in Sri Lanka - Ministry of Environment

Provisional Checklist of Marine fish of Sri LankaTerney P. Kumara P.B. and Kasun R. DalpathaduDepartment of Oceanography and Marine Geology, University of Ruhuna, MataraIntroductionConsisting of more than 32,000 species, marine fish are the most diverse group of organismsamong the chordates (Froese & Pauly, 2012). They are found in most bodies of water andfound in nearly all aquatic environments, from high mountain streams to the abyssal and evenhadal depths of the deepest oceans. Depending on the oceanic zone they occupy, fish canbe divided into three main categories, pelagic, demersal and reef fishes. Pelagic fish live nearthe surface or in the water column of coastal, ocean and lake waters. Demersal fish, live on ornear the bottom of the water body while reef fish are associated with coral reefs (Lal & Fortune,2000). Marine pelagic fish can be divided into coastal (inshore) fish and oceanic (offshore)fish (McLintock, 2007). Coastal fish inhabit the relatively shallow and sunlit waters above thecontinental shelf, while oceanic fish (which may well also swim inshore) inhabit the vast anddeep waters beyond the continental shelf (Walrond, 2007).Fish are an important resource worldwide, especially as a source of protein. Commercial andsubsistence fishery depend on wild stocks or more intensive culture of selected fish speciesunder captive conditions. Marine fish are also caught by recreational fishers, kept as pets,raised by fish keepers, and exhibited in public aquaria. Therefore, depending on the use, fishcan be divided mainly into major categories, food fish and recreational fish. Sri Lanka enjoysan eight time larger maritime zone than its land area. A variety of habitats such as sea grassbeds, lagoons, estuaries, coral reefs and fertile coastal waters around the country. Thesediverse array of habitats support a rich marine fish fauna.TaxonomyA complete systematic study of Sri Lankan marine fish is still lacking. However, the literatureon Sri Lankan fishes dates back to the early 19th century (De Bruin, et al., 1994). Most of theearly records of Sri Lankan marine fish have appeared in ‘Ceylon Journal of Science’ and invarious reports by marine biologists appointed by the Sri Lankan government (Munro, 1955; DeBruin, et al., 1994). Among them Dr. P. E. P. Deraniyagala, the former Director of the nationalMuseum in Colombo and Ian S. R. Munro (1955) has made remarkable contribution to furtherour knowledge on marine fish (De Bruin, et al., 1994). Munro (1955) has listed 856 marine,brackish water and fresh water fish species for Sri Lanka. However, at present most of theseearly taxonomic works have been largely revisited and eclipsed by more modern taxonomictreatments. De Bruin, et al. (1994) lists about 800 marine and brackish water fishes in SriLankan waters. The FAO “Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profiles of Sri Lanka” (FAO, 2004)indicates that there are about 975 marine and brackish water fish (610 species of coastal fish,60 species of sharks, 90 species of oceanic pelagic species of fish and 215 demersal species).In addition, Öhman, Rajasuriya, & Linden (1993) have listed over 300 species of reef and reefassociated fish belonging to 62 families. Thus, the actual number of marine and brackish waterfishes living in Sri Lankan Waters could be in excess of 1800 species (The Government of SriLanka, 2006; Weerakkody, 2012).411