Deep-sea prawn resources off the south-west coast of India

Mohamed, K H and Suseelan, C (1973) Deep-sea prawn resources off the south-west coast of India. In: Proceedings of the symposium on living resources of the seas around India, 1968, Mandapam Camp.

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Abstract

Information on the fishery resources of the deeper waters, beyond 100 m off the Indian coast is scanty. The exploratory trawling operations carried out by the Indo-Norwegian Project vessels from 1964 onwards in depths ranging from 120 m to 430 m, covering over 5,000 square kilometres, along the south-west coast of India showed the presence of considerable quantities of deep-sea prawns along with lobsters, crabs and fishes. The analysis of the catch data of over 2S0 hauls made from these depths has enabled to assess the productivity of these groimds in respect of the newly found prawn resources. Although more than a dozen species of prawns were foimd in the catches, only seven of them, viz., Aristeus semidentatus, Heterocarpus wood-masoni, H. gibbosus, Parapandalus spinipes, Plesionika mania, P. ensis and Penaeopsis rectacuta were present in such large quantities as to form sizable portions of the catch. The analysis also indicated that the southern areas (off Quilon and Alleppey) are more productive and that the resources are more concentrated in the depth range 300-375 m.

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