Turtle conservation activities in Tambaldeg village, Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra

Tambaldeg village in Devgad taluka is a famous tourist place in the Sindhudurg district. During a field visit to Tambaldeg beach on 24th April 2017, six carcasses of adult olive ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea and one of green turtle Chelonia mydas were observed in decomposed state. This beach is a turtle nesting site and the Forest department of Maharashtra with the support of local fishers is undertaking awareness programs for turtle conservation including hoardings displayed on conservation of turtles along the beach. Protection of nesting turtles and eggs is also undertaken by the local communities

Report of dorsal fin abnormality in silver pomfret

During a routine sampling for silver pomfret Pampus argenteus, specimens with dorsal fin abnormality were collected from Ratnagiri and Mumbai, Maharashtra. On 29th April, 2016 a single silver pomfret with deformed dorsal region and a deep pit in the dorsal region was observed in the purse seine landings at Mirkarwada fish landing centre, Ratnagir

Report on morphological abnormality in Scylla serrata

Morphological abnormalities most commonly reported in crabs are alterations in carapace (mainly number and shape of antero-lateral teeth), chelipeds, walking legs and shape of the abdomen. Uran, a fishing village in Raigad district of Maharashtra, supports a good fishery of Scylla serrata commonly known as giant mud crab, found in the coastal estuarine and mangrove areas

Record of small sized mussel species, Mytilopsis sallei (Recluz, 1849) and Modiolus undulatus (Dunker) from Maharashtra waters

During a field visit to study the molluscan diversity along Maharashtra coast, unusual clusters of small sized mussels were observed. The mussels which were collected from Vashi creek were identified as Mytilopsis sallei (Recluz, 1849) and the mussels which were collected from Murud were identified as Modiolus undulalus (Dunker). During each visit, samples were collected during lowest of low tide using a 15x15 cm^ quadrant randomly placed on the substratum about 0.5 m indepth and all mussels from the quadrate were removed

Dry cephalopods - A new market

Cephalopods contribute 15.5% towards the marine fish landings in Maharashtra (CMFRI, 2013). The major cephalopod landing centres of Maharashtra namely New Ferry Wharf, Sasoon Docks and Versova are situated in Mumbai and they account for nearly 60% of landings in the state (Annam and Sindhu, 2005). There are about 45 municipal fish markets in Mumbai and more than 20 dry fish markets are located in Mumbai at various locations such as Worli, S ewri, Crawford market, Khar, Versova, Sion etc

Marine climate and fisheries scenario of Maharashtra Climcard-4

Marine climate and fisheries scenario of Maharashtra Climcard-

Neoplasia in sawtooth barracuda

Sawtooth barracuda, Sphyraena putnamae is a common species of barracuda in the pelagic fish landings of Maharashtra. In 2015, 166 specimens of S. putnamae (301-857 mm Standard length) were collected from trawl landings at Sassoon Dock, Mumbai and examined as part of routine, specieswise biological studies on commercially important marine fishes landed in Maharashtra for developing the state's Fishery Management Plans. On 9th December 2015, a single specimen of S. putnamae measuring 685 mm in total length (TL) and weighing 1.2 kg having neoplasia was found among the sampled fishes

Rare occurrence of hairtail blenny

During an experimental fishery and oceanography survey conducted at 40 m depth off Ratnagiri, a single specimen of hairtail blenny, Xiphasia setifer Swainson, 1839 (345 mm TL, 15 g) was collected on 18th November 2016. This demersal, with an eel like body is marine gobiid fish (family blennidae), found in burrows along soft-mud bottom habitats in coastal waters

Call for spatial management approach to control exploitation of juvenile sharks

Historically in the Indian coastal regions, elasmobranchs have been caught, traded, and consumed for centuries. In some regions (including non-coastal, high-altitude and interior regions), there is a high preference for certain elasmobranch species, products, and cuisines. While India has banned international trade of shark fins since 2015, and extended protection to ten species of sharks under the Wildlife (Protection) Act,1972, there is no restriction on the harvest, domestic trade, and consumption of elasmobranchs

Record sized Kiddi prawn caught off Mumbai

Parapenaeopsis stylifera is a penaeid prawn commercially called as Kiddi prawn and locally known as ‘Jinga’. A large sized P. stylifera was collected from New Ferry Wharf on 29.04.2014 during regular field sampling. The mechanized shrimp trawler which had landed the specimen was fishing in 40 - 60 m depths off Gujarat coast. It landed about 50 - 60 kg P. stylifera along with the catches of other penaeid prawns such as Metapenaeus affinis, M. monoceros and Solenocera crassicornis. The particular specimen was a female measuring 158 mm in total length and weighing 27.6 grams