The Flatfishes

Abstract

Among the food fishes which contribute to the marine fish production in India, flat fishes constitute an important element in the ground fish resources which, until recent years could not be exploited adequately due to the lack of suitable gear. The indigenous gear that are employed in the fishery for flatfishes are not quite eificient to capture them from the bottom; and are able to capture only when these fishes shoal in the surface and subsurface waters in the inshore area. Inspite of these drawbacks, the fishery produces an estimated average annual catch of 9,913 tonnes. There is a great possibility of increasing the production of flatfishes from the present level.