Assess factors influencing the spatio-temporal distribution of Johnius belangerii (Cuvier, 1830) Belanger's croaker along Mumbai, Northwest Coast of India.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of environmental factors influencing the spatio-temporal distribution of Johnius belangerii. Fishery independent fortnightly resource surveys were conducted in Mumbai waters from September, 2017 to May, 2018 to determine the effect of environmental variables on spatio-temporal distribution. A Generalized Additive Modelling (GAM) approach showed that distribution and abundance of J. belangerii varied spatio-temporally, and environmental factors were found to be influential. GAM models demonstrated that higher catch was located in waters of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) from 25.1 - 31.1 C with Sea Bottom Temperature (SBT) values ranging from 26-31 °C and salinity of more than 34 0 /00. Correlation of environment variables with Catch per Unit Effort (CPUE) suggests significant relationship with SST (0.81), SBT (0.85) and Sea Bottom Chlorophyll-a (0.73). The result of this study will be helpful for clearly understanding the intricacies of spatial distributions of fish in relation to changing habitat condition which will be useful in the sustainable management of aquatic resources.