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species. Members of this group are generally small, rarely more than 12
inches except a few forms like tarpon, chanos and Shad. They feed mostly
on plankton. Ehoaling and migration are the characteristic habits of these
fishes. When the shoals are near the coastal regions mainly during the
winter season, these are exploited by operating gill nets, cast nets and
shore-seins called ' rampan’.Besides being an important source of food,
Clupeiformes contributes largely to the industrial production of body fish
oils and fish-meal, the latter well-known as an essential constituent in the
diet of cattle, poultry and pigs.
(a) THE INDIAN TARPON (Megalops cyprinoides)
The Indian tarpon, also known as ox-eyed herring or silver king, belongs
to the family Megalopidae. Its distribution is mainly in coastal waters and
estuaries, and it may even enter fresh waters. Tarpon is a very active fish,
pursuing shoals of smaller fish, especially mullets, its favourite food;
occassionally it leaps out of water, like salmon, in sportive manifestation
of its intense vitality. Unlike other Clupei-formes, it grows to about two
feet. These qualities make Indian Tarpon a goodgame fish. It is bony but
good eating when fresh.
It breeds in sea prior to monsoon and a large number of larvae are seen
ascending estuaries. The larva of this fish, like the Leptocephalus larva of
eels, is elongate, ribbon-like and transparent with tiny head and fins and
air bladder visible as a prominent structure.
(b) SARDINES
Although sardines are represented in Maharashtra by 5 species, only 2
species Sardinella longiceps — the oil sardine, ' Tarli' or ' Haid’, and
Sardinella fimbriala — the white sardine or ' Pedwa' are of considerable
commercial importance along the Ratnagiri Coast. Vast fluctuations in
sardine fisheries are known the world over, and maritime Maharashtra is
no exception. They are mainly caught in shore seins or ' rampans.'
FAUNA 97