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) Crustacean fisheries – Penaeus monodon; etapenaeus affinis, Parapenaeopsisstylifera, Acetes indicus, Panulirus polyphagus, Scylla serrata. iv) Molluscan fisheries – Pinctada vulgaris, Sepia pharaonis, Loligo duvaceli.iii) Commercial potential & major landing centres of the above shell fishes.

1. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
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) – Stromateussinensis, Stromateuscinereus,Stromateusniger, Polynemus
tetradactylus, Psuedosciaena diacanthus, Trichiurushaumela, Synagris8aponicas, Scomber microlepeidotus,
Cybiumguttatum, 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) Crustacean fisheries – Penaeus monodon; etapenaeus affinis, Parapenaeopsisstylifera, Acetes indicus, Panulirus
polyphagus, Scylla serrata.
iv) Molluscan fisheries – Pinctadavulgaris, Sepia pharaonis, Loligo duvaceli.iii) Commercial potential & major
landing centres of the above shell fishes.
Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod
BOOKS ofREFERENCE
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
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. Jayaram (1981) listed 742
freshwater species of fishes under 233 genera, 64 families and 16 orders from 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% 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.

2. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
Coastal Fisheries: (Commercial potential & major landing centres)
Stromateus sinensis Synonym: Pampus chinensis
(accepted # WoRMS = World Register of Marine spp.)
Common name: Butterfish
Local Name: china poplet
Distinguishing characters:
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 43-50; Anal soft rays: 39 - 42; Grayish to brownish
dorsally, silvery white on sides. Covered in dark pigment spots. Fins silvery to grayish, darkest distally.
Body firm, very deep, compressed. Caudal peduncle short, deep, strongly compressed, lacking scute-like
scales or fleshy keels. Snout blunt, rounded, forehead almost straight; eye small.
Distribution:
Indian Ocean and western Pacific: Persian Gulf to eastern Indonesia, north to Japan. Not recorded from
Australia or New Guinea.
Commercial potential:
Occurs seasonally singly or in small schools over muddy bottoms; may enter estuaries. Feeds on
ctenophores, salps, medusae, and other zooplankton groups but will also prey on small benthic animals.
Sold fresh in markets
Major landing centres:
Stromateus cinereus Synonym: Pampus argenteus
(accepted #Fishbase)
Common name: Silver pomfret
Local Name: Poplet

3. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
Distinguishing characters:
Body firm, very deep, oval, and compressed. Operculum 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. Pelvic fins absent. 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. Extralimital captures have been
made from the Adriatic and off Hawaii.
Commercial potential:
Inshore species, usually in schools over muddy bottoms, sold fresh in local markets or shipped frozen to
urban centers. Used in Chinese medicine.
Major landing centres:
Stromateus niger Synonym: Parastromateus niger
(accepted # Fishbase)
Common name: Black pomfret
Local Name: Halwa

4. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
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. 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.
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.
Major landing centres:
Polynemus tetradactylus Synonym: Eleutheronema
tetradactylum (accepted # WoRMS)
Common name: Indian salmon (threadfins)
Local Name: Rawas
Distinguishing characters:
Pectoral filaments 4; fin membranes vivid yellow in life, except in large specimens,
Distribution:
Indo-West Pacific: Persian Gulf to Papua New Guinea and northern Australia. Replaced by
Eleutheronema rhadinum, in East Asia (Japan, China, Viet Nam).
Commercial potential:
Adults occur mainly over shallow muddy bottoms in coastal waters. Also enter rivers. Juveniles found in
estuaries. During winter, adults ascend the rivers. They usually form loose schools, although larger fish
are more often observed in pairs or singly. Feed on prawns and fish.
Major landing centres:
Psuedosciaena diacanthus Synonym: Protonibea Common name: Slate-cod croaker

5. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
diacanthus (accepted # WoRMS) Local Name: Dhoma
Distinguishing characters:
Distribution:
Found in coastal waters over muddy bottoms, off the sea-bed. Ascend tidal rivers and estuaries. Indo-
West Pacific: Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf) east to Philippines, north to South China Sea, south to
Queensland (Australia). Found in coastal waters over muddy bottoms, off the sea-bed. Ascend tidal
rivers and estuaries. Feed mainly on crustaceans and small fishes. Also caught with bottom trawl
Commercial potential:
Sold fresh and dried salted in markets. An important food fish. Swim bladder is used for making
isinglass.
Major landing centres:
Trichiurus haumela Synonym: Trichiurus lepturus
(accepted # WoRMS)
Common name: Robbon fish
Local Name: Wagti
Distinguishing characters:
Body extremely elongate and strongly compressed, ribbon-like, tapering to a point. 2 or 3 pairs of
enlarged fangs with barbs nearer tip of upper jaw and another pair near tip of lower jaw;
Distribution:
Generally over muddy bottoms of shallow coastal waters. Often enter estuaries.

6. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
Commercial potential:
Global Capture production for
Trichiurus lepturus
(FAO Fishery Statistic)
The most important commercially caught trichiurid or gempylid with an annual catch of 752 711 t in
1990. Caught mainly with bag nets in estuaries, with trolling, beach seines, boat seines, set nets and
bottom or midwater longlines in inshore waters, and with bottom trawls in offshore waters throughout
the world.
Major landing centres:
Synagris Japonicas Synonym: Nemipterus japonicus
(accepted # WoRMS)
Common name: Japanese threadfin-bream
Local Name: Rani masa
Distinguishing characters:

7. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
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 Indian ocean. Species is very
abundant in coastal waters, found on mud and sandy bottoms usually in schools and are non
migratory in nature.
Commercial potential:
Marketed mainly fresh, but also frozen, steamed, dried-salted, dry-smoked, fermented or made into fish
balls and fish meal. In Veraval, 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 surumi 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
Scomber microlepeidotus Synonym: Rastrelliger
kanagurta (accepted # Fishbaes)
Common name: Indian mackerel
Local Name: Bangda
Distinguishing characters:
Body moderately deep, its depth at margin of gill cover 4.3 to 5.2 times in fork length;
Distribution:
An epipelagic, neritic species occurring in areas where surface water temperatures are at least 17°
C. Schooling is by size. Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to Indonesia, north to the Ryukyu
Islands and China, south to Australia, Melanesia and Samoa. Entered the eastern Mediterranean Sea
through the Suez Canal.
Commercial potential:

8. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
Global Capture production for
Rastrelliger kanagurta
(FAO Fishery Statistic)
Indian mackerel is a very important species in many parts of its range. Catches are usually recorded as
Rastrelliger spp. 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. have exceeded 300,000 t. In the Western
Indian Ocean area most of the catches (about 185 000 t in 1995) are identified as R. kanagurta while in in
the Eastern Indian Ocean 224 000 t are reported as Rastrelliger spp. and 43 000 t as R. kanagurta .
Major landing centres:
Cybium guttatum Synonym: Scomberomorus guttatus
(accepted # Fishbase)
Common name: Seer fish
Local Name: Surmai
Distinguishing characters:
Distribution:
Commercial potential:

9. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
Major landing centres
Sardinella longiceps Common name: Indian Oil sardine
Local Name: Tarli
Distinguishing characters:
Body elongate, subcylindrical, its depth less than 30% of standard length, belly rounded, serrated and
keeled. Dorsal fin 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 Red Sea
or the "Gulf", eastward to southern part of India, on eastern coast to Andhra; possibly to Andamans).
Coastal,pelagic, schooling, strongly migratory.Feeds mainly on phytoplankton (especially diatoms), both
as juveniles and adults, but also on zooplankton (especially copepods by the juveniles).
Commercial potential:
Global Capture production for
Sardinella longiceps
(FAO Fishery Statistic)

10. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
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 is also used as fish meal for cattle. The most important and abundant clupeoid in Indian
waters (up to 30% of all marine fishes), although with considerable variations (unpredictable) in catches;
ranging from 12,000 t to 33,000 t; and from year to year, e.g. 7 400 t in 1956; 189,000 t in 1960
(Jhingran, 1982:527); 301,000 t in 1968 (highest) and 154,000 t in 1979. The total catch reported for this
species to FAO for 1999 was 209 806 t. High catches were obtained in 1922-26; 1933-37 and 1964-70.
Some 600 factories producing guano and oil had to be abandoned in Malabar region because of
unpredictability in its landings. East coast has sporadic occurrence and highly irregular hence no
significance. Oil sardine and Indian mackerel compete for food and space therefore their landings were
observed to be reciprocating to each other for this reason.
Major landing centres:
Sardine fishery contributes 1% to 30% of total marine fisheries of India. Kerala coast offers richest
fishery (37% of sardine fishery); Mysore ranks next to Kerala; entire stretch from Ratnagiri to Quilon
offer lucrative fishing grounds.
Deep sea fisheries: (Commercial potential & major landing centres)
Thunnus albacore Synonym: Thunnus Thynnus Common name: Pacific blue-fin tuna
Local Name:
Distinguishing characters:
Mean number of gill rakers 35.9. First ventrally directed parapophysis on vertebra number 8. Dorsal wall
of body cavity has a narrow bulge with lateral concavity and wide lateral trough. Caudal keels dark. A
very large species, deepest near middle of first dorsal fin base. Gillrakers 34 to 43 on first arch. Second
dorsal fin higher than first dorsal; pectoral fins very short, less than 80% of head length (16.8 to 21.% of
fork length), never reaching the interspace between the dorsal fins.
Distribution:
North Pacific: Gulf of Alaska to southern California and Baja California and from Sakhalin Island in the
southern Sea of Okhotsk south to northern Philippines.
Commercial potential:

11. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
Marine; brackish; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous Epipelagic, usually oceanic, but seasonally coming
close to shore. Catch statistics were reported by 25 countries for 9 fishing areas, Fishing Area 61 alone
accounting for almost half the total. T. thynnus is caught with different types of gear, such as trap nets,
purse seines, longlines, trolling lines and others. It is marketed fresh or deep frozen in Japan; the belly
portion fetches particularly high prices when containing much fat.
Global Capture production for
Thunnus thynnus
(FAO Fishery Statistic)
Major landing centres:
Sarda orientalis Synonym: Sarda chiliensis
(accepted #Fishbase)
Common name: Striped bonito
Local Name:
Distinguishing characters:
Mouth moderately large. Laminae of olfactory rosette 21 to 39. Interpelvic process small and bifid. Body
completely covered with very small scales posterior to the corselet. Swim bladder absent. Back with
narrow oblique stripes. A coastal species found schooling with small tunas. Also found around some
islands. Feeds on clupeoids, other fishes, squids and decapod crustaceans.
Distribution:

12. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
Indo-Pacific: widespread but with many gaps in its known distribution. Eastern Pacific: Hawaiian Islands
and Pacific coast of USA. Restricted to the eastern Pacific Ocean (Collette & Chao, 1975:fig. 70). Its
geographical range includes a northern and a southern subspecies separated by a tropical population of
Sarda orientalis.
Commercial potential:
In California, eastern Pacific bonito is taken commercially by purse seiners, but is more important to the
recreational hooks and lines fishery operating from private and party boats, piers and jetties, and from
the shore (Yoshida, 1980:42). In the mid-sixties, the Chilean bonito fishery between lquique and
Antofagasta expanded from an almost entirely artisanal activity with floating gillnets and small purse
seines to an industrial operation with specialized bonito/tuna vessels (Yoshida, 1980:42). The landings of
the northern subspecies (S. c. lineolata) in California and Mexico have fluctuated greatly over the last 50
years from less than 1 000 metric tons to nearly 14 000 t in the early seventies, ranking in 13th place (4
003 t worth $1 222 000) in total California landings of 1976. The Peruvian landings of the southern
subspecies (S. c. chiliensis) 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 (Yoshida, 1980:44). 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.
Global Capture production for
Sarda chiliensis
(FAO Fishery Statistic)
Major landing centres:
Rhincodon typus
Common name: Whale shark
Local Name:

13. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
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:
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.
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. World's largest fish,
which is harmless to humans. Specimens rarely above 12 m. Often seen offshore but coming close
inshore, sometimes entering lagoons or coral atolls. Highly migratory between ocean basins and
national jurisdictions, but returns to the same sites annually. Hence this study is to examine the
feasibility of whale shark ecotourism in Taiwan. Based on averaged catch per unit effort (CPUE),
Pingtung (PT) and Penghu (PH) were identified as the highest potential hot-spots for ecotourism
development.
Major landing centres:
Crustacean fisheries: (Commercial potential & major landing centres)
Penaeus monodon
Common name: Tiger prawn
Local Name:

14. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
Distinguishing characters:
Similar to all penaeid shrimp, the rostrum well developed and toothed dorsally and ventrally. Carapace
without longitudinal or transverse sutures. Cervical and orbito-antennal sulci and antennal carinae
always present. Hepatic and antennal spines pronounced.
Distribution:
Indo-West Pacific oceans including East Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Australia
(FAO 2011; McCann et al. 1996). Juveniles and sub-adults occupy shallow coastal estuaries, lagoons, and
mangrove areas. East coast and South-west coast of India.
Commercial potential:
Season November to May.
Global Capture production for
Penaeus monodon
(FAO Fishery Statistic)
Jones (1967:1333) indicated that it is more common in prawn catches on the east coast of India than on
the west coast. According to Chopra (1939:222) "This is the commonest large sized penaeid of Calcutta,
and is sold in our markets in enormous quantities". Kurian & Sebastian (1976:100) cited it as an
important commercial species in India, especially on the east coast (Bengal and Orissa); juveniles being
caught in estuaries. Also in Bangladesh it is of considerable commercial importance. In Malaya and
Thailand Penaeus monodon is fished in offshore waters. It is obtained both by pond fishing and inshore
fishing in Malaya, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan; because of its large size the species
is quite important economically.
Major landing centres:
Abundance along West Bengal and Orissa coasts.

15. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
Metapenaeus affinis
Common name: King prawn
Local Name: Jinga
Distinguishing characters:
Distribution:
Throughout the west coast and certain parts of East coast of India.
Commercial potential:
Season November to May.
Major landing centres:
Abundant along Maharashtra and Kerala coasts.
Parapenaeopsis stylifera
Common name: Marine shrimp
Local Name:
Distinguishing characters:
Distribution:
Both the coasts but more in South-West coast.
Commercial potential:
Season May to September.

16. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
Major landing centres:
Abundant along Kerala and Karnataka coasts.
Acetes indicus
Common name: Shrimp
Local Name: Jawala
Distinguishing characters:
Distribution:
North-west and North-East coasts of India
Commercial potential:
Season September to March. Among the sergestid shrimps known from the Indian Seas, the species of
Acetes are commercially important. 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:
Along Maharashtra, Gujarat, and coasts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Panulirus polyphagus Common name: Spiny or rock lobster
Local Name: Shevand

17. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
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. West and South-East coasts of India.
Commercial potential:
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. Season Throughout the year particularly from December to January. This species is
subject to localised 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 its a commercially important fishery species throughout
its geographic range (Reid et al. 2005). It is caught during the spawning season off Thailand and Iran with
traps baited with eggs.
Major landing centres:
Gulf of Mannar and Maharashtra coast.
Scylla serrata Common name: Mud crab
Local Name: Chimbori

18. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
Distinguishing characters:
Distribution:
West and East coasts of India.
Commercial potential:
Season, uly to October. Crab traps, Trawl net and Drag nets.
Major landing centres:
Coasts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Orissa.
Molluscan fisheries: (Commercial potential & major landing centres)
Pinctada vulgaris Synonym: Pinctada imbricata
(accepted #WoRMS)
Common name: Pearl oyster
Local Name: Moti

19. T. Y. B. Sc. Fishery Biology, Sem.VI Notes: Unit I & II
Prepared by Prof. Sudesh D. Rathod, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science. Thane-400601, India.
Distinguishing characters:
Distribution:
Commercial potential:
Major landing centres
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,

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

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