trichiurus Common name: Robbon fish VPM'slepturus B N Bandodkar College (accepted # of Science, Thane Local Name:(Marathi) Wagti WoRMS)

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Distinguishing characters: Body extremely elongate and strongly compressed, ribbon-like, tapering to a point; jaws with 2 or 3 pairs of enlarged fangs with barbs nearer tip of upper jaw and another pair near tip of lower jaw. LL descends abruptly; pelvis absent; second anal spine rudimentary; distal half of dorsal and anal greyish.

Distribution: Generally over muddy bottoms of shallow coastal waters; often enter estuaries. Widely distributed from Atlantic coast of Brazil to Massachusetts, Europe, s. coast of England, E. coast of Africa, Red sea, Shores and estuaries of India, Sri Lanka, Indo-Australian Archipelago, China, Japan to Gulf of California. Commercial potential: The annual average production of ribbon-fishes is 79,220 t. i.e. 4.5% of the total marine fish catch. In recent years the catch has increased due to the increased exploitation by trawl nets which contribute about 50% of the catch. About 75% of the catch is taken from the west coast. Trichiurus lepturus contributes over 90% of the total ribbonfish catch. The MSY level estimated was 65,666 t. The effort as the present yield is not even 50% of the estimated biomass (223,773 t).Caught mainly with bag nets in estuaries, with

trolling, beach seines, boat seines, set nets and bottom Global Capture production for Trichiurus lepturus or midwater long lines in inshore waters in India from (FAO Fishery Statistic) July to March and with bottom trawls in offshore waters throughout the world.

Major landing centres:

Highest ribbonfish landings come from Kerala (175,000t) and T.N. (153000t); followed by Maharashtra (1000t) and finally A.P (93000t) during 1968-79. The stock assessment studies indicate, that there is overfishing on the east coast and the effort should be reduced by 33%. But, along the west coast there is scope to increase. VPM'sSynagris B N J aponicuBandodkars Synonym: Nemipterus College of Science, Thane Common name: Japanese threadfin-bream

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

japonicus (accepted # Local Name: Rani masa WoRMS)

Distinguishing characters: Eleven to twelve pale golden-yellow stripes along body from behind head to base of caudal fin; a prominent red-suffused yellow blotch below origin of lateral line; pectoral fins very long, reaching to or just beyond level of origin of anal fin; caudal fin moderately forked, upper lobe slightly longer than lower; Distribution: Japanese threadfin bream has widespread distribution throughout the tropical Indo- Pacific region, E. Africa, Madagascar, Persian Gulf, Sri Lanka, China and N. Australia. Species is very abundant in coastal waters, found on mud and sandy bottoms usually in schools and are non migratory in nature. Abundant along East and West coasts of India. Commercial potential: Marketed mainly fresh, but also frozen, steamed, dried-salted, dry-smoked, fermented or made into fish balls and fish meal. In Veraval (Gujarat), N. japonicus , locally called as ‘Lal Machala’ is mainly exploited by multiday trawls operating at a depth of 35-70 m depth. Catch is mainly used to produce ‘surimi’ based products by the processing industries. It is also consumed fresh as well as salt-dried form in the domestic market and used as a raw material for the production of fishmeal. Considering the fisheries import. Major landing centres Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat Coast are major landing centers. Along west coast of India, catch is high at Gujarat, and Kerala. Also found along Maharashtra, Goa, Malabar areas.

VPM's B N Bandodkar College of Science, Thane

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Scomber microlepeidotus Synonym: Common name: Indian mackerel Rastrelliger kanagurta (accepted # Fishbaes) Local Name: Bangda

Distinguishing characters: Body elongate, attains 25 cm in length, compressed, moderately deep; two dorsal fins separated by an interspace; jaws toothless; 5 finlets on dorsal and ventral profile; 2 slight keels on caudal peduncle. Caudal forked with deep pointed lobes; scales small. Distribution: An epipelagic, neritic species occurring in areas where surface water temperatures are at least 17° C; Schooling is by size. Found in Indian and Pacific oceans; Red Sea from African coasts to Indonesia, China, south to Australia. Enter the eastern Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal; common along both the Indian coasts. Commercial potential: Indian mackerel is a very important species in many parts of its range. Best season is from August to April. Catches are usually recorded as Rastrelliger spp. Fish has good market demand; consumed as fresh, salted, sundried. Indian mackerel compete with Oil sardine for food and space therefore their landings were observed to be reciprocating to each other for this reason. The study on the state of stock of mackerel in its fishery in India revealed that it is almost at the MSY level with an average annual catch of 73,571 t against the MSY of 73,521 t. R. kanagurta alone fluctuated between about 96,000 t in 1975 and a peak of 351,193 t in 1994; since 1984, catches reported to FAO as Rastrelliger spp. Global Capture production for Rastrelliger have exceeded 300,000 t. In the Western Indian Ocean area most Kanagurta (FAO Fishery Statistic) of the catches (about 185 000 t in 1995) are identified as R. kanagurta while in the Eastern Indian Ocean 224 000 t are reported as Rastrelliger spp. and 43 000 t as R. kanagurta. Major landing centres: Indian mackerel fishing is common along Ratnagiri, Malvan, Goa, Karwar, Malpe, Tellichery, Kozikode, Cochin and Alleppy while sporadic shaols of Scomber microlepeidotus appear near Mandapam, Nagapattanam, Channai, Vishakhapattanam along west coast and Orissa on east coast. Maximum landings are recorded at Malabar next was Konkan followed by Canara. The average annual catch was estimated at 73 571 t of which 67.7% was VPM'sobtained Bfrom Nthe west Bandodkar coast and 32.3% from the east coastCollege. At Cochin, Calicut of and Science,Mangalore peak catches Thanewere obtained during September and at Karwar and at Goa in October. At Vizhinjam, Mandapam and Visakhapatnarn peak season was observed in April.

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Cybium guttatum Synonym: Scomberomorus guttatus Common name: Seer fish Local Name: Surmai (accepted # Fishbase)

Distinguishing characters: Elongate, fusiform, small scales; jaws with caninoid teeth; two dorsal fins, second dorsal divided into 10 finlets. Caudal peduncle has 3 keels; central being big and triangular; gill rakers 7-10; body flanked with more than 3 rows of rounded or oval spots. Distribution: Along the shores of continental Indo-West Pacific from Wakasa Bay, Sea of Japan (Nakamura & Nakamura, 1982) and Hong Kong south to the Gulf of Thailand and west to India, the Gulf lying between the Arabian peninsula and Iran, Kampuchea, Thailand, Malaysia. In India, it occurs West Bengal (particularly in the lower Sundarbans), around Madras and Malwan, south of Bombay the Gulf of Mannar- Palk Bay area.

Commercial potential:

S. guttatus is highly esteemed for food and commands a higher price in Thailand and India. It is utilized fresh or salted in most areas S. guttatus is one of principal species in the drift net seerfish fishery in India but the catch is not identified to species in the statistics. The major gear used in the fishery was drift gill net with mesh size varying from 7-17 cm in the same net. However, troll lines, trawl nets and hooks and line also landed a part of the catch. The total catch reported for this species to lobal Capture production for Scomberomorus FAO for 1999 was 51,395 t. Guttatus (FAO Fishery Statistic)

Major landing centres

Statewise landings of S. guttatus indicated that Kerala contributed 25.6%, Tamil Nadu 18%, Maharashtra 16% and Andhra Pradesh 12% of the total catch of this species during 1984-88. In the VPM'ssouthern B stat esN such Bandodkar as Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil College Nadu and Pondicherry, of S.Science, commerson constituted Thane the bulk of seerfish catch, whereas in other states S. guttatus dominated.

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Sardinella longiceps Common name: Indian Oil sardine Local Name: Tarli

Distinguishing characters: Body elongate, sub-cylindrical, its depth less than 30% of standard length; belly rounded, serrated and keeled; dorsal fin is opposite ventral; the pelvic fin ray count of 18 distinguishes S. longiceps from all other clupeids in the northern Indian Ocean. Abdomen silver and dorsal is greenish. Distribution: Indian Ocean (northern and western parts only, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, but apparently not found in Red Sea, eastward to southern part of India, on West coast from Maharashtra to Kerala and East coast between Andhra and possibly to Andamans. East coast has sporadic occurrence and highly irregular hence no significance. It is a coastal, pelagic, schooling fish; strongly migratory; feeds mainly on phytoplankton (especially ), both as juveniles and adults, but also on zooplankton (especially by the juveniles). Commercial potential: Imp fishery along west coast of India. Peak fishing season, from July to October; moderate during January to March. Oil sardine is rich in body oil, used in leather industries, arsenal, jute, steel industries. The residual (after oil extraction) is used as guano for tea, coconut, sugarcane, tobacco farming. Some of the residues are also used as fish meal for cattle. Some 600 factories producing guano and oil had to be abandoned in Malabar region because of unpredictability in its landings. Oil sardine and Indian mackerel compete for food and space therefore their landings were observed to be reciprocating to each other for this reason. The most Global Capture production for Sardinella important and abundant clupeoid in Indian waters (up to 30% of longiceps (FAO Fishery Statistic) all marine fishes), although with considerable variations (unpredictable) in catches; ranging from 12,000 t to 33,000 t; highest being 301,000 t in 1968. The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1999 was 209 806 t. Major landing centres:

During 1979-88 oil sardine landings ranged from 78 700 t (1986) to 221 000 t (1981) with an annual average catch of 145000 t. Sardine fishery contributes 1% to 30% of total marine fisheries of India. Entire stretch from Ratnagiri to Quilon offer lucrative fishing grounds. Along the west coast of India, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala recorded the VPM'smaximum B catch N (96.5%). Bandodkar Kerala coast offers richest fisheryCollege (37% of sardine of fishery). Science, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Thane Pradesh along the east coast contributed the rest. Mysore ranks next to Kerala.

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Deep sea fisheries: (Commercial potential & major landing centres)

Thunnus albacares Common name: Yellow-fin tuna Local Name (Tamil): Kalavalai

Distinguishing characters: A very large species; body fusiform, elongate and slightly compressed laterally; deepest near middle of first dorsal fin base; dorsal fins separated by narrow interspace; second dorsal fin higher than first dorsal and later divided into 10 finlets; pectoral fins greenish yellow, never reaching the interspace between the dorsal fins; slender caudal peduncle with a strong lateral keel between two smaller keels; swimbladder present; color metallic dark blue on dorsal side and silvery white on the belly. Distribution: Widely distributed in Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) is fished in a vast area of the Indian Ocean north of 30oS latitude. Yellowfin tuna are found around the world in tropical and subtropical seas, except for the Mediterranean. The distribution of the fish ranges from temperate to tropical waters in this area.

Commercial potential:

T. albacares is one of the most sought after oceanic tuna species in the world and there exists a targeted fishing for this species in several countries. The yellowfin tuna is a large fish, reaching lengths of 8 feet and weights in excess Global Capture production for Thunnus of 450 pounds. Yellowfin tuna provides important albacares (FAO Fishery Statistic) fisheries in tropical seas. Epipelagic; oceanic; found above and below the thermocline near 100 m depth. The thermal boundaries of occurrence are roughly 18° VPM'sand 31°C B; usually N oceanic,Bandodkar but seasonally coming College close to shore. The mostof important Science, catches (well Thaneover 100 000 t) are recorded from Fishing Areas 71 (321,458 t in 1995), 51 (250,353 t) and 77 (198,696 t).

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Landings have been steadily increasing since 1970 to 1990 when exceeded 1,000,000 t. In the recent years the catches seem to be stabilized around this quantity.

T. albacares is caught with different types of gear, such as trap nets, drift nets, shore seines, purse seines, long lines and trolling lines. It is marketed fresh or deep frozen in Japan; the belly portion fetches particularly high prices when containing much fat. Yellowfin tuna, or Chunk Light Tuna can be canned in either: oil, brine (salt water), or natural spring water. Each provides the canned fish in vegetable oil with a unique taste. Some say its flavor is similar to swordfish and is more flavorful than albacore tuna. It has however gained importance during the past couple of years and the catch contributes significantly to the marine fish landings as well as the export market of this State. In India with better development of offshore fishing could hold promising landings of tuna fishes.

Major landing centres: Best fishing grounds are in Indian Ocean in India particularly Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Andamans, Gulf of Mannar on south and Gujarat and Maharashtra on the north of west coast of India. TN and Orissa are important landing centres on east coast of India. Tuna fishing is highest in Kerala. Yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares forms the major (50-60%) group of tuna fisheries in India. Fishing for this species is carried out in several villages located in and around Visakhapatnam District, an important fishing centre of Andhra Pradesh. Fishing for Yellowfin tunas along the Andhra Pradesh and several other landing canters such as Cochin, Calicut and Goa etc. are in vogue on both the coasts especially by the traditional fishers has been going on since 2002.

VPM's B N Bandodkar College of Science, Thane

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Sarda orientalis Synonym: Sarda chiliensis Common name: Oriental bonito Local Name (Tamil): Choorai (accepted #Fishbase)

Distinguishing characters: Body completely covered with tiny scales; mouth moderately large; laterally compressed head; swim bladder absent; back with narrow oblique stripes on dorsal profile; upper jaw teeth 18 to 30; lower jaw teeth 14 to 25; vomerine teeth absent; short pectoral fins; first dorsal fin with 17 to 19 spines; 9 distinctly separated yellow finlets; color bluish black on back and silvery abdomen. Distribution: Its geographical range includes a northern and a southern subspecies separated by a tropical population of Sarda orientalis. Indo-Pacific: widespread but with many gaps in its known distribution. Eastern Pacific: Hawaiian Islands and Pacific coast of USA. A coastal species found schooling with small tunas. Also found around some islands. Commercial potential: Oriental bonito is taken commercially by purse seiners; gill nets etc. but are more important to the recreational hooks and lines fishery operating from boats or shores. The Peruvian landings of S. orientalis increased from almost nil in 1940 to a peak of 110 000 t per year in the early sixties, thereafter gradually dropping off to 40 000 t in the mid- seventies. The world catch for the species as a whole was down to between 10,219 t in 1976 and 15,936 t in 1981, reaching 21,308 t in 1977 (FAO, 1983). The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1999 was 3,187 t. In India S. orientalis fishery has a great potential ranging from 255,000 to 400,000 t MSY.

Major landing centres: Global Capture production for Sarda Best fishing grounds are in Indian Ocean in India chiliensis (FAO Fishery Statistic) particularly Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Andamans, Gulf of Mannar on south and Gujarat VPM'sand Maharashtra B N onBandodkar the north of west coast of India College. TN and Orissa ofare important Science, landing centres Thane on east coast of India. Tuna fishing is highest in Kerala.

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Rhincodon typus Common name: Whale shark Local Name (Tamil): Udumban sravu

Distinguishing characters: A huge, blunt-headed shark with a terminal mouth and a prominent checkerboard pattern of light spots, horizontal and vertical stripes on a dark background. Caudal fin crescentic, with a strong lower lobe but no subterminal notch. It has small, scale-like teeth and feeds by filtering plankton with special sieve-like modifications of the gill bars. Distribution: Whale sharks have been regarded as broad ranging species and occurring globally. Indian Ocean: throughout the region, including the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Western Pacific: Japan to Australia and Hawaii. Eastern Pacific: California, USA to Chile. Aggregations of whale shark occur in Indian coastal waters between December and April. Commercial potential: Included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since May 2003 which regulates international trade of this species. It is world's largest fish which is harmless to humans; recently instead of killing them, ‘whale shark ecotourism’ is promoted at world level as this highly migratory species returns to the same sites annually. Specimens frequently have been seen offshore but rarely come in-shores, sometimes entering lagoons or coral atolls which were identified as the highest potential hot-spots for ecotourism development. Similarly, the development of an important whale shark ecotourism industry in areas of the Philippines and Ningaloo Reef of Australia that experience large seasonal aggregations of whale sharks is now underway. Major landing centres: In the 1990’s, a targeted whale shark fishery existed off the Gujarat coast following increased demand VPM'sfor the fleshB , Nskin, Bandodkarblubber and fins to supply export College markets in some ofother AsianScience, countries. According Thane to Indian customs records, 200 t of whale shark meat were exported in 1995/96. Since the ban, landings

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

of whale sharks have decreased substantially with only 79 recorded between 2001 and 2011. Along Maldives the whale shark ecotourism has been developed by India.

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VPM's B N Bandodkar College of Science, Thane

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Crustacean fisheries: (Commercial potential & major landing centres)

Penaeus monodon Common name: Tiger Local Name: Kolambi

Distinguishing characters: This is the largest commercially available , reaching 330 mm or more (13 inches); rostrum long, sigmoid, toothed dorsally (7-8) and ventrally (2-3); carapace without longitudinal or transverse sutures; hepatic and antennal spines pronounced. Exopodite on V walking legs absent; color dark blue to almost black with dark bands across carapace and abdomen. Distribution: This major Indo-West Pacific species is distributed over a huge range from East and Southeast Africa, through the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, around the Indian subcontinent, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan; P. monodon is fished in offshore waters (McCann et al. 1996). It is a marine shrimp, which likes mud or sand bottoms at all, depths from shallows to 110 meters (360 feet), so is caught in offshore and inshore fisheries as well as from tidal ponds. The species is also one of the major aquaculture shrimp species in Asia. Commercial potential: Because of its large size the species is quite important economically. Season is from November to May; less abundant as compared to P. indicus. Juveniles and sub- adults occupy shallow coastal estuaries, lagoons, and mangrove areas along East coast and South-west coast of India. P. monodon is traditionally important in the

fisheries of India, Bangladesh and Malaysia and Global Capture production for Penaeus monodon Australian. Japanese consumers are appreciating this (FAO Fishery Statistic) VPM'sspecies B because N of Bandodkar its bigger size as compared Collegeto the of Science, Thane price. The export potential of prawns is upto $ 0.84 billion in India alone. P. Monodon turns bright red when cooked and the shell retains its color for several days when refrigerated after cooking.

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Major landing centres:

P. Monodon is abundant along Maharashtra, West Bengal and Orissa coasts. Landings increased from 1958 to 1979 from 29,000 to 1,13000 t respectively. But in 2002 onwards catch dwindles considerably. Kerala contributes 38%; Maharashtra, 30%; Gujarat, 8.5%; T.N., 8.6%; A.P., 6.5% and W. Bengal 2.3%. Jones and Kurian & Sebastian indicated that it is more common in prawn catches and important commercial species on the east coast of India than on the west coast, especially along Bengal and Orissa. Metapenaeus affinis Common name: King prawn Local Name: Jinga

Distinguishing characters: Rostrum narrow; wide deep groove on telson; grey-green to grey-blue color; this is a medium size shrimp, growing usually to 170 mm. the halves of patasma united to form a compressed tube; Distribution: Indo-Pacific: from Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea to Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan South China Sea and Hawaii; Occurs throughout the west coast and certain parts of East coast of India. Commercial potential: Season November to May. The jinga shrimp is the main species known to world trade as ‘Indian brown shrimp’. It is one of major commercial importance in the west and southeast coasts of India, both coast of Malaya, Pakistan and in Hong Kong. It is very similar to M. moyebi, the moyebi shrimp, which is also called ‘middle prawn’ in Chinese. It is also very similar to M. ensis, the greasy back shrimp. In Malaysia, jinga shrimp is cultured in ponds. It is a firm, good tasting shrimp, versatile in use. Major landing centres: Abundant along Maharashtra and Kerala coasts contributing to about 12% of total prawn landings.

VPM's B N Bandodkar College of Science, Thane

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Parapenaeopsis stylifera Common name: Marine shrimp Local Name:

Distinguishing characters: Recognizes 2 subspecies viz. Parapenaeopsis stylifera stylifera from Persian Gulf to India and Sri Lanka and Parapenaeopsis stylifera coromandelica from east coast of India to Indonesia. Sigmoid rostrum with 5- 7 dorsal teeth + epigastric; body brownish green in color, sides and appedages scarlet. Do not find in estuaries as they entirely breed in marine water. Distribution: Indian Ocean: from and Pakistan to Bangladesh. This species is distributed from Kuwait, Iran around Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India to Bangladesh. It is a marine shrimp preferring depths of 20 to 90 meters (65 to 300 feet). Both the coasts but more in South-West coast along Veraval to Trivendrum. Sparse along east coast of India. Commercial potential: Season May to September. This shrimp is one of important species in Pakistan and the west coast of India. It is used for peeling, with much of the catch exported frozen. It also has some commercial importance in Bangladesh. Major landing centres: Abundant along Kerala and Karnataka coasts contributing to about 18% of the total prawn catch.

VPM's B N Bandodkar College of Science, Thane

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Acetes indicus Common name: Shrimp Local Name: Jawala

Distinguishing characters: Eye long with slender stalk; antennular flagellum with clasping spine; last 2 pairs of paraeiopods are absent; 2 pairs of red spots, one pair on each side of tail. Distribution: Distributed along Indian seas, Gulf of Thailand, Malaysia and East Indies. Abundant along N-W, especially Bombay and throughout the N-E coasts in inshore and brackish waters of India. Commercial potential: Season September to March. Among the sergestid known from the Indian Seas, the species of Acetes indicus is commercially important contributing 3% of the total prawn landings. Along the Maharashtra coast, A. indicus forms an important fishery and is also major forage constituent for fishes of the inshore waters. Although widely distributed in Indian Seas, the Gulf of Thailand Malayasian and Indonesian waters, it is in the northern region of west coast of India that the species appears in vast shoals in the inshore waters and estuaries almost throughout the year and contributes about 20 % of the estimated annual crustacean landings. Major landing centres:

Found along Maharashtra (19%), Gujarat, and coasts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Good catch is obtained from W. Bengal and Orissa; other regions less.

VPM's B N Bandodkar College of Science, Thane

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Panulirus polyphagus Common name: Spiny or rock Local Name: Shevand

Distinguishing characters: Antennular plate with 2 strong spines, without scattered small spinules; third maxilliped without exopod; abdominal somites 1 to 6 with a distinct uninterrupted white transverse band along posterior margin; surface abdominal somites naked, smooth, without transverse grooves. Distribution: Indo-West Pacific region, from the coasts of Pakistan and India to Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, N.W. Australia and the Gulf of Papua. Common along West and South-East coasts of India. Commercial potential: In India, the main fishing season extends from November to March. The are caught by trawling, but also with set nets, seines, etc.; they rarely enter traps. Sold fresh and frozen in local markets and also transported to the larger towns. Served regularly in restaurants in Thailand, and elsewhere. This species is most commonly found in coastal waters on muddy and rocky substrates to a depth of 40m, although it is occasionally seen at 90 m; and is often seen near river mouths. Lobster trap, Trawl net and Scoop net. This species is subject to over-exploitation by fisheries in India. It is also threatened by incidental catch in parts of its range where it is found on muddy substrates. Management strategies for this species need to be developed and enforced to maintain the population at a sustainable level in regions where it is over-exploited. Its tasty flesh and abundance means it’s a commercially important fishery species throughout world. Major landing centres: Important landing centres are Gulf of Mannar and Maharashtra (Bombay) coast only. Another species P. ornatus is more dominant than P. polyphagus in Gulf of Mannar. Also landed at Gujarat (Veraval) Kerala (Calicut) and T.N. (Tuticorin, Kanyakumari and Madras) coasts. The maximum annual average catch for P. polyphagus was in Maharashtra (71%) followed by Gujarat (21%) Kerala (0.7%) and T.N. VPM's(0.1%) (KagwadeB N etBandodkar al. 1991). College of Science, Thane

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Scylla serrata Common name: Mud Local Name: Chimbori

Distinguishing characters: Largest crab; body, measuring 211mm in carapace breadth; presence of 9 sharp acuminate teeth of equal size on each side of the antero-lateral borders; the chelipeds are very largewith powerful chelae; the 2nd to 4th pair of legs are normal; 5th pair is paddle like. Distribution: Found along the Pacific region, east coast of Africa, Red sea, Pakistan, West and East coasts of India, Andamans, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti. It occurs fairly abundant in brackish waters. Commercial potential: Season, uly to October. Crab traps, Trawl net and Drag nets. Despite the huge potential, there's only one registered exporter in India. Live mud of 100grams to 300 grams will earn $5 to $7 and those weighing more than 400 grams earn $11. In India, live crabs retail at Rs 300 to Rs 350 in Bangalore and Delhi. Major landing centres: Coasts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Orissa. The main crab procurement areas are Kumta, Ankola, Karwar, Kundapur, and Mangalore in the state. During the peak season from June to September the catch can go up to one to two tons per day and it dwindles thereafter.

VPM's B N Bandodkar College of Science, Thane

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Molluscan fisheries: (Commercial potential & major landing centres)

Pinctada vulgaris Synonym: Pinctada Common name: Pearl oyster imbricata (accepted Local Name: Moti #WoRMS)

Distinguishing characters:

Distribution:

Commercial potential:

Major landing centres

VPM's B N Bandodkar College of Science, Thane

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Sepia pharaonis Common name: Pharaoh cuttlefish Local Name:

Distinguishing characters: Sepia pharaonis have distinct tiger-stripe pattern on the dorsal side of the mantle.The tentacular club has big suckers, of which about 6 sukers in medial rows are much enlarged.The leftventral arm of male has 10-12 basal transverse series of normal suckers followed by7 series of modified suckers. Distribution: The pharaoh cuttlefish is native to at least the western Indian Ocean, including the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. Its distribution includes the east coast of Africa, Red Sea, The Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Gulf of Carpentaria, northern Australia from Monte Bello Island in Western Australia to Townsville in Queensland, South and East China Seas and Yellow Sea (Reid et al. 2005). Commercial potential: Pharaoh cuttlefish supports industrial or artisanal fisheries throughout its range. Separate catch statistics are not included in the FAO Yearbook of Fishery Statistics, but IPFC (1982) reports annual catches for the period from 1969 to 1980 fluctuating between 3 000 and 10 000 metric tons. These catches were taken by the Japanese long distance trawler fleet operating off the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen, following the decrease of Japanese fishing operations off West Africa, of Yemen, following the decrease of Japanese fishing operations off West Africa. It has been suggested to increase the length at first capture through mesh regulations in the fishery off South Yemen in order to improve. It is a commonly fished species of cuttlefish in the Philippines, as well as the most economically important cuttlefish in the northern Indian Ocean. Off the coast of Australia, 90% of the cuttlefish caught are S. pharaonis. It is often eaten by humans in these areas. Major landing centres:

VPM's B N Bandodkar College of Science, Thane

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II

Loligo duvauceli Common name: Indian squid Local Name:

Distinguishing characters:

Distribution: The Indian squid, Loligo duvauceli Orbigny, is an Indo-Pacific species distributed in neritic waters from to the South China Sea, and the Philippines Sea up to Taiwan. It is the most abundant squid in the Indian waters. It occurs up to a depth of 120 m or even beyond but the concentration is within 50 or 60 m from the shore, ail along the coasts, and forms fishery in trawling grounds especially on the west coast and in some non-trawling areas on the south-west coast. Commercial potential: There has been a steady increase in production in recent years due to the rising demand in the export trade. In 1989 the landings reached the all-time high of 23 941 t. Major landing centres: Different centres on both the coasts of India for 1979-1989. The production had increased by over 280% in 3 states on the west coast, viz. Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat. These states accounted for about 80% of the all-India squid production (23,941 t in 1989). State-wise production: Kerala, Gujarat and Maharashtra took the lion's share of squid production. During the 11-year period (Table 1) the average contribution by Kerala was 38% followed by the other two states accounting for 22 and 21% respectively. In 1989 when the squid catch reached the maximum, Kerala's contribution was as high as 51% (12 261 t). The landings in West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh Pondicherry and Goa were very low throughout, while the average contribution by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka was about 6- 8%

VPM's B N Bandodkar College of Science, Thane

Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.