Cephalopod fishery and population dynamics ofLoligo duvauceli (Orbigny) off Saurashtra region,Gujarat

The fishery of cephalopods and some aspects of population dynamics of the Indian squid Loligo duvauceli from Veraval and Mangrol in Saurashtra region was studied for the period 1996-99. The average annual landing of cephalopods by trawl in Veraval and Mangrol were estimated at 3911t and 1030t respectively, which contributed 4.8 and 5.7% of the total fish landings in Veraval and Mangrol. Loligo duvauceli dominated the catch (58%) , followed by Sepia aculeata (19%), S. elliptica (19%), S.pharaonis (3%) and Sepiella inermis (1%). The length weight relationship was estimated for males and females of Loligo duvauceli as W= 0.109011 L 2.634609 and W = 0.314656 L 2.185796 respectively. The estimates of VBGF parameters were L ! = 303mm and K= 0.98 year -1 . The mortality rates values Z, M, F were 3.94, 1.94 and 2.20 respectively. The exploitation rate was 0.56. The present study shows that the resource is exploited above the optimum level and the effort has to be reduced for sustaining the resource for long term exploitation.