'Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi'
Abstract
Grouper fishery of Maharashtra is dominated by
Epinephelus diacanthus with occasional landing of
E. bleekeri, E. malabaricus, E.coioides, E.
areolatus, E. polylepis, E. morrhua, E. latifasciatus,
E. epistictus, E. radiatus and Cephalopholis
sonnerati. During the routine fishery survey at
Sassoon Dock on 9th October 2016 a single specimen
of Potato grouper Epinephelus tukula measuring 35
cm TL (1.7 kg) was observed in the landings of a
trawler operated at a depth of 40 off Ratnagiri.
Reports of E. tukula is rare from Indian coast and
other reports are from Lakshadweep, Vizhinjam
(Kerala), Grand Island (Goa), Muttom, Enayam
(Tamil Nadu) coasts (Sluka and Lazarus, 2010 Marine
Biodiversity Records 3:1-3). Potato grouper, is a
widely distributed Indo-Pacific species, but sparsely
known in their distribution range from Red Sea to
Kenya and Australia. The name refers to the potatoshaped
dark blotches on the body
