Longtail tuna (Thunnus tonggol, Bleeker, 1851), the largest growing species among neritic tunas have a unique distribution pattern globally. Northern Arabian Sea together with the Oman Sea and Persian Gulf in the north-western Indian Ocean is considered to be the major area where the species is abundant and form sizeable fisheries globally. India has an artisanal tuna fishery and contributes nearly 10% of the longtail tuna landing in the region, with Gujarat alone contributing nearly 80%. The paper updates on the longtail tuna fisheries in the region with focus on the north-west coast of India together with its spatial characteristics. Clues on the areas of abundance of the species along Gujarat coast over the seasons and temporal movements of different ontogenetic stages in the shelf areas are revealed. The study sets prelude to a cost effective and participatory collection of spatially referred data on the artisanal and small scale fisheries in the region.
This paper reports seven species of opisthobranchs from the intertidal zone of the south Saurashtra coastline off the Arabian Sea, Kathiawar Peninsula, west coast of India. Field surveys were undertaken along the intertidal zones of south Saurashtra coast during 2012–2014. In this study, seven species belonging to six families were recorded, of whichHaminoea ovalis, Flabellina bicolor, Phidiana militaris, Baeolidia palythoaeandSakuraeolis gujaraticaare new records from this coastline.
The benthic ctenophore Vallicula multiformis Rankin, 1956 is recorded for the first time in the Arabian Sea, from the Gulf of Kutch, west coast of India in March 2013. This occurrence represents a remarkable extension of its geographic distribution that until now included only known the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Longtail tuna fisheries in the northern Arabian Sea off the north-west coast of India: Moving towards developing spatially explicit fisheries management strategy