Spurt in the landings of crabs along northern Tamil Nadu andPuducherry coasts

The marine crab fishery by mechanised trawlers along the north Tamil Nadu (Chennai and Cuddalore) and Puducherry coasts is mainly supported by those belonging to the genera Portunus and Charybdis of the family Portunidae. Species like Portunus sanguinolentus, P. argentatus, P. gladiator, P. pelagicus, Charybdis natator, C. lucifera, C. variegata and Podopthalmus vigil are commercially important. Of these, until the end of October 2008, there were remarkable changes in the landing pattern of trawl fishing along the north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts. The same change of pattern was also seen in indigenous gears such as gillnet, operated near the shore, locally called as Nandu valai and Kallu valai in the depth range of 5 – 10 m. In multiday long voyage trawl fishing, crabs were caught in deeper waters up to 100 m. In single day fishing, the fishermen operated up to 50 - 60 m. In the crab exploitation there was heavy landings of P. sanguinolentus and other portunid crabs along the Tamil Nadu coast, while other fish categories were poorly caught during the period. A brief account of unusual heavy landings of the portunid crabs is reported here.