21 gobioid fish species exist along Maharashtra coast: Study

One of the creeks that are home to the species

A study has found that there are 21 species of gobioid fish in mangrove and estuarine habitats. The Maharashtra forest department and Mangrove Foundation had commissioned the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) to study the diversity and distribution of gobioid fish in Maharashtra's mangrove and estuarine areas.

The BNHS carried out this study from January 2020 to December 2021 at 25 sites such as small to large creeks, mudflats and mangroves.

A spotted green goby

Some of the major creeks surveyed were at Thane, Panvel, Dharamtar, Kundalika, Savitri, Anjarle, Dabhol, Jaigad, Kajali, Vaghotan and Karali. Several other small estuarine drainages were studied.

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According to the mangrove cell, this study has generated the first baseline information on gobioid fish diversity along the coastline of Maharashtra, thus filling a major knowledge gap with regard to a category of fishes that comprises a major component of fish diversity in the mangrove ecosystem.

A juvenile Bombay mudskipper

The study shed light on seven species that have been recorded for the first time on the west coast of India.

Virendra Tiwari, additional principal chief conservator of forests, mangrove cell, said "This is the first time such an extensive study on gobioid fish has been undertaken, and it has allowed us to understand the diversity and distribution of these fish across the major mangrove and estuarine areas of Maharashtra. I am sure that this knowledge will help us in understanding our mangrove ecosystem in a better way and assist in its conservation."

A barred mudskipper, which the researchers found at Panvel creek

According to researchers, goby fishes are an iconic group of fish, that is extremely hard or impossible to identify in the field based on their morphological features, or what they look like, as most of the species look similar superficially.

"This new study using an integrative taxonomic approach has brought the first information on gobioid fish fauna along the coast of Maharashtra and has highlighted the true diversity of these charismatic groups of mangrove fishes. This new study will help us in delineating important goby fish areas and help prioritise conservation initiatives for mangrove biodiversity," said Unmesh Katwate, fish scientist at BNHS, who led the study.