Spatio-temporal variations in the diversity and occurrence of lutjanid fish species (Family: Lutjanidae) of the Gulf of Mannar, Southeast coast of India

Sharumathi, M and Jayakumar, N and Durairaja, R and Paul, Joyson J and Sudhan, C and Kalaiarasan, M and Ranjith, L (2025) Spatio-temporal variations in the diversity and occurrence of lutjanid fish species (Family: Lutjanidae) of the Gulf of Mannar, Southeast coast of India. Marine Biodiversity, 55. pp. 1-17. ISSN 1867-1624

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Abstract

The diversity of lutjanid fish species (Family: Lutjanidae) captured from the selected sampling sites (Thoothukudi Fishing Harbour and Pamban Fish Landing Centre) along the coast of Gulf of Mannar was studied fortnightly from August 2023 to July 2024. This study aimed to assess the spatio-temporal variations in the lutjanid diversity and occurrence using PRIMER v7 computer package. Throughout the sampling period, a total of 32 lutjanid species with two new distributional records (Lutjanus notatus and Paracaesio xanthurus), across 6 genera were documented. The present study found the highest species diversity at Pamban Fish Landing Centre (PFLC) with 31 species, while Thoothukudi Fishing Harbour (TFH) had the relatively lowest diversity with 27 species. Diversity fluctuated with the seasons, peaking during the Southwest monsoon with 30 species and dropping to 22 species during the Northeast monsoon. The Shannon-Weiner diversity index was the highest at PFLC (3.17) and slightly lower at TFH (3.05). Pielou’s evenness values were 0.9272 for TFH and 0.9249 for PFLC, while Margalef’s species richness was greater at PFLC (5.949) compared to TFH (5.364). The study highlights significant insights into the diversity and conservation status of lutjanids, suggesting that the fishery at both locations is currently in a healthy state and provides a baseline information for sustainable management and conservation efforts.

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