Indian squid, Uroteuthis (Photololigo) duvaucelii (Loliginidae) constitute
an important component of the inshore cephalopod fisheries
along the eastern Arabian Sea. Local environmental variation plays
an important role in species–environment interactions in neritic
squids, which inhabit nearshore/coastal waters. Such ‘active’ and
‘passive’ responses of squids to environmental changes is crucial in
understanding their relationships and influence on the biological
processes, distribution and abundance of the fast-growing shortlived
coastal loliginids. The empirical relationship between squid
abundance and the variability in rainfall and sea surface temperature
(SST) were explored in a tropical monsoon fishery. Monthly catch
rates (catch per fishing hour) of squids in commercial trawl during
1987–2009 were used as the abundance index. Linear regression
models with ARIMA errors were fitted with catch per unit hour time
series as dependent variable and rainfall and SST as exogenous
variables. While rainfall was observed to have a negative effect on
squid abundance, the SST recorded a positive impact. ARIMA models
provided satisfactory fit to observed data and forecast of 22 months.
Given that the squid life-cycle is a function of their environment, this
result is relevant in forecasting squid biomass for themanagement of
tropical monsoon fisheries
