Cephalopod fishery off Thoothukudi coast, Tamil Nadu

In Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, cephalopod resources are principally exploited by single day trawlers followed by hook and line. During 2012-18, nearly 54% of cephalopods landed were caught by mechanised trawl net; 32% by outboard crafts operating hook and line, 8% by gill net and rest by other gears. From 2012-18, the cephalopod landing showed a fluctuating trend and major cephalopod species landed by trawl net were Sepia pharaonis, S. prabahari, Sepioteuthis lessoniana, Uroteuthis (P) singhalensis and U. (P) duvaucelii. In hook and line, S. pharaonis was the dominant species followed by S. lessoniana and Octopus cyanea.