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dangerous wounds. They mostly inhabit coastal waters and estuaries. The
most interesting behaviour among some of the marine catfishes is that the
male takes over the onerous responsibility of incubating eggs in the mouth
until the young are hatched. It is, therefore, not uncommon during
breeding season to get males with developing eggs in their mouth.
They are mainly caught by long lines and gill nets. Catfishes constitute an
important supplementary food of the poor. They are cured and transported
to the hinterland. The average annual catch in Maharashtra is about 5,000
tonnes.
(6) EELS AND MORAYS
Eels have a snake-like elongated body; dorsal, caudal, and anal fins are
united to form a frill. In Maharashtra, eels are represented by 6 species
belonging to 4 families. From commercial point of view, Muraenesox
talabotioides is the only important species; it is a bottom dweller, off shore
in habitat and contributes about 4200 tonnes p.a. Other eels, popularly
called Morays, are found in the coastal regions, specially in crevices of
rocks and stones and are displayed in the public aquaria all the world over.
Only one member, Pisodonophis boro — the mud eel of the family
Ophichthyidae inhabits estuaries and is mostly found in sand.
(7) GAR FISHES
The gar fishes are represented in Maharashtra waters by two families,
Belonidae and Hemirhamphidae, and constitute a group of good food
fishes. They arc known in Marathi as " Toli " or " Toki " and are always in
demand.
Family : Belonidae.—It comprises full beak gar-fishes, also known as
needle-fishes or long-toms, They have both the jaws drawn out to form a
long beak armed with sharp teeth, they have slender long body with
characteristic coloration iridescent sea-green or bluish-green on the back,
and silvery-white beneath. They are active and gregarious in habit, often
FAUNA 103