A study on marine fishery resources of Andhra Pradesh ecological aspects and morphometrics of common marine fishes of Visakhapatnam protein content and Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in pomfret fish species

Abstract

10 newline newlineABSTRACT newline newlineAn inventory of marine fishery resources of Andhra Pradesh State, India, indicated that a newlinetotal of 212 species consisting of fin fishes, crustaceans and molluscs. Twenty edible marine newlinespecies captured from coastal waters of Visakhapatnam, namely, Himantura bleekeri, Lutjanus newlineargentimaculatus, Johnius dussumieri, Tachysurus thalassinus, Stolephorus commersonii, Trichiurus newlinelepturus, Lates calcarifer, Rastrelliger kanagurta, Scomberomorus commerson, S. guttatus, newlineKatsuwonus pelamis, Thunnus albacares, Coryphaena hippurus, Makaira indica, Xiphias gladius, newlinePampus argenteus, P. chinensis, Parastromateus niger and Muraenesox talabonoides and Sepia newlinepharaonis land at fishing harbor and local markets. These species have been recorded according newlineto IUCN red list. Of these, S. commersonii is anadromous, L. calcarifer is catadromous, H. bleekeri, newlineT. lepturus, P. chinensis, P. niger and M. talabonoides are amphidromous, and all other species are newlineoceanodromous; all species are carnivorous. Of these, Lutjanus argentimaculatus, Johnius newlinedussumieri, Trichurus lepturus, Katsuwonus pelamis and Xiphias gladius spawn throughout the year newlinewhile all other species spawn seasonally. The fishermen use Surrounding nets, Seine nets, Trawls, newlineLift nets, Gillnets and Entangling nets, Traps, Hooks and Lines and Miscellaneous Gears to harvest newlinemarine fishery resources. The fishery resources are consistently subjected to degradation and newlinefragmentation of their habitats due to urbanization, industrialization, tourism, over-exploitation, newlineover-consumption and exports. newline newline newlineMorphometric data were provided for all twenty marine fish species collected from the newlinecoastal waters of Visakhapatnam. The physico-chemical parameters - pH, salinity, dissolved newlineoxygen, biological oxygen demand and temperature were recorded in summer season from the newlinecoastal surface waters away from the harbor. The pH and salinity values are high while the values newlineof other parameters are low; this trend is attributed to offshore divergence which dilutes newlinepollution level