Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute Cochin
Abstract
On 29.08.2008, 13 specimens of the oilfish, Ruvettus pretiosus Cocco, 1833 were recorded in the trawl landings along with a heavy catch of around 200 t of Coryphaena sp. at the Cochin fisheries harbour. The biggest specimen was 360 mm in TL with a weight of 260 g. The available literature indicates that a single specimen of R. pretiosus measuring 310 mm in TL and weighing 220 g collected from the continental slope off the Quilon Bank (09004'N lat. 75031'E long.) area during November 1968 is so far the only record from the south-west coast of India, besides the two specimens from Laccadives kept in the repository of the museum of Fisheries department at Kavarathi Island. The flesh of R. pretiosus contains more oil and hence the name oilfish. The only other gempylids recorded from the
Cochin area earlier were Neoepinnula orientalis and Rexea prometheoides
