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Fish Fauna of Andaman and Nicobar Islands: A Review

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Ecology and Conservation of Tropical Marine Faunal Communities

Abstract

A brief review of recent ichthyological research and compiled results on the records of fishes from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are presented in this chapter. A total of 1439 species under 577 genera that belong to 33 orders and 165 families were recorded in this archipelago. Of these, 400 species are of commercial significance as food fishes. Among the fishes, 75.68 % of species were recorded as coral inhabitants (1,089 species). Besides, 290 species from mangroves, 152 species from seagrass meadow and 101 species were from offshore environment, while 258 species were commonly observed as overlap among mangrove, seagrass, coral reefs and offshore ecosystems. The distribution, abundance, conservation and management of these fishery recourses at different ecosystems are discussed in detail.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Dr. K. Venkatarama, Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata and Dr. C. Raghunathan, Officer in Charge, Zoological Survey of India, Port Blair for the facilities provided and encouragement extended throughout the work. Special thanks are due to Dr. J. E. Randall Bishop Museum, Hawaii, USA, Dr. P. K. Talwar and Dr. Rema Devi, Retd. Scientists Zoological Survey of India,, who assisted for the preparation of the manuscript by sharing their knowledge.

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Rajan, P.T., Sreeraj, C.R. (2013). Fish Fauna of Andaman and Nicobar Islands: A Review. In: Venkataraman, K., Sivaperuman, C., Raghunathan, C. (eds) Ecology and Conservation of Tropical Marine Faunal Communities. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38200-0_15

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