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Abstract
Megalops cyprinoides is distributed in tropical and subtropical waters of Indo-Pacific Ocean. The population of the species have declined in recent years due to the over exploitation for commercial fisheries, habitat loss and alteration of freshwater flow from rivers and the species listed as Data Deficient (DD) in the IUCN red list. The present study reports on the fishery, length-weight relationships, growth, mortality and exploitation of M. cyprinoides from Kodungallur-Azhikode estuary, South West coast of India. Monthly catches of the species from the estuary varied from 135kg to 710kg. The length-weight relationship of the population was described by the equation: BW= 0.006TL2.98 (r= 0.99). The growth parameters, asymptotic length (L∞) and growth coefficients (K) were 394.8mm and 0.87 year-1 respectively. The potential longevity (tmax) and the observed length at first capture (Lc) were estimated to be 3.44 years and 227.90mm respectively. Fishing mortality rate (F= 1.24 year-1) of M. cyprinoides was higher than the natural mortality rate (M = 0.82 year-1) and the present exploitation level (E=0.60) is 80% of the predicted maximum exploitation (Emax=0.75), which indicates that the stock is over exploited under current level of harvest. Therefore, the present investigation suggests reducing the fishing pressure for M. cyprinoides along the Indian coastal water that will be useful for their sustainable fisheries management.
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References
- Adams, A.J.; Horodysky, A.Z.; McBride, R.S.; Guindon, K.; Shenker, J.; MacDonald, T.C.; Harwell, H.D.; Ward, R. & Carpenter, K. 2014. Global conservation status and research needs for tarpons (Megalopidae), ladyfishes (Elopidae) and bonefishes (Albulidae). Fish and Fisheries 15: 280-311.
- Beverton, R.J.H. & Holt, S.J. 1957. On the Dynamics of Exploited Fish Populations. Chapman and Hall, London.
- Beverton, R.J.H. & Holt, S.J. 1966. Manual of Methods for Fish Stock Assessment. Part II. Tables of yield functions. FAO fisheries technical paper no. 38. Review 1. FAO, Rome, Italy.
- Bijoy, N.S.; Jayachandran, P.R. & Sreedevi, O.K. 2012. Temporal pattern of fish production in a microtidal tropical estuary in the south-west coast of India. Indian Journal of Fisheries 59(2): 17-26.
- Coates, D. 1987. Observations on the biology of the Tarpon, Megalops cyprinoides (Broussonet) (Pisces: Megalopidae) in the Sepik River, Northern Papua New Guinea. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 38: 529-535
- Crabtree, R.E.; Cyr, E.C. & Dean, J.M. 1995. Age and Growth of tarpon, Megalpos atlanticus from South Florida waters. Fishery Bulletin 93(4): 619-628
- Etim, L.; Lebo, P.E. & King, R.P. 1999. The dynamics of an exploited population of a siluroid catfish (Schilbe intermidius, Reupell 1832) in the Cross River. Nigerian Fisheries Research 40(3): 295-307
- Froese, R. 2006. Cube law, condition factor and weight-length relationships: history, meta-analysis and recommendations. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 22(4): 241-253
- Gayanilo, F.C.; Sparre, P. & Pauly, D. 2005. The FAO-ICLARM stock-assessment tools II (FiSAT II). User's guide. Revised version FAO Computerized Information Series (Fisheries) Vol. 8. Rome: FAO.
- Gulland, J.A. 1970. The fish resources of the ocean. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 97.
- Harikrishnan, M.; Vipin, P.M. & Kurup, B.M. 2011. Status of exploited fishery resources of Azhikode Estuary, Kerala, India. Fish Technology 48(1): 19-24
- Hilborn, R.; Amoroso, R.O.; Anderson, C.M.; Baum, J.K.; Branch, T.A.; Costello, C. et al. 2020. Effective fisheries management instrumental in improving fish stock status. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117(4): 2218-2224.
- Jayachandran, P.R. & Bijoy, N.S. 2012. Assessment of trophic change and its probable impact on tropical estuarine environment (Kodungallur-Azhikode estuary, India). Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 17(7): 837-847.
- Jayachandran, P.R.; Bijoy, N.S. & Sreedevi, O.K. 2012. Water quality variations and nutrient characteristics of Kodungallur- Azhikode Estuary, Kerala, India. Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences 41(12): 180-187
- Kurup, B.M.; Sebastian, M.J.; Sankaran, T.M. & Rabindranath, P. 1993. Exploited fishery resources of the Vembanad Lake. Indian Journal of Fisheries 40(4): 207-212
- Ley, J.A. 2005. Linking fish assemblages and attributes of mangrove estuaries in tropical Australia: criteria for regional marine reserves. Marine Ecology Progress Series 305: 41-57
- Mahadevan, G.; Gosavi, S.M.; Sreekanth, G.B.; Gladston, Y. & Murugesan, P. 2021. Demographics of blue- spotted mudskipper, Boleophthalmus boddarti (Pallas, 1770) from Mudflats of Sunderbans, India. Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Science 37(): 457-463.
- Padmaja, G. & Rao, L.M. 2001. Breeding biology of Megalops cyprinoides from Visakhapatnam coast. Journal of Environmental Biology 22(2): 91-99.
- Pandian, T.J. 1969. Feeding habits of fish Megalops cyprinoides Broussonet, in the Cooum backwaters, Madras. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society 65(3): 569-580.
- Pauly, D. 1980. On the interrelationships between natural mortality, growth parameters, and mean environmental temperature in 175 fish stocks. ICES Journal of Marine Science 39(2): 175-192
- Pauly, D. 1984. Fish population dynamics in tropical waters: a manual for use with programmable calculators. ICLARM Fish Byte 8, 325p
- Pauly, D. & Munro, J.L. 1984. Once more on the comparison of growth in fish and invertebrates. Fish Byte 2(1): 1-21
- Pusey, B.; Kennard, M. & Arthington, A. 2004. Freshwater Fishes of North-Eastern Australia. CSIRO Publishing, Colingwood, Victoria. 684 p.
- Rahman, A.K.A. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh. Zoological Society of Bangladesh, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 364 p.
- Renjithkumar, C.R.; Roshni, K. & Ranjeet, K. 2021. Length–weight relations of 14 fish species (Actinopterygii) from the Chalakudy River, Western Ghats, India. Acta Ichyologia Etal Piscatoria 51(3): 263-265.
- Renjithkumar, C.R. & Roshni K. 2022. Length‐weight relationships of 12 dominant fish species from a Ramsar Wetland in India: Vembanad Lake. Lakes & Reservoirs: Science, Policy and Management for Sustainable Use 27(4): e12414.
- Revichandran, C. & Abraham, P. 1998. Mixing and flushing time scale in the Azhikode estuary, South west coat of India. Indian Journal of Geo- Marine Science 27(): 163-166.
- Roshni, K. & Renjithkumar, C.R. 2021. Demographics and reproductive characteristics of Orange Chromidae, Pseudetroplus maculatus (Bloch, 1795) from Cochin Estuary, Southern India. Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Science 37(): 905-915.
- Scaria, K.S.; Devaraj, M.; Joseph, A.; Synudhin, M.B.; Vijayalakshmi, K.V.; Ammini, P.L.; Beena, M.B. & Sindhu K. A. 1999. Production Pattern in the Marine Fisheries of Kerala. CMFRI special publication
- Shanmughan, A.; Dahanukar, N.; Harrison, A.; Pinder, A.C.; Ranjeet, K. & Raghavan. R. 2022. Demographics and exploitation of two Near Threatened freshwater eels, Anguilla bengalensis and Anguilla bicolor, in small-scale subsistence fisheries and implications for conservation. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 32(2): 269-281.
- Shephard, S.; Ryan, D.; O'Reilly, P. & Roche, W. 2021. Using local ecological knowledge to inform semi-quantitative fishery surveillance indicators: an example in marine recreational angling. ICES Journal of Marine Science 78(10): 3805-3816
- Stequert, B.; Panfili, J. & Dean, J.M. 1996. Age and growth of yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares, from the western Indian Ocean, based on otolith microstructure. Fishery Bulletin 94(1): 124-134
- Sun, M.; Li, Y.; Zhang, C.; Xu, B.; Ren, Y. & Chen, Y. 2020. Management of data-limited fisheries: identifying informative data to achieve sustainable fisheries. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 40(3): 733-751.
- Tesch, W. 1971. “Age and growth,” in Methods for Assessment of Fish Production in Fresh Waters, 2nd Edition, ed. W. E. Ricker (Oxford: Blackwell), pp. 97-130.
- Vijith, V.; Sundar, D. & Shetye, S.R. 2009. Time-dependence of salinity in monsoonal estuaries. Estuarine and Coastal and Shelf Science 85(4): 601-608.
- Wells, R.M.G.; Baldwin, R.S.; Baudinette, R.V.; Christian, K. & Bennett, M.B. 2003. Oxygen transport capacity in the air-breathing fish, Megalops cyprinoides: compensations for strenuous exercise. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A 134(1): 45-53.
References
Adams, A.J.; Horodysky, A.Z.; McBride, R.S.; Guindon, K.; Shenker, J.; MacDonald, T.C.; Harwell, H.D.; Ward, R. & Carpenter, K. 2014. Global conservation status and research needs for tarpons (Megalopidae), ladyfishes (Elopidae) and bonefishes (Albulidae). Fish and Fisheries 15: 280-311.
Beverton, R.J.H. & Holt, S.J. 1957. On the Dynamics of Exploited Fish Populations. Chapman and Hall, London.
Beverton, R.J.H. & Holt, S.J. 1966. Manual of Methods for Fish Stock Assessment. Part II. Tables of yield functions. FAO fisheries technical paper no. 38. Review 1. FAO, Rome, Italy.
Bijoy, N.S.; Jayachandran, P.R. & Sreedevi, O.K. 2012. Temporal pattern of fish production in a microtidal tropical estuary in the south-west coast of India. Indian Journal of Fisheries 59(2): 17-26.
Coates, D. 1987. Observations on the biology of the Tarpon, Megalops cyprinoides (Broussonet) (Pisces: Megalopidae) in the Sepik River, Northern Papua New Guinea. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 38: 529-535
Crabtree, R.E.; Cyr, E.C. & Dean, J.M. 1995. Age and Growth of tarpon, Megalpos atlanticus from South Florida waters. Fishery Bulletin 93(4): 619-628
Etim, L.; Lebo, P.E. & King, R.P. 1999. The dynamics of an exploited population of a siluroid catfish (Schilbe intermidius, Reupell 1832) in the Cross River. Nigerian Fisheries Research 40(3): 295-307
Froese, R. 2006. Cube law, condition factor and weight-length relationships: history, meta-analysis and recommendations. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 22(4): 241-253
Gayanilo, F.C.; Sparre, P. & Pauly, D. 2005. The FAO-ICLARM stock-assessment tools II (FiSAT II). User's guide. Revised version FAO Computerized Information Series (Fisheries) Vol. 8. Rome: FAO.
Gulland, J.A. 1970. The fish resources of the ocean. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 97.
Harikrishnan, M.; Vipin, P.M. & Kurup, B.M. 2011. Status of exploited fishery resources of Azhikode Estuary, Kerala, India. Fish Technology 48(1): 19-24
Hilborn, R.; Amoroso, R.O.; Anderson, C.M.; Baum, J.K.; Branch, T.A.; Costello, C. et al. 2020. Effective fisheries management instrumental in improving fish stock status. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117(4): 2218-2224.
Jayachandran, P.R. & Bijoy, N.S. 2012. Assessment of trophic change and its probable impact on tropical estuarine environment (Kodungallur-Azhikode estuary, India). Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 17(7): 837-847.
Jayachandran, P.R.; Bijoy, N.S. & Sreedevi, O.K. 2012. Water quality variations and nutrient characteristics of Kodungallur- Azhikode Estuary, Kerala, India. Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences 41(12): 180-187
Kurup, B.M.; Sebastian, M.J.; Sankaran, T.M. & Rabindranath, P. 1993. Exploited fishery resources of the Vembanad Lake. Indian Journal of Fisheries 40(4): 207-212
Ley, J.A. 2005. Linking fish assemblages and attributes of mangrove estuaries in tropical Australia: criteria for regional marine reserves. Marine Ecology Progress Series 305: 41-57
Mahadevan, G.; Gosavi, S.M.; Sreekanth, G.B.; Gladston, Y. & Murugesan, P. 2021. Demographics of blue- spotted mudskipper, Boleophthalmus boddarti (Pallas, 1770) from Mudflats of Sunderbans, India. Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Science 37(): 457-463.
Padmaja, G. & Rao, L.M. 2001. Breeding biology of Megalops cyprinoides from Visakhapatnam coast. Journal of Environmental Biology 22(2): 91-99.
Pandian, T.J. 1969. Feeding habits of fish Megalops cyprinoides Broussonet, in the Cooum backwaters, Madras. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society 65(3): 569-580.
Pauly, D. 1980. On the interrelationships between natural mortality, growth parameters, and mean environmental temperature in 175 fish stocks. ICES Journal of Marine Science 39(2): 175-192
Pauly, D. 1984. Fish population dynamics in tropical waters: a manual for use with programmable calculators. ICLARM Fish Byte 8, 325p
Pauly, D. & Munro, J.L. 1984. Once more on the comparison of growth in fish and invertebrates. Fish Byte 2(1): 1-21
Pusey, B.; Kennard, M. & Arthington, A. 2004. Freshwater Fishes of North-Eastern Australia. CSIRO Publishing, Colingwood, Victoria. 684 p.
Rahman, A.K.A. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh. Zoological Society of Bangladesh, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 364 p.
Renjithkumar, C.R.; Roshni, K. & Ranjeet, K. 2021. Length–weight relations of 14 fish species (Actinopterygii) from the Chalakudy River, Western Ghats, India. Acta Ichyologia Etal Piscatoria 51(3): 263-265.
Renjithkumar, C.R. & Roshni K. 2022. Length‐weight relationships of 12 dominant fish species from a Ramsar Wetland in India: Vembanad Lake. Lakes & Reservoirs: Science, Policy and Management for Sustainable Use 27(4): e12414.
Revichandran, C. & Abraham, P. 1998. Mixing and flushing time scale in the Azhikode estuary, South west coat of India. Indian Journal of Geo- Marine Science 27(): 163-166.
Roshni, K. & Renjithkumar, C.R. 2021. Demographics and reproductive characteristics of Orange Chromidae, Pseudetroplus maculatus (Bloch, 1795) from Cochin Estuary, Southern India. Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Science 37(): 905-915.
Scaria, K.S.; Devaraj, M.; Joseph, A.; Synudhin, M.B.; Vijayalakshmi, K.V.; Ammini, P.L.; Beena, M.B. & Sindhu K. A. 1999. Production Pattern in the Marine Fisheries of Kerala. CMFRI special publication
Shanmughan, A.; Dahanukar, N.; Harrison, A.; Pinder, A.C.; Ranjeet, K. & Raghavan. R. 2022. Demographics and exploitation of two Near Threatened freshwater eels, Anguilla bengalensis and Anguilla bicolor, in small-scale subsistence fisheries and implications for conservation. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 32(2): 269-281.
Shephard, S.; Ryan, D.; O'Reilly, P. & Roche, W. 2021. Using local ecological knowledge to inform semi-quantitative fishery surveillance indicators: an example in marine recreational angling. ICES Journal of Marine Science 78(10): 3805-3816
Stequert, B.; Panfili, J. & Dean, J.M. 1996. Age and growth of yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares, from the western Indian Ocean, based on otolith microstructure. Fishery Bulletin 94(1): 124-134
Sun, M.; Li, Y.; Zhang, C.; Xu, B.; Ren, Y. & Chen, Y. 2020. Management of data-limited fisheries: identifying informative data to achieve sustainable fisheries. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 40(3): 733-751.
Tesch, W. 1971. “Age and growth,” in Methods for Assessment of Fish Production in Fresh Waters, 2nd Edition, ed. W. E. Ricker (Oxford: Blackwell), pp. 97-130.
Vijith, V.; Sundar, D. & Shetye, S.R. 2009. Time-dependence of salinity in monsoonal estuaries. Estuarine and Coastal and Shelf Science 85(4): 601-608.
Wells, R.M.G.; Baldwin, R.S.; Baudinette, R.V.; Christian, K. & Bennett, M.B. 2003. Oxygen transport capacity in the air-breathing fish, Megalops cyprinoides: compensations for strenuous exercise. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A 134(1): 45-53.