Schooling behaviour of tunas in Lakshadweep waters

Abstract

The paper describes nine kinds of schooling patterns of the Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) and the yellow fin tuna (Thunnus alDacares) In the Pole and lin (live bait) fishing grounds, as identified by the fishermen of Lakshadweep, particularly of MInicoy. These are described here as schooling patterns I to IX after giving their local names and some clue to their identi'i^atlon from fishing boats. The surface or subsurface nature of occurrence of the school, its leaping feeding and swimming activity, baiting habit, vulnerability to the gear, size* of the school, approximate size and species composition of the school, and the association of the school with water discolouration, tlotsam, seabirds, predators etc are described. The paper also describes four different approaches of the tuns pole and line (live bait) boat to the different kinds of tuna schools