Estuarine fish diversity of Tamil Nadu, India

Systematic and updated checklist of estuarine fishes contains 330 species distributed under 205 genera, 95 families, 23 orders and two classes. The most diverse order was perciformes with 175 species, 100 genera and 43 families. The top four families with the highest number of species were gobidae (28 species), carangidae (23 species), engraulidae (15 species) and lutjanidae (14 species). Conservation status of all taxa includes one species as endangered, five species as vulnerable, 14 near threatened, 93 least concern and 16 data deficient. As numbers of commercial, sports, ornamental and cultivable fishes are high, commercial and recreational fishing could be organized. Seed production by selective breeding is recommended for aquaculture practices in estuarine areas of Tamil Nadu.