Studies on tuna livebait fishes of Lakshadweep

Extensive investigations on the distribution and\nbiology of skipjack tuna are available but less is known of the\nbait fishes on which this fishery depends and what is known is\ninadequate, fragmentary and of cursory nature. The information\navailable on tuna livebait fishes of Lakshadweep are mainly\ncofined to short term surverys aimed at estimating theiravailability and abundance. Reports on the biology of a few\nspecies from Minicoy are also present in the literature. This\nstudy was, therefore, prompted by a paucity of information on\n1) the livebits of Minicoy, 2) livebait fishery of the northern\nislands and 3) knowledge of livebait ecology