Groupers and Snappers of India

Groupers and Snappers of India:
Biology and Exploitationa
P.S.B.R. JAMES
V. SRIRAMACHANDRA M U R N
P. NAMMALWAR
Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute
Cochin- 14, India
JAMES. P.S.B.R., V. SRIRAMACHANDRA MURTY and P. NAMMALWAR. 1996. Groupers and snappers o f
India: biology and exploitation [Meros y pargos de la India: biologia y explotacion]. P. 106-136. In F.
Arreguin-Sanchez, J.L. Munro, M.C. Balgos and D. Pauly (eds.) Biology, fisheries and culture o f
tropical groupers and snappers. ICLARM Conf. Proc. 48, 449 p.
Abstract
The fishes of the families Serranidae (groupers) and Lutjanidae (snappers) are an important resource
along the lndian coast. They are represented by 79 species i n the lndian seas, reach up to 2 m and are
abundant in and around rocky outgrowths and coral ridges at depths extending t o about 360 m. Their
exploitation presently yields an average annual landing of 8 000 t or about 3% of total lndian marine fish
landings. This paper summarizes present Itnowledge on distribution, exploitation, culture and biology
of groupers and snappers in India.
Resumen
Los peces d e Id farnilia Serranidae (rneros) y Lutjdnidae (parses) representan un irnportante recurso
a l o largo d e /as costas de la India. Estan representados por 79 especies dentro de 10s mares de la India,
algunos alcanzan mas d e 2 m d e longitud y son abundantes dentro y en 10s alrededores de fondos
rocosos y bordes arrecifales a profundidades que se extienden a mas de 360 m. La explotacion rinde
actualmente un promedio anual d e 8 000 t que'equivalen a1 3% del total de peces marinos descargados
en /a India. Este trabajo sintetiza el conocimiento actual sobre la distrlbucion, explotacion. cultivo y
Diologia de rneros y pargos de la India.
"This contribution was assembled by the editors based on two submitted manuscripts: "Groupers and
snappers of India: their distribution, exploitation and biology" by P.S.B.R. ]shes and V. Sriramachandra
Murty, and "Studies on the fishery, biology and cultivation of groupers and snappers along the lndian
coast - exploitation and management" by P. Nammalwar, and complemented by a FishBase list of the
groupers and snappers of India, also used t o update the scientific names of the originals.