Assessment of Lobster Resources in Coastal Region of Gulf of Mannar, Southeast Coast of India

Marine crustacean lobsters are one of the valuable delicacies of seafood which are in great demand in international markets. Due to their commodity value, several species of lobsters are in an endangered situation. To address this issue, the current study aimed to assess the lobster resources in the Rameshwaram, Mandapam, Keelakarai, Vembar and Tuticorin region coastal waters alongthe Gulf of Mannar, southern east coastal region of India using univariate and multivariate methods. From 2016 to 2017, population density examinations were conducted for both season-wise and station-wise contributions by lobster. A total of six lobster species (Panulirus homarus, P. ornatus, P. versicolor, P. polyphagus, P. penicillatus and Thenus unimaculatus) were recorded during January 2016-December 2017. Among the six species, Panulirus homarus, P. ornatus, and Thenus unimaculatus were found to be the dominant in contributing 70% of the total catch. In general, the ordination of CCA plot grouped with dominant species recorded from the surveyed stations. The results revealed that the stations of Gulf of Mannar region formed a unique cluster based on species along with its abundance and the five sites were clustered into two groups based on the habitat. This fact was further confirmed through MDS, which also revealed the same pattern of groupings as recognized in cluster analysis. Good quantities of spiny lobsters were landed throughout the year with higher landings during in and off monsoon seasons. Among the various species, P. versicolor was caught less in all seasons of both the years.