Dhanabalan, S.; Neethirajan, N.; Natarajan, J.; Muthupandi, K.; Thangaraji, R.; Sethuraj, A., and Julin, A.S., 2024. Gillnet selectivity for the Coromandel flying fish, Hirundichthys coromandelensis (Hornell, 1923), along the Nagapattinam coast, southeast coast of India. Journal of Coastal Research, 40(6), 1137–1143. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.
The Coromandel flying fish, Hirundichthys coromandelensis, forms a seasonal fishery along the Nagapattinam coast of Tamil Nadu, southeast coast of India, from March to August. The peak fishing season for this fish in the small-meshed gillnets operated along the Nagapattinam coast was found to be the month of June. Small-meshed gillnets, locally known as “Kolavalai,” with different mesh sizes of 30 mm (net A), 32 mm (net B), and 34 mm (net C) were found to be operated for the capture of H. coromandelensis. Length frequency data collected from March 2023 to August 2023 were used to create gillnet selectivity curves for H. coromandelensis. The length at first capture (Lb) of this species was found to be 149 mm, 160.9 mm, and 172.8 mm for net A, net B, and net C, respectively. The mean selection length (Lc) was estimated as 179.9 mm, 191.9 mm, and 203.9 mm for net A, net B, and net C, respectively. Further, the escapement length (Ld) was found to be 211.8 mm, 223.7 mm, and 235 mm for net A, net B, and net C, respectively. The value of gill selection factor for H. coromandelensis was estimated as 5.99. The mesh sizes for the commercial exploitation of commercially significant length groups (195 mm) and fishable length groups (190 mm) were estimated as 32.5 mm and 31.7 mm, respectively. The selectivity study revealed that among the three different mesh sizes of gillnets analyzed, net A with a mesh size 30 mm needs to be discouraged, as it was found to capture mainly immature and maturing specimens of H. coromandelensis.
