Fishery of lizardfishes off Veraval with stock assessment of Saurida tumbil (Bloch)

Abstract

The lizardfishes form an important demersal fishery resource off Veraval with average annual estimated landings of 455 t, forming 0.74% of the total trawl production. Two species viz. Saurida tumbil and S. undosquamis contributed to the fishery of which, S. tumbil formed 85% of the lizardfish landings. Asymptotic length (L∞) and growth coefficient (K) estimated for S. tumbil are 577 mm and 0.70 y-1 respectively and the size at first capture (tc) is 202 mm. The estimated mortality rates Z, F and M are 3.46 y-1, 2.30 y-1 and 1.16 y-1 respectively. The exploitation ratio (E) and Exploitation rate (U) were estimated separately as 0.66 and 0.64 respectively. The yield per recruit study shows that the species has reached close to the optimum level of exploitation in the present fishing ground. The annual estimated stock is 587 t.