Fishery-dependent biological observations of the crocodile shark, Pseudocarcharias kamoharai, from the southeast coast of India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47193/mafis.39420260011008Keywords:
Pelagic longline, bycatch, maturity, reproductive biology, length-weight relationshipAbstract
The crocodile shark, Pseudocarcharias kamoharai, is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical oceans but remains poorly documented in the northern Indian Ocean. We report fishery-dependent biological observations from 46 specimens landed as retained bycatch at Kakinada and Chennai, India, between March 2023 and February 2025. Total length ranged from 73.2 to 102.0 cm and total weight from 1,280 to 5,260 g. The overall length-weight relationship (LWR) was TW = 0.001045·TL3.280 (R2 = 0.774). Two-tailed t-tests indicated isometric growth (b = 3) for combined samples, males (b = 2.685), and females (b = 3.511). Maturity transition bounds were established at 82.0-82.5 cm TL for males and 83.0-84.0 cm TL for females. One pregnant female measuring 97.2 cm total length and weighing 4,220 g carried four advanced embryos (32.7-35.5 cm TL). Stomach observations were available for 25 specimens, of which seven contained identifiable food remains, including squid, shrimp and pufferfish. These observations expand the biological dataset available for P. kamoharai in the Bay of Bengal and support continued monitoring of fishery interactions, retention and discard mortality in the region.
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