ItemArticle

A comprehensive record of fishes and crustaceans in a poorly known tropical estuary-Kavvayi from the west coast of India

Title
A comprehensive record of fishes and crustaceans in a poorly known tropical estuary-Kavvayi from the west coast of India
Creator
Ashwini, Gopi; Kumar, B. Manoj; Keerthana, T.A.; Sreekanth, G.B.; Dhaneesh, K.V.; Asha, C.V.; Chandrasekar, V.; Jithin, K.; Dinesh, K.
Description
A comprehensive study conducted from 2019 to 2021 in the Kavvayi estuarine wetland along Indias southwest coast documented its fish and crustacean diversity, providing valuable insights for conservation. Monthly surveys across 19 sampling stations recorded 151 species, including 79 demersal fish, 55 pelagic fish, and 17 crustaceans from 63 families. According to IUCN criteria, 98 species are classified as Least concern, 32 as Not evaluated, 14 as 'Data Deficient',four as Vulnerable, two as Near threatened, and one as Critically endangered. Marine migrant species dominate the estuary, while freshwater species are rare. The Eupercaria order contributes significantly to finfish diversity, representing 12.58%. Families such as Carangidae (14 species), Portunidae (8), and Clupeidae (7) exhibit notable species richness. Prominent species like Ambassis gymnocephalus, Mugil cephalus, Planiliza macrolepisStolephorus indicus, Etroplus suratensis, Pseudetroplus maculatus, Sillago sihama, Caranx ignobilis, and Gerres filamentosus are consistently present throughout the year, highlighting the estuarys reliability as a habitat. This dataset not only offers a crucial inventory of Kavvayis biodiversity but also emphasizes its conservation potential. The scarcity of information on the fish and crustacean diversity underscores the importance of the dataset provided in this paper, as it will significantly contribute to the assessment for designating Kavvayi estuary as a wetland of international importance. This dataset enhances local, regional, and global fish community data for estuarine fisheries. It also addresses the challenges faced by the fishing community, emphasizing the need for conservation strategies to ensure the long-term health of the estuarine ecosystem. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Senckenberg Gesellschaft f Naturforschung 2025.
Source
Marine Biodiversity;Volume;55;Issue;1;Article No.;21;
Date
01-01-2025
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Subject
Checklist; Crustacean; Diversity; Finfish; Kavvayi estuary; West coast of India
Coverage
Ashwini G., Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kerala, Panangad, Kochi, 682506, India; Kumar B.M., Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kerala, Panangad, Kochi, 682506, India; Keerthana T.A., Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kerala, Panangad, Kochi, 682506, India; Sreekanth G.B., ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Goa, Old Goa, 403402, India; Dhaneesh K.V., Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kerala, Panangad, Kochi, 682506, India, Department of Life Sciences, Christ University, Karnataka, Bengaluru, 560029, India; Asha C.V., Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kerala, Panangad, Kochi, 682506, India; Chandrasekar V., Department of Geography, Government Arts College for Women, Tamil Nadu, Nilakottai, Dindigul, India; Jithin K., Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kerala, Panangad, Kochi, 682506, India; Dinesh K., Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kerala, Panangad, Kochi, 682506, India
Rights
Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library
Relation
ISSN: 18671616;
Format
online
Language
English
Type
Article

Citation

Ashwini, Gopi; Kumar, B. Manoj; Keerthana, T.A.; Sreekanth, G.B.; Dhaneesh, K.V.; Asha, C.V.; Chandrasekar, V.; Jithin, K.; Dinesh, K., “A comprehensive record of fishes and crustaceans in a poorly known tropical estuary-Kavvayi from the west coast of India,” CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) Institutional Repository, accessed June 19, 2026, https://archives.christuniversity.in/items/show/22010.

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