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1
EFFECT OF POLLUTION ON MUDSKIPPER FISHERY OF ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY WITH A SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI (CUV amp VAL)
A MINOR PROJECT IN
BIOLOGICAL STUDIES
Report Submitted on July 2005
MR S D RATHOD Lecturer
B N BANDODKAR COLLEGE
OF SCIENCE CHENDANI
THANE (W)-400 601
Sanctioned by
University of Mumbai Fort Mumbai- 400 032
2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The author sincerely thank the University of Mumbai for accepting the
proposal and sanctioning the amount of Rs 15000- for this project He also
records his gratitude to the Principal of B N Bandodkar college of Science
Thane Dr (Mrs) Madhuri Pejaver for allowing him to use the infrastructure for
conducting the laboratory work at the Zoology Department using the library and
computer facilities and for the administrative assistance He is indebted to Dr
(Mrs) N N Patil Dr R P Athalye Dr(Mrs) M U Borkar Mr Hemant
Karkhanis Mr Amol Patwardhan Dr V V Bedekar for extending their hands
generously during the project period He also expresses his gratefulness
especially to his colleagues fishermen community the non-teaching staff and
research students Mr Sameer and Mr Adesh from Advance Study Centre of the
B N Bandodkar college of Science without their help project wouldnrsquot have
been a success Author also acknowledges with thanks to everyone who was
involved in the project work directly or indirectly
Mr Sudesh D Rathod
3
PREFACE
The coastal inward waters such as creeks estuaries lagoons and other
wetlands are the productive and diverse waterbodies India has a long coastline
of 8118 km and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 202 million km2 Recent
estimates of the total area of wetlands without mangroves in India include the
brackish water suitable for fish culture 2000000 ha Estuaries 3900000 ha and
Back waters of 3540000 ha Ramsar convention bureau has declared about 19
important wetlands covering 648507 hectares in the country These extremely
interesting sites range geographically all over the country from three sites in
Kerala in the southwest and another in Tamil Nadu in the southeast to another
at 4595m (15075 feet) altitude in the Himalaya They include coastal estuaries
dammed reservoirs and lots of mangroves
The coastal zone of the country is rich in natural resources They are
influenced greatly by human activities Much of this wealth is often exploited in
an unprecedented manner resulting in rapid degradation of the environments
which in turn deplete the natural resources The seasonal variations in the water
quality as well as the biological component of these systems are influenced
heavily by anthropogenic stress exerted by the developmental activities carried
out along the coastal waters
Estuaries are one of the most productive zones on our planet with the
gross primary productivity amounting to approximately 10 K calm2yr of organic
matter and also the most heavily utilized area An estuary is a very dynamic and
fragile ecosystem with unique physico-chemical and biological features Since it
is influenced largely by tidal cycle and the seasonal influx of land run off it
behaves variedly during the months or the seasons Being transitional the
estuary establishes the link between land freshwater and seawater rendering
lsquoedge-effectrsquo and hence harbours the diverse fauna and flora Several species
complete their entire life cycle within the brackishwater of estuaries Some
coastal species find estuaries as very essential at least for a part of their life
cycle In addition estuaries serve as critical reproductive and nursery grounds
for a wide variety of fishes and important habitats for numerous benthic and
4
planktonic organisms They also serve as migratory routes for the anadromous
species or for the catadromous species The substratum of an estuary is always
covered with silt and mud which is the most common type of bottom where the
organic detritus is rich in floral and faunal populations Heterotrophic
microorganisms are a major component of estuarine ecosystems and are
predominant in the estuarine sediments Some terrestrial species find their
refuge in the premises Therefore it is comprised of a typical food chain amongst
aquatic and terrestrial organisms Various endemic finfish and shellfish species
comprise the important fisheries Most of these species are seasonal visitors
visiting the estuaries for breeding or feeding purpose hence the seasonal
fisheries are observed predominantly Fishermen community residing in the
vicinity relies on the estuarine fisheries for their wellbeing
Hence it is very important to discuss about the estuarine ecosystems
giving due consideration to pollution problems Because of the convenience of
sea transport many major cities of the world are located on the shores of
estuaries The concentration of population and of industries on the banks has
inevitably led to the discharge of the waste materials into the estuaries so that
many have become seriously polluted water bodies The other anthropogenic
activities such as construction of bridges dams roads railways solid waste
dumping sand dredging mining tunneling reclamation mangrove cutting
agriculture etc affect these aquatic environments greatly Moreover the
enrichment of estuaries with organic and inorganic nutrients has contributed to
the eutrophication problems in numerous estuarine systems In many cases
domestic and municipal sewage wastes as well as nonpoint source run-off have
been the principal sources of nutrients to estuaries It causes acute and chronic
pollution in estuarine and coastal marine environment leading to a severe threat
to the inhabiting aquatic communities Due to these activities the existence of
rich biodiversity in the estuaries is under threat Already many coastal inward
waters have become either unproductive or unharvestable for a variety of finfish
shellfish and other marine living resources due to indiscriminate entry of
domestic and industrial pollutants The fishermen communities thus affected
looking for other earning sources may lead to the local financial crisis
5
Strict monitoring and corrective measures have to be undertaken to
safeguard their existence This needs urgently a thorough knowledge of the
pollutants their entry source nature of toxicity on biota monitoring of the
ecosystem remedial measures management legislation etc
This project work discusses the status quo of pollution and problems and
need for protection of Ulhas River estuary of Thane district situated in
Maharashtra State
Mr Sudesh D Rathod
Associate Professor
Zoology Deptartment
B N Bandodkar College of Science
Thane Maharashtra India
6
CONTENTS
Chapter I INTRODUCTION helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 1-- 4
Chapter II POLLUTION STATUS OF THE helliphelliphelliphelliphellip 5--11
ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY AND
SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
CHAPTER III BIOLOGY of Boleopthalmushelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 12---17
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
CHAPTER IV FISHERY of Boleopthalmus helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 18--19
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
CHAPTER V DISCUSSION helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 20--23
CHAPTER VI BIBLIOGRAPHY
WEBSITES SITED amp
ABBREVIATIONhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 24--30
7
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The Ulhas River estuary is one of the inward waters characteristic in its
environmental conditions due to the shallow depth tidal currents mangrove
vegetation salinity gradient diurnal temperature variation etc It is one of the
important waterbody in Thane District Ulhas River originates at Budhemal Lake
near Rajmachi Fort 821655 meters above the sea level traverses through
Sahyadrian ranges of hilly tracks of Western Ghats and meets the Arabian Sea
at Vasai Fort in Thane District The upper stretches of the Ulhas River is fed by
fresh water from the Raigad and Thane districts It receives a number of
tributaries carrying runoff water from their respective catchment areas namely
Pej Chilar Pashri Kalu Bhatsa Murbadi Varna and Kamwadi It runs for about
122 kms before joining the sea at Vasai The estuarine part of the river
commences from S-E near Kalyan ndashDombivli railway station headwards
meanders for about 40 km before it joins the Arabian Sea towards N-E at Vasai
creek situated between the latitude 18045rsquo to 19016rsquo N and longitude 72042rsquo to
73020rsquo E on the world map The river is shallow having sandy basin since the
land runoff carry huge sediments from its catchment area
There are number of industries situated along the either riverrsquos banks
adding their effluents at various localities namely Ambivli Ulhas Nagar
Dombivli Bhiwandi and Thane City and loading the waterbody with pollutants
heavily There is a considerable load of the domestic waste water is also added
to the estuary since the Thane city requires over 280 MLD (Lala2004) of water
which in-turn must be used variously and ultimately added to the Thane creek
and Ulhas River estuary daily Archeivala (1969) has observed that the heavy
pollution at the upper reaches of the estuary has lost the spawning ground of the
8
Hilsa fishery It has been observed that the fisheries of the estuary have been
dwindling to the threatening status (Rathod et al 2002) It is evident that the
heavy pollution due to industrial and domestic effluents affects the aquatic
organisms inhabiting the ambient water Nath et al (2003) observed the
degeneration in the ovarian cells of Clarias batrachus due to the altered physico-
chemical parameters of the wetlands Moreover mass kill of the fish occurs
frequently in the coastal waters of Mumbai and Thane cities
The conditions observer at one instance will change at the other as the
estuaries are dynamic in nature Therefore despite of earlier findings
reinvestigation of the hydrological conditions is essential An effort has been
made to ordained pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary and to determine
the fate of mudskipper fishery one of the major fisheries from the Ulhas River
estuary on which the poor fishermen communities residing in the vicinity rely
The important fish species being Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) (See
plate no1) of the mudskipper fishery has been considered for the study It is one
of the most relished and highly demanded fish in the local market It is
consumed in fresh condition
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne 1837) is the
amphibious estuarine fish found flourishing in the mudflats of the of Ulhas River
estuary It is a benthic and burrowing type of fish inhabiting on the neretic
mudflats of the Ulhas River estuary They construct the burrows in the mud and
feed on the mudflats Although they often come out of water they restrict
themselves close to the water for breathing and other activities Therefore their
burrows are always constructed in the limits of intertidal zone (Mutsaddi 1964
Chung et al 1991 Clayton 1993)
The salient features of the ambient mudskipper B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
are described as follows
i Fin Formula BV D527-28 P19 V15 A26 C13 L1ca 125
ii Pseudobranchiae present single rayed dorsal fin with flexible spine
eyes placed dorsally
9
iii Smaller black blotches on 1st dorsal 2nd dorsal contains 2-3 rows of
oblong white spots
iv Three teeth on the either side of middle of upper jaw pointed and
directed downwards A pair of posterior canines on lower jaw and
about 25 truncated and notched sub-horizontals on either aside of the
lower jaw
v Caudal pointed lower rays are shorter than the dorsals
Systematic position of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne
1837) is as follows
i Family- Gobiidae
ii Sub family- Oxudercinae
iii Genus- Boleopthalmus
iv species- dussumieri
The fishermen communities residing in the vicinity of the Ulhas River
estuary dependant on available fisheries of the same are suffering for their daily
needs due to the depleted fishery Many fisher-folks have therefore shifted to the
other available occupations As the river is moderate source of sand few
fishermen have adopted sand dredging activities
Besides some anthropogenic activities such as solid waste disposal
mangrove cutting reclamation construction etc are also observed to be
influencing the estuarine environment of the ambient waterbody (Athalye et al
2003)
I1 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
The project involves an attempt to determine the pollution status of the
ambient water through the hydrological study and certain anthropogenic
activities affecting the same
To correlate the biological studies of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) with its health status
10
To ordain the status quo of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery of the Ulhas River estuary
I2 PLAN OF WORK
Since tidal water oscillates from Vasai Fort to the Dombivli-Kalyan and
back it was taken up as the estuarine region of the Ulhas River The estuary
was imagined for the three zones as study areas as follows
Zone I ndash From Dombivli to Kolshet this zone is highly affected due to the
domestic activities as there are several human habitations viz Mumbra
Kharegaon Vehele Alimghar Diva where fragmented of mangrove
vegetation and the fishery is seldom occurred The zone is constricted at its
seaward proximity due to two major bridge constructions of Bhiwandi bypass
and the Kasheli
Zone II ndash From Kasheli village to Gaimukh Sand landing centre traversing
from the lustful mangrove vegetation The zone is demarcated by moderate
depth and prevalent mudflats It is influenced largely due to the Bhiwandi
MIDC area Bayer Pharmaceutical Company ColorChem Dyeing industry and
sand dredging activities
Zone III ndash From Gaimukh to the Bhayandar made-up of rocky basin and
gradually increasing in depth at its greatest as it approaches the Arabian Sea
towards Vasai Fort Mudskipper fishing is predominant in this zone as it holds
a number of wider mudflats throughout
The study was carried for nine months from the month of July 2004 to
March 2005 The seasons were designated as
Monsoon- July to September
Early Post Monsoon (EPM)- October to December
Late Post Monsoon (LPM)- January to March
The hydro-sedimentological studies were performed zone-wise on
monthly basis Sample collection stations one station from each zone were
decided for the sampling purpose
-Kharegaon station (KS) in the vicinity of Thane city from Zone-I
-Gaimukh station (GS) at Gaimukh jetty from Zone-II and
11
-Versova-bridge station (VS) near Bhayandar Village (see plate 1 amp
Map annexure I)
-Whereas the fishery and the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were studied zone-wise and recorded according to season in the
entire estuary Entire investigation was carried from the months of July 2004 to
March 2005 A pooled data of the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) has been produced
12
13
CHAPTER II
POLLUTION STATUS OF THE ULHAS RIVER
ESTUARY AND SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
Numerous experts have instantaneously studied the hydrological
parameters of various waterbodies in the country It has been found that the
water quality of the water bodies lying in the vicinities of urban areas is heavily
polluted due to industrial and domestic wastes It influences aquatic environment
heavily and put adverse effect on the organisms living therein (Mishra 2002
Athalye et al 2003 CPHERI 1971 Tandel 1884 Durve 1961 Metcalf et al
1979 Zingde 2002 Mohapatra et al 2000 Patil 1982) The study of water
quality and the sediments indicate the pollution status of the aquatic
environments The Ulhas River estuary hydrology was corroborated by Qamrul
Hasan (1984) Shahoo et al 1985 1987) Mathew (1989) Mukharji (1993)
Hence the hydrology was considered for the study
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study of hydrological parameters was carried in the three zones at
their corresponding stations KS GS and VS every month from July 2004 to
March 2005 Sampling was done between the 2nd and 3rd week of every month
during full tide Samples were assessed using the standard methods as per
APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 sediments as per the Buchananrsquos settling rate
method 1984 and Organic carbon by Walkley and Black 1934 method
14
The water parameters assessment such as water colour water
temperature light penetration and dissolved oxygen were assessed on site
during the collection Water samples required for remaining parameters such as
water pH salinity BOD SiO3-Si NO3-N and PO4-P were collected in the
lsquowasher-stopperedrsquo polyethylene bottles of one liter capacity and brought to the
laboratory and were examine on the same day
II1 WATER PARAMETERS
II 1i WATER COLOUR
Water colour changes due to the seasonal or artificial alteration such as
planktonic growth land run-off industrial effluents etc the study some how
helps in water condition interpretation
The greenish colour of water showed the rich growth of phytoplankton
brownish colour showed either river influx during the rainy season or the sand
dredging activity and the blackish colour showed the pollution along the Ulhas
River estuary
II1ii WATER TEMPERATURE
Due to the shallowness of the basin and influx of the river the temperature
varies diurnally and seasonally Several other manmade factors such as the
particulate matter thermal pollution exothermic chemicals etc also affect the
temperature regime of the estuarine ecosystem Therefore water temperature
plays an important role in the estuaries The endemic organisms being
eurythermic can tolerate the temperature fluctuation but the occasional visitors
are greatly affected Temperature fluctuation also affects the phytoplankton and
zooplankton and hence affects the fish
The surface water temperature ranged from 24oC to 33o C with an average of
263 0C in the Ulhas river estuary (Graph 1) The temperature rises gradually
from early post monsoon to the late post monsoons throughout the estuary
II1iii LIGHT PENETRATION
15
The light penetration has importance regarding the primary productivity of the
ambient water Being shallow the light can reach the bottom but due to the
particulate matter it is greatly obliterated The particulate matters may be the
plankton or the suspended solids Certain other sources like turbulence run-off
water water added from the domestic and industrial wastes mining or dredging
activity increase the particulate matters which in turn hinder the light penetration
Light penetration ranged between 15 cm in September 2004 at GS and 38 cm
in October 2004 at VS and the average being 1033 cm (Graph 2) in Ulhas
River estuary Light penetration remained in concurrence with the water colour
ie When water was greenish (revealing the high phytoplankton) the light
penetration was also greater
II1iv SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The plankton population imparts the suspended solids in aquatic habitat
like estuary The upwelling of the sea and land run-off water during winter and
monsoon respectively causes the increase in SS Human activity such as
mining sand dredging may bring about considerable change in the SS of small
waterbody like Ulhas River estuary Alam (1992) observed that detrital particle
generally form a major component of suspended matters in sewage polluted
aquatic environment Suspended particles obliterate the light penetration hence
lowering the photosynthetic rate These also hinder the vision and clog the gills
of animals
Present study exhibited the suspended solids in the Ulhas River estuary
was fluctuating between 04 mgl (in Jan 2005 at GS and VS) and 150 mgl (in
Nov 2004 at VS) The average of being 4378 mgl (Graph 3) Suspended
solids in the estuary were high during the rainy days The high values occurred
however occurred on other than rainy days also
II1v pH of WATER
Saline water does not vary in pH since the salts render buffering action
but the pollution status may bring down the pH of water which normally remains
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The author sincerely thank the University of Mumbai for accepting the
proposal and sanctioning the amount of Rs 15000- for this project He also
records his gratitude to the Principal of B N Bandodkar college of Science
Thane Dr (Mrs) Madhuri Pejaver for allowing him to use the infrastructure for
conducting the laboratory work at the Zoology Department using the library and
computer facilities and for the administrative assistance He is indebted to Dr
(Mrs) N N Patil Dr R P Athalye Dr(Mrs) M U Borkar Mr Hemant
Karkhanis Mr Amol Patwardhan Dr V V Bedekar for extending their hands
generously during the project period He also expresses his gratefulness
especially to his colleagues fishermen community the non-teaching staff and
research students Mr Sameer and Mr Adesh from Advance Study Centre of the
B N Bandodkar college of Science without their help project wouldnrsquot have
been a success Author also acknowledges with thanks to everyone who was
involved in the project work directly or indirectly
Mr Sudesh D Rathod
3
PREFACE
The coastal inward waters such as creeks estuaries lagoons and other
wetlands are the productive and diverse waterbodies India has a long coastline
of 8118 km and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 202 million km2 Recent
estimates of the total area of wetlands without mangroves in India include the
brackish water suitable for fish culture 2000000 ha Estuaries 3900000 ha and
Back waters of 3540000 ha Ramsar convention bureau has declared about 19
important wetlands covering 648507 hectares in the country These extremely
interesting sites range geographically all over the country from three sites in
Kerala in the southwest and another in Tamil Nadu in the southeast to another
at 4595m (15075 feet) altitude in the Himalaya They include coastal estuaries
dammed reservoirs and lots of mangroves
The coastal zone of the country is rich in natural resources They are
influenced greatly by human activities Much of this wealth is often exploited in
an unprecedented manner resulting in rapid degradation of the environments
which in turn deplete the natural resources The seasonal variations in the water
quality as well as the biological component of these systems are influenced
heavily by anthropogenic stress exerted by the developmental activities carried
out along the coastal waters
Estuaries are one of the most productive zones on our planet with the
gross primary productivity amounting to approximately 10 K calm2yr of organic
matter and also the most heavily utilized area An estuary is a very dynamic and
fragile ecosystem with unique physico-chemical and biological features Since it
is influenced largely by tidal cycle and the seasonal influx of land run off it
behaves variedly during the months or the seasons Being transitional the
estuary establishes the link between land freshwater and seawater rendering
lsquoedge-effectrsquo and hence harbours the diverse fauna and flora Several species
complete their entire life cycle within the brackishwater of estuaries Some
coastal species find estuaries as very essential at least for a part of their life
cycle In addition estuaries serve as critical reproductive and nursery grounds
for a wide variety of fishes and important habitats for numerous benthic and
4
planktonic organisms They also serve as migratory routes for the anadromous
species or for the catadromous species The substratum of an estuary is always
covered with silt and mud which is the most common type of bottom where the
organic detritus is rich in floral and faunal populations Heterotrophic
microorganisms are a major component of estuarine ecosystems and are
predominant in the estuarine sediments Some terrestrial species find their
refuge in the premises Therefore it is comprised of a typical food chain amongst
aquatic and terrestrial organisms Various endemic finfish and shellfish species
comprise the important fisheries Most of these species are seasonal visitors
visiting the estuaries for breeding or feeding purpose hence the seasonal
fisheries are observed predominantly Fishermen community residing in the
vicinity relies on the estuarine fisheries for their wellbeing
Hence it is very important to discuss about the estuarine ecosystems
giving due consideration to pollution problems Because of the convenience of
sea transport many major cities of the world are located on the shores of
estuaries The concentration of population and of industries on the banks has
inevitably led to the discharge of the waste materials into the estuaries so that
many have become seriously polluted water bodies The other anthropogenic
activities such as construction of bridges dams roads railways solid waste
dumping sand dredging mining tunneling reclamation mangrove cutting
agriculture etc affect these aquatic environments greatly Moreover the
enrichment of estuaries with organic and inorganic nutrients has contributed to
the eutrophication problems in numerous estuarine systems In many cases
domestic and municipal sewage wastes as well as nonpoint source run-off have
been the principal sources of nutrients to estuaries It causes acute and chronic
pollution in estuarine and coastal marine environment leading to a severe threat
to the inhabiting aquatic communities Due to these activities the existence of
rich biodiversity in the estuaries is under threat Already many coastal inward
waters have become either unproductive or unharvestable for a variety of finfish
shellfish and other marine living resources due to indiscriminate entry of
domestic and industrial pollutants The fishermen communities thus affected
looking for other earning sources may lead to the local financial crisis
5
Strict monitoring and corrective measures have to be undertaken to
safeguard their existence This needs urgently a thorough knowledge of the
pollutants their entry source nature of toxicity on biota monitoring of the
ecosystem remedial measures management legislation etc
This project work discusses the status quo of pollution and problems and
need for protection of Ulhas River estuary of Thane district situated in
Maharashtra State
Mr Sudesh D Rathod
Associate Professor
Zoology Deptartment
B N Bandodkar College of Science
Thane Maharashtra India
6
CONTENTS
Chapter I INTRODUCTION helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 1-- 4
Chapter II POLLUTION STATUS OF THE helliphelliphelliphelliphellip 5--11
ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY AND
SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
CHAPTER III BIOLOGY of Boleopthalmushelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 12---17
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
CHAPTER IV FISHERY of Boleopthalmus helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 18--19
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
CHAPTER V DISCUSSION helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 20--23
CHAPTER VI BIBLIOGRAPHY
WEBSITES SITED amp
ABBREVIATIONhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 24--30
7
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The Ulhas River estuary is one of the inward waters characteristic in its
environmental conditions due to the shallow depth tidal currents mangrove
vegetation salinity gradient diurnal temperature variation etc It is one of the
important waterbody in Thane District Ulhas River originates at Budhemal Lake
near Rajmachi Fort 821655 meters above the sea level traverses through
Sahyadrian ranges of hilly tracks of Western Ghats and meets the Arabian Sea
at Vasai Fort in Thane District The upper stretches of the Ulhas River is fed by
fresh water from the Raigad and Thane districts It receives a number of
tributaries carrying runoff water from their respective catchment areas namely
Pej Chilar Pashri Kalu Bhatsa Murbadi Varna and Kamwadi It runs for about
122 kms before joining the sea at Vasai The estuarine part of the river
commences from S-E near Kalyan ndashDombivli railway station headwards
meanders for about 40 km before it joins the Arabian Sea towards N-E at Vasai
creek situated between the latitude 18045rsquo to 19016rsquo N and longitude 72042rsquo to
73020rsquo E on the world map The river is shallow having sandy basin since the
land runoff carry huge sediments from its catchment area
There are number of industries situated along the either riverrsquos banks
adding their effluents at various localities namely Ambivli Ulhas Nagar
Dombivli Bhiwandi and Thane City and loading the waterbody with pollutants
heavily There is a considerable load of the domestic waste water is also added
to the estuary since the Thane city requires over 280 MLD (Lala2004) of water
which in-turn must be used variously and ultimately added to the Thane creek
and Ulhas River estuary daily Archeivala (1969) has observed that the heavy
pollution at the upper reaches of the estuary has lost the spawning ground of the
8
Hilsa fishery It has been observed that the fisheries of the estuary have been
dwindling to the threatening status (Rathod et al 2002) It is evident that the
heavy pollution due to industrial and domestic effluents affects the aquatic
organisms inhabiting the ambient water Nath et al (2003) observed the
degeneration in the ovarian cells of Clarias batrachus due to the altered physico-
chemical parameters of the wetlands Moreover mass kill of the fish occurs
frequently in the coastal waters of Mumbai and Thane cities
The conditions observer at one instance will change at the other as the
estuaries are dynamic in nature Therefore despite of earlier findings
reinvestigation of the hydrological conditions is essential An effort has been
made to ordained pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary and to determine
the fate of mudskipper fishery one of the major fisheries from the Ulhas River
estuary on which the poor fishermen communities residing in the vicinity rely
The important fish species being Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) (See
plate no1) of the mudskipper fishery has been considered for the study It is one
of the most relished and highly demanded fish in the local market It is
consumed in fresh condition
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne 1837) is the
amphibious estuarine fish found flourishing in the mudflats of the of Ulhas River
estuary It is a benthic and burrowing type of fish inhabiting on the neretic
mudflats of the Ulhas River estuary They construct the burrows in the mud and
feed on the mudflats Although they often come out of water they restrict
themselves close to the water for breathing and other activities Therefore their
burrows are always constructed in the limits of intertidal zone (Mutsaddi 1964
Chung et al 1991 Clayton 1993)
The salient features of the ambient mudskipper B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
are described as follows
i Fin Formula BV D527-28 P19 V15 A26 C13 L1ca 125
ii Pseudobranchiae present single rayed dorsal fin with flexible spine
eyes placed dorsally
9
iii Smaller black blotches on 1st dorsal 2nd dorsal contains 2-3 rows of
oblong white spots
iv Three teeth on the either side of middle of upper jaw pointed and
directed downwards A pair of posterior canines on lower jaw and
about 25 truncated and notched sub-horizontals on either aside of the
lower jaw
v Caudal pointed lower rays are shorter than the dorsals
Systematic position of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne
1837) is as follows
i Family- Gobiidae
ii Sub family- Oxudercinae
iii Genus- Boleopthalmus
iv species- dussumieri
The fishermen communities residing in the vicinity of the Ulhas River
estuary dependant on available fisheries of the same are suffering for their daily
needs due to the depleted fishery Many fisher-folks have therefore shifted to the
other available occupations As the river is moderate source of sand few
fishermen have adopted sand dredging activities
Besides some anthropogenic activities such as solid waste disposal
mangrove cutting reclamation construction etc are also observed to be
influencing the estuarine environment of the ambient waterbody (Athalye et al
2003)
I1 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
The project involves an attempt to determine the pollution status of the
ambient water through the hydrological study and certain anthropogenic
activities affecting the same
To correlate the biological studies of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) with its health status
10
To ordain the status quo of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery of the Ulhas River estuary
I2 PLAN OF WORK
Since tidal water oscillates from Vasai Fort to the Dombivli-Kalyan and
back it was taken up as the estuarine region of the Ulhas River The estuary
was imagined for the three zones as study areas as follows
Zone I ndash From Dombivli to Kolshet this zone is highly affected due to the
domestic activities as there are several human habitations viz Mumbra
Kharegaon Vehele Alimghar Diva where fragmented of mangrove
vegetation and the fishery is seldom occurred The zone is constricted at its
seaward proximity due to two major bridge constructions of Bhiwandi bypass
and the Kasheli
Zone II ndash From Kasheli village to Gaimukh Sand landing centre traversing
from the lustful mangrove vegetation The zone is demarcated by moderate
depth and prevalent mudflats It is influenced largely due to the Bhiwandi
MIDC area Bayer Pharmaceutical Company ColorChem Dyeing industry and
sand dredging activities
Zone III ndash From Gaimukh to the Bhayandar made-up of rocky basin and
gradually increasing in depth at its greatest as it approaches the Arabian Sea
towards Vasai Fort Mudskipper fishing is predominant in this zone as it holds
a number of wider mudflats throughout
The study was carried for nine months from the month of July 2004 to
March 2005 The seasons were designated as
Monsoon- July to September
Early Post Monsoon (EPM)- October to December
Late Post Monsoon (LPM)- January to March
The hydro-sedimentological studies were performed zone-wise on
monthly basis Sample collection stations one station from each zone were
decided for the sampling purpose
-Kharegaon station (KS) in the vicinity of Thane city from Zone-I
-Gaimukh station (GS) at Gaimukh jetty from Zone-II and
11
-Versova-bridge station (VS) near Bhayandar Village (see plate 1 amp
Map annexure I)
-Whereas the fishery and the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were studied zone-wise and recorded according to season in the
entire estuary Entire investigation was carried from the months of July 2004 to
March 2005 A pooled data of the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) has been produced
12
13
CHAPTER II
POLLUTION STATUS OF THE ULHAS RIVER
ESTUARY AND SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
Numerous experts have instantaneously studied the hydrological
parameters of various waterbodies in the country It has been found that the
water quality of the water bodies lying in the vicinities of urban areas is heavily
polluted due to industrial and domestic wastes It influences aquatic environment
heavily and put adverse effect on the organisms living therein (Mishra 2002
Athalye et al 2003 CPHERI 1971 Tandel 1884 Durve 1961 Metcalf et al
1979 Zingde 2002 Mohapatra et al 2000 Patil 1982) The study of water
quality and the sediments indicate the pollution status of the aquatic
environments The Ulhas River estuary hydrology was corroborated by Qamrul
Hasan (1984) Shahoo et al 1985 1987) Mathew (1989) Mukharji (1993)
Hence the hydrology was considered for the study
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study of hydrological parameters was carried in the three zones at
their corresponding stations KS GS and VS every month from July 2004 to
March 2005 Sampling was done between the 2nd and 3rd week of every month
during full tide Samples were assessed using the standard methods as per
APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 sediments as per the Buchananrsquos settling rate
method 1984 and Organic carbon by Walkley and Black 1934 method
14
The water parameters assessment such as water colour water
temperature light penetration and dissolved oxygen were assessed on site
during the collection Water samples required for remaining parameters such as
water pH salinity BOD SiO3-Si NO3-N and PO4-P were collected in the
lsquowasher-stopperedrsquo polyethylene bottles of one liter capacity and brought to the
laboratory and were examine on the same day
II1 WATER PARAMETERS
II 1i WATER COLOUR
Water colour changes due to the seasonal or artificial alteration such as
planktonic growth land run-off industrial effluents etc the study some how
helps in water condition interpretation
The greenish colour of water showed the rich growth of phytoplankton
brownish colour showed either river influx during the rainy season or the sand
dredging activity and the blackish colour showed the pollution along the Ulhas
River estuary
II1ii WATER TEMPERATURE
Due to the shallowness of the basin and influx of the river the temperature
varies diurnally and seasonally Several other manmade factors such as the
particulate matter thermal pollution exothermic chemicals etc also affect the
temperature regime of the estuarine ecosystem Therefore water temperature
plays an important role in the estuaries The endemic organisms being
eurythermic can tolerate the temperature fluctuation but the occasional visitors
are greatly affected Temperature fluctuation also affects the phytoplankton and
zooplankton and hence affects the fish
The surface water temperature ranged from 24oC to 33o C with an average of
263 0C in the Ulhas river estuary (Graph 1) The temperature rises gradually
from early post monsoon to the late post monsoons throughout the estuary
II1iii LIGHT PENETRATION
15
The light penetration has importance regarding the primary productivity of the
ambient water Being shallow the light can reach the bottom but due to the
particulate matter it is greatly obliterated The particulate matters may be the
plankton or the suspended solids Certain other sources like turbulence run-off
water water added from the domestic and industrial wastes mining or dredging
activity increase the particulate matters which in turn hinder the light penetration
Light penetration ranged between 15 cm in September 2004 at GS and 38 cm
in October 2004 at VS and the average being 1033 cm (Graph 2) in Ulhas
River estuary Light penetration remained in concurrence with the water colour
ie When water was greenish (revealing the high phytoplankton) the light
penetration was also greater
II1iv SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The plankton population imparts the suspended solids in aquatic habitat
like estuary The upwelling of the sea and land run-off water during winter and
monsoon respectively causes the increase in SS Human activity such as
mining sand dredging may bring about considerable change in the SS of small
waterbody like Ulhas River estuary Alam (1992) observed that detrital particle
generally form a major component of suspended matters in sewage polluted
aquatic environment Suspended particles obliterate the light penetration hence
lowering the photosynthetic rate These also hinder the vision and clog the gills
of animals
Present study exhibited the suspended solids in the Ulhas River estuary
was fluctuating between 04 mgl (in Jan 2005 at GS and VS) and 150 mgl (in
Nov 2004 at VS) The average of being 4378 mgl (Graph 3) Suspended
solids in the estuary were high during the rainy days The high values occurred
however occurred on other than rainy days also
II1v pH of WATER
Saline water does not vary in pH since the salts render buffering action
but the pollution status may bring down the pH of water which normally remains
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
3
PREFACE
The coastal inward waters such as creeks estuaries lagoons and other
wetlands are the productive and diverse waterbodies India has a long coastline
of 8118 km and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 202 million km2 Recent
estimates of the total area of wetlands without mangroves in India include the
brackish water suitable for fish culture 2000000 ha Estuaries 3900000 ha and
Back waters of 3540000 ha Ramsar convention bureau has declared about 19
important wetlands covering 648507 hectares in the country These extremely
interesting sites range geographically all over the country from three sites in
Kerala in the southwest and another in Tamil Nadu in the southeast to another
at 4595m (15075 feet) altitude in the Himalaya They include coastal estuaries
dammed reservoirs and lots of mangroves
The coastal zone of the country is rich in natural resources They are
influenced greatly by human activities Much of this wealth is often exploited in
an unprecedented manner resulting in rapid degradation of the environments
which in turn deplete the natural resources The seasonal variations in the water
quality as well as the biological component of these systems are influenced
heavily by anthropogenic stress exerted by the developmental activities carried
out along the coastal waters
Estuaries are one of the most productive zones on our planet with the
gross primary productivity amounting to approximately 10 K calm2yr of organic
matter and also the most heavily utilized area An estuary is a very dynamic and
fragile ecosystem with unique physico-chemical and biological features Since it
is influenced largely by tidal cycle and the seasonal influx of land run off it
behaves variedly during the months or the seasons Being transitional the
estuary establishes the link between land freshwater and seawater rendering
lsquoedge-effectrsquo and hence harbours the diverse fauna and flora Several species
complete their entire life cycle within the brackishwater of estuaries Some
coastal species find estuaries as very essential at least for a part of their life
cycle In addition estuaries serve as critical reproductive and nursery grounds
for a wide variety of fishes and important habitats for numerous benthic and
4
planktonic organisms They also serve as migratory routes for the anadromous
species or for the catadromous species The substratum of an estuary is always
covered with silt and mud which is the most common type of bottom where the
organic detritus is rich in floral and faunal populations Heterotrophic
microorganisms are a major component of estuarine ecosystems and are
predominant in the estuarine sediments Some terrestrial species find their
refuge in the premises Therefore it is comprised of a typical food chain amongst
aquatic and terrestrial organisms Various endemic finfish and shellfish species
comprise the important fisheries Most of these species are seasonal visitors
visiting the estuaries for breeding or feeding purpose hence the seasonal
fisheries are observed predominantly Fishermen community residing in the
vicinity relies on the estuarine fisheries for their wellbeing
Hence it is very important to discuss about the estuarine ecosystems
giving due consideration to pollution problems Because of the convenience of
sea transport many major cities of the world are located on the shores of
estuaries The concentration of population and of industries on the banks has
inevitably led to the discharge of the waste materials into the estuaries so that
many have become seriously polluted water bodies The other anthropogenic
activities such as construction of bridges dams roads railways solid waste
dumping sand dredging mining tunneling reclamation mangrove cutting
agriculture etc affect these aquatic environments greatly Moreover the
enrichment of estuaries with organic and inorganic nutrients has contributed to
the eutrophication problems in numerous estuarine systems In many cases
domestic and municipal sewage wastes as well as nonpoint source run-off have
been the principal sources of nutrients to estuaries It causes acute and chronic
pollution in estuarine and coastal marine environment leading to a severe threat
to the inhabiting aquatic communities Due to these activities the existence of
rich biodiversity in the estuaries is under threat Already many coastal inward
waters have become either unproductive or unharvestable for a variety of finfish
shellfish and other marine living resources due to indiscriminate entry of
domestic and industrial pollutants The fishermen communities thus affected
looking for other earning sources may lead to the local financial crisis
5
Strict monitoring and corrective measures have to be undertaken to
safeguard their existence This needs urgently a thorough knowledge of the
pollutants their entry source nature of toxicity on biota monitoring of the
ecosystem remedial measures management legislation etc
This project work discusses the status quo of pollution and problems and
need for protection of Ulhas River estuary of Thane district situated in
Maharashtra State
Mr Sudesh D Rathod
Associate Professor
Zoology Deptartment
B N Bandodkar College of Science
Thane Maharashtra India
6
CONTENTS
Chapter I INTRODUCTION helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 1-- 4
Chapter II POLLUTION STATUS OF THE helliphelliphelliphelliphellip 5--11
ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY AND
SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
CHAPTER III BIOLOGY of Boleopthalmushelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 12---17
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
CHAPTER IV FISHERY of Boleopthalmus helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 18--19
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
CHAPTER V DISCUSSION helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 20--23
CHAPTER VI BIBLIOGRAPHY
WEBSITES SITED amp
ABBREVIATIONhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 24--30
7
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The Ulhas River estuary is one of the inward waters characteristic in its
environmental conditions due to the shallow depth tidal currents mangrove
vegetation salinity gradient diurnal temperature variation etc It is one of the
important waterbody in Thane District Ulhas River originates at Budhemal Lake
near Rajmachi Fort 821655 meters above the sea level traverses through
Sahyadrian ranges of hilly tracks of Western Ghats and meets the Arabian Sea
at Vasai Fort in Thane District The upper stretches of the Ulhas River is fed by
fresh water from the Raigad and Thane districts It receives a number of
tributaries carrying runoff water from their respective catchment areas namely
Pej Chilar Pashri Kalu Bhatsa Murbadi Varna and Kamwadi It runs for about
122 kms before joining the sea at Vasai The estuarine part of the river
commences from S-E near Kalyan ndashDombivli railway station headwards
meanders for about 40 km before it joins the Arabian Sea towards N-E at Vasai
creek situated between the latitude 18045rsquo to 19016rsquo N and longitude 72042rsquo to
73020rsquo E on the world map The river is shallow having sandy basin since the
land runoff carry huge sediments from its catchment area
There are number of industries situated along the either riverrsquos banks
adding their effluents at various localities namely Ambivli Ulhas Nagar
Dombivli Bhiwandi and Thane City and loading the waterbody with pollutants
heavily There is a considerable load of the domestic waste water is also added
to the estuary since the Thane city requires over 280 MLD (Lala2004) of water
which in-turn must be used variously and ultimately added to the Thane creek
and Ulhas River estuary daily Archeivala (1969) has observed that the heavy
pollution at the upper reaches of the estuary has lost the spawning ground of the
8
Hilsa fishery It has been observed that the fisheries of the estuary have been
dwindling to the threatening status (Rathod et al 2002) It is evident that the
heavy pollution due to industrial and domestic effluents affects the aquatic
organisms inhabiting the ambient water Nath et al (2003) observed the
degeneration in the ovarian cells of Clarias batrachus due to the altered physico-
chemical parameters of the wetlands Moreover mass kill of the fish occurs
frequently in the coastal waters of Mumbai and Thane cities
The conditions observer at one instance will change at the other as the
estuaries are dynamic in nature Therefore despite of earlier findings
reinvestigation of the hydrological conditions is essential An effort has been
made to ordained pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary and to determine
the fate of mudskipper fishery one of the major fisheries from the Ulhas River
estuary on which the poor fishermen communities residing in the vicinity rely
The important fish species being Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) (See
plate no1) of the mudskipper fishery has been considered for the study It is one
of the most relished and highly demanded fish in the local market It is
consumed in fresh condition
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne 1837) is the
amphibious estuarine fish found flourishing in the mudflats of the of Ulhas River
estuary It is a benthic and burrowing type of fish inhabiting on the neretic
mudflats of the Ulhas River estuary They construct the burrows in the mud and
feed on the mudflats Although they often come out of water they restrict
themselves close to the water for breathing and other activities Therefore their
burrows are always constructed in the limits of intertidal zone (Mutsaddi 1964
Chung et al 1991 Clayton 1993)
The salient features of the ambient mudskipper B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
are described as follows
i Fin Formula BV D527-28 P19 V15 A26 C13 L1ca 125
ii Pseudobranchiae present single rayed dorsal fin with flexible spine
eyes placed dorsally
9
iii Smaller black blotches on 1st dorsal 2nd dorsal contains 2-3 rows of
oblong white spots
iv Three teeth on the either side of middle of upper jaw pointed and
directed downwards A pair of posterior canines on lower jaw and
about 25 truncated and notched sub-horizontals on either aside of the
lower jaw
v Caudal pointed lower rays are shorter than the dorsals
Systematic position of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne
1837) is as follows
i Family- Gobiidae
ii Sub family- Oxudercinae
iii Genus- Boleopthalmus
iv species- dussumieri
The fishermen communities residing in the vicinity of the Ulhas River
estuary dependant on available fisheries of the same are suffering for their daily
needs due to the depleted fishery Many fisher-folks have therefore shifted to the
other available occupations As the river is moderate source of sand few
fishermen have adopted sand dredging activities
Besides some anthropogenic activities such as solid waste disposal
mangrove cutting reclamation construction etc are also observed to be
influencing the estuarine environment of the ambient waterbody (Athalye et al
2003)
I1 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
The project involves an attempt to determine the pollution status of the
ambient water through the hydrological study and certain anthropogenic
activities affecting the same
To correlate the biological studies of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) with its health status
10
To ordain the status quo of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery of the Ulhas River estuary
I2 PLAN OF WORK
Since tidal water oscillates from Vasai Fort to the Dombivli-Kalyan and
back it was taken up as the estuarine region of the Ulhas River The estuary
was imagined for the three zones as study areas as follows
Zone I ndash From Dombivli to Kolshet this zone is highly affected due to the
domestic activities as there are several human habitations viz Mumbra
Kharegaon Vehele Alimghar Diva where fragmented of mangrove
vegetation and the fishery is seldom occurred The zone is constricted at its
seaward proximity due to two major bridge constructions of Bhiwandi bypass
and the Kasheli
Zone II ndash From Kasheli village to Gaimukh Sand landing centre traversing
from the lustful mangrove vegetation The zone is demarcated by moderate
depth and prevalent mudflats It is influenced largely due to the Bhiwandi
MIDC area Bayer Pharmaceutical Company ColorChem Dyeing industry and
sand dredging activities
Zone III ndash From Gaimukh to the Bhayandar made-up of rocky basin and
gradually increasing in depth at its greatest as it approaches the Arabian Sea
towards Vasai Fort Mudskipper fishing is predominant in this zone as it holds
a number of wider mudflats throughout
The study was carried for nine months from the month of July 2004 to
March 2005 The seasons were designated as
Monsoon- July to September
Early Post Monsoon (EPM)- October to December
Late Post Monsoon (LPM)- January to March
The hydro-sedimentological studies were performed zone-wise on
monthly basis Sample collection stations one station from each zone were
decided for the sampling purpose
-Kharegaon station (KS) in the vicinity of Thane city from Zone-I
-Gaimukh station (GS) at Gaimukh jetty from Zone-II and
11
-Versova-bridge station (VS) near Bhayandar Village (see plate 1 amp
Map annexure I)
-Whereas the fishery and the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were studied zone-wise and recorded according to season in the
entire estuary Entire investigation was carried from the months of July 2004 to
March 2005 A pooled data of the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) has been produced
12
13
CHAPTER II
POLLUTION STATUS OF THE ULHAS RIVER
ESTUARY AND SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
Numerous experts have instantaneously studied the hydrological
parameters of various waterbodies in the country It has been found that the
water quality of the water bodies lying in the vicinities of urban areas is heavily
polluted due to industrial and domestic wastes It influences aquatic environment
heavily and put adverse effect on the organisms living therein (Mishra 2002
Athalye et al 2003 CPHERI 1971 Tandel 1884 Durve 1961 Metcalf et al
1979 Zingde 2002 Mohapatra et al 2000 Patil 1982) The study of water
quality and the sediments indicate the pollution status of the aquatic
environments The Ulhas River estuary hydrology was corroborated by Qamrul
Hasan (1984) Shahoo et al 1985 1987) Mathew (1989) Mukharji (1993)
Hence the hydrology was considered for the study
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study of hydrological parameters was carried in the three zones at
their corresponding stations KS GS and VS every month from July 2004 to
March 2005 Sampling was done between the 2nd and 3rd week of every month
during full tide Samples were assessed using the standard methods as per
APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 sediments as per the Buchananrsquos settling rate
method 1984 and Organic carbon by Walkley and Black 1934 method
14
The water parameters assessment such as water colour water
temperature light penetration and dissolved oxygen were assessed on site
during the collection Water samples required for remaining parameters such as
water pH salinity BOD SiO3-Si NO3-N and PO4-P were collected in the
lsquowasher-stopperedrsquo polyethylene bottles of one liter capacity and brought to the
laboratory and were examine on the same day
II1 WATER PARAMETERS
II 1i WATER COLOUR
Water colour changes due to the seasonal or artificial alteration such as
planktonic growth land run-off industrial effluents etc the study some how
helps in water condition interpretation
The greenish colour of water showed the rich growth of phytoplankton
brownish colour showed either river influx during the rainy season or the sand
dredging activity and the blackish colour showed the pollution along the Ulhas
River estuary
II1ii WATER TEMPERATURE
Due to the shallowness of the basin and influx of the river the temperature
varies diurnally and seasonally Several other manmade factors such as the
particulate matter thermal pollution exothermic chemicals etc also affect the
temperature regime of the estuarine ecosystem Therefore water temperature
plays an important role in the estuaries The endemic organisms being
eurythermic can tolerate the temperature fluctuation but the occasional visitors
are greatly affected Temperature fluctuation also affects the phytoplankton and
zooplankton and hence affects the fish
The surface water temperature ranged from 24oC to 33o C with an average of
263 0C in the Ulhas river estuary (Graph 1) The temperature rises gradually
from early post monsoon to the late post monsoons throughout the estuary
II1iii LIGHT PENETRATION
15
The light penetration has importance regarding the primary productivity of the
ambient water Being shallow the light can reach the bottom but due to the
particulate matter it is greatly obliterated The particulate matters may be the
plankton or the suspended solids Certain other sources like turbulence run-off
water water added from the domestic and industrial wastes mining or dredging
activity increase the particulate matters which in turn hinder the light penetration
Light penetration ranged between 15 cm in September 2004 at GS and 38 cm
in October 2004 at VS and the average being 1033 cm (Graph 2) in Ulhas
River estuary Light penetration remained in concurrence with the water colour
ie When water was greenish (revealing the high phytoplankton) the light
penetration was also greater
II1iv SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The plankton population imparts the suspended solids in aquatic habitat
like estuary The upwelling of the sea and land run-off water during winter and
monsoon respectively causes the increase in SS Human activity such as
mining sand dredging may bring about considerable change in the SS of small
waterbody like Ulhas River estuary Alam (1992) observed that detrital particle
generally form a major component of suspended matters in sewage polluted
aquatic environment Suspended particles obliterate the light penetration hence
lowering the photosynthetic rate These also hinder the vision and clog the gills
of animals
Present study exhibited the suspended solids in the Ulhas River estuary
was fluctuating between 04 mgl (in Jan 2005 at GS and VS) and 150 mgl (in
Nov 2004 at VS) The average of being 4378 mgl (Graph 3) Suspended
solids in the estuary were high during the rainy days The high values occurred
however occurred on other than rainy days also
II1v pH of WATER
Saline water does not vary in pH since the salts render buffering action
but the pollution status may bring down the pH of water which normally remains
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
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Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
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pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
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Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
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Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
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105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
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College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
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Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
4
planktonic organisms They also serve as migratory routes for the anadromous
species or for the catadromous species The substratum of an estuary is always
covered with silt and mud which is the most common type of bottom where the
organic detritus is rich in floral and faunal populations Heterotrophic
microorganisms are a major component of estuarine ecosystems and are
predominant in the estuarine sediments Some terrestrial species find their
refuge in the premises Therefore it is comprised of a typical food chain amongst
aquatic and terrestrial organisms Various endemic finfish and shellfish species
comprise the important fisheries Most of these species are seasonal visitors
visiting the estuaries for breeding or feeding purpose hence the seasonal
fisheries are observed predominantly Fishermen community residing in the
vicinity relies on the estuarine fisheries for their wellbeing
Hence it is very important to discuss about the estuarine ecosystems
giving due consideration to pollution problems Because of the convenience of
sea transport many major cities of the world are located on the shores of
estuaries The concentration of population and of industries on the banks has
inevitably led to the discharge of the waste materials into the estuaries so that
many have become seriously polluted water bodies The other anthropogenic
activities such as construction of bridges dams roads railways solid waste
dumping sand dredging mining tunneling reclamation mangrove cutting
agriculture etc affect these aquatic environments greatly Moreover the
enrichment of estuaries with organic and inorganic nutrients has contributed to
the eutrophication problems in numerous estuarine systems In many cases
domestic and municipal sewage wastes as well as nonpoint source run-off have
been the principal sources of nutrients to estuaries It causes acute and chronic
pollution in estuarine and coastal marine environment leading to a severe threat
to the inhabiting aquatic communities Due to these activities the existence of
rich biodiversity in the estuaries is under threat Already many coastal inward
waters have become either unproductive or unharvestable for a variety of finfish
shellfish and other marine living resources due to indiscriminate entry of
domestic and industrial pollutants The fishermen communities thus affected
looking for other earning sources may lead to the local financial crisis
5
Strict monitoring and corrective measures have to be undertaken to
safeguard their existence This needs urgently a thorough knowledge of the
pollutants their entry source nature of toxicity on biota monitoring of the
ecosystem remedial measures management legislation etc
This project work discusses the status quo of pollution and problems and
need for protection of Ulhas River estuary of Thane district situated in
Maharashtra State
Mr Sudesh D Rathod
Associate Professor
Zoology Deptartment
B N Bandodkar College of Science
Thane Maharashtra India
6
CONTENTS
Chapter I INTRODUCTION helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 1-- 4
Chapter II POLLUTION STATUS OF THE helliphelliphelliphelliphellip 5--11
ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY AND
SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
CHAPTER III BIOLOGY of Boleopthalmushelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 12---17
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
CHAPTER IV FISHERY of Boleopthalmus helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 18--19
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
CHAPTER V DISCUSSION helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 20--23
CHAPTER VI BIBLIOGRAPHY
WEBSITES SITED amp
ABBREVIATIONhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 24--30
7
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The Ulhas River estuary is one of the inward waters characteristic in its
environmental conditions due to the shallow depth tidal currents mangrove
vegetation salinity gradient diurnal temperature variation etc It is one of the
important waterbody in Thane District Ulhas River originates at Budhemal Lake
near Rajmachi Fort 821655 meters above the sea level traverses through
Sahyadrian ranges of hilly tracks of Western Ghats and meets the Arabian Sea
at Vasai Fort in Thane District The upper stretches of the Ulhas River is fed by
fresh water from the Raigad and Thane districts It receives a number of
tributaries carrying runoff water from their respective catchment areas namely
Pej Chilar Pashri Kalu Bhatsa Murbadi Varna and Kamwadi It runs for about
122 kms before joining the sea at Vasai The estuarine part of the river
commences from S-E near Kalyan ndashDombivli railway station headwards
meanders for about 40 km before it joins the Arabian Sea towards N-E at Vasai
creek situated between the latitude 18045rsquo to 19016rsquo N and longitude 72042rsquo to
73020rsquo E on the world map The river is shallow having sandy basin since the
land runoff carry huge sediments from its catchment area
There are number of industries situated along the either riverrsquos banks
adding their effluents at various localities namely Ambivli Ulhas Nagar
Dombivli Bhiwandi and Thane City and loading the waterbody with pollutants
heavily There is a considerable load of the domestic waste water is also added
to the estuary since the Thane city requires over 280 MLD (Lala2004) of water
which in-turn must be used variously and ultimately added to the Thane creek
and Ulhas River estuary daily Archeivala (1969) has observed that the heavy
pollution at the upper reaches of the estuary has lost the spawning ground of the
8
Hilsa fishery It has been observed that the fisheries of the estuary have been
dwindling to the threatening status (Rathod et al 2002) It is evident that the
heavy pollution due to industrial and domestic effluents affects the aquatic
organisms inhabiting the ambient water Nath et al (2003) observed the
degeneration in the ovarian cells of Clarias batrachus due to the altered physico-
chemical parameters of the wetlands Moreover mass kill of the fish occurs
frequently in the coastal waters of Mumbai and Thane cities
The conditions observer at one instance will change at the other as the
estuaries are dynamic in nature Therefore despite of earlier findings
reinvestigation of the hydrological conditions is essential An effort has been
made to ordained pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary and to determine
the fate of mudskipper fishery one of the major fisheries from the Ulhas River
estuary on which the poor fishermen communities residing in the vicinity rely
The important fish species being Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) (See
plate no1) of the mudskipper fishery has been considered for the study It is one
of the most relished and highly demanded fish in the local market It is
consumed in fresh condition
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne 1837) is the
amphibious estuarine fish found flourishing in the mudflats of the of Ulhas River
estuary It is a benthic and burrowing type of fish inhabiting on the neretic
mudflats of the Ulhas River estuary They construct the burrows in the mud and
feed on the mudflats Although they often come out of water they restrict
themselves close to the water for breathing and other activities Therefore their
burrows are always constructed in the limits of intertidal zone (Mutsaddi 1964
Chung et al 1991 Clayton 1993)
The salient features of the ambient mudskipper B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
are described as follows
i Fin Formula BV D527-28 P19 V15 A26 C13 L1ca 125
ii Pseudobranchiae present single rayed dorsal fin with flexible spine
eyes placed dorsally
9
iii Smaller black blotches on 1st dorsal 2nd dorsal contains 2-3 rows of
oblong white spots
iv Three teeth on the either side of middle of upper jaw pointed and
directed downwards A pair of posterior canines on lower jaw and
about 25 truncated and notched sub-horizontals on either aside of the
lower jaw
v Caudal pointed lower rays are shorter than the dorsals
Systematic position of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne
1837) is as follows
i Family- Gobiidae
ii Sub family- Oxudercinae
iii Genus- Boleopthalmus
iv species- dussumieri
The fishermen communities residing in the vicinity of the Ulhas River
estuary dependant on available fisheries of the same are suffering for their daily
needs due to the depleted fishery Many fisher-folks have therefore shifted to the
other available occupations As the river is moderate source of sand few
fishermen have adopted sand dredging activities
Besides some anthropogenic activities such as solid waste disposal
mangrove cutting reclamation construction etc are also observed to be
influencing the estuarine environment of the ambient waterbody (Athalye et al
2003)
I1 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
The project involves an attempt to determine the pollution status of the
ambient water through the hydrological study and certain anthropogenic
activities affecting the same
To correlate the biological studies of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) with its health status
10
To ordain the status quo of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery of the Ulhas River estuary
I2 PLAN OF WORK
Since tidal water oscillates from Vasai Fort to the Dombivli-Kalyan and
back it was taken up as the estuarine region of the Ulhas River The estuary
was imagined for the three zones as study areas as follows
Zone I ndash From Dombivli to Kolshet this zone is highly affected due to the
domestic activities as there are several human habitations viz Mumbra
Kharegaon Vehele Alimghar Diva where fragmented of mangrove
vegetation and the fishery is seldom occurred The zone is constricted at its
seaward proximity due to two major bridge constructions of Bhiwandi bypass
and the Kasheli
Zone II ndash From Kasheli village to Gaimukh Sand landing centre traversing
from the lustful mangrove vegetation The zone is demarcated by moderate
depth and prevalent mudflats It is influenced largely due to the Bhiwandi
MIDC area Bayer Pharmaceutical Company ColorChem Dyeing industry and
sand dredging activities
Zone III ndash From Gaimukh to the Bhayandar made-up of rocky basin and
gradually increasing in depth at its greatest as it approaches the Arabian Sea
towards Vasai Fort Mudskipper fishing is predominant in this zone as it holds
a number of wider mudflats throughout
The study was carried for nine months from the month of July 2004 to
March 2005 The seasons were designated as
Monsoon- July to September
Early Post Monsoon (EPM)- October to December
Late Post Monsoon (LPM)- January to March
The hydro-sedimentological studies were performed zone-wise on
monthly basis Sample collection stations one station from each zone were
decided for the sampling purpose
-Kharegaon station (KS) in the vicinity of Thane city from Zone-I
-Gaimukh station (GS) at Gaimukh jetty from Zone-II and
11
-Versova-bridge station (VS) near Bhayandar Village (see plate 1 amp
Map annexure I)
-Whereas the fishery and the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were studied zone-wise and recorded according to season in the
entire estuary Entire investigation was carried from the months of July 2004 to
March 2005 A pooled data of the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) has been produced
12
13
CHAPTER II
POLLUTION STATUS OF THE ULHAS RIVER
ESTUARY AND SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
Numerous experts have instantaneously studied the hydrological
parameters of various waterbodies in the country It has been found that the
water quality of the water bodies lying in the vicinities of urban areas is heavily
polluted due to industrial and domestic wastes It influences aquatic environment
heavily and put adverse effect on the organisms living therein (Mishra 2002
Athalye et al 2003 CPHERI 1971 Tandel 1884 Durve 1961 Metcalf et al
1979 Zingde 2002 Mohapatra et al 2000 Patil 1982) The study of water
quality and the sediments indicate the pollution status of the aquatic
environments The Ulhas River estuary hydrology was corroborated by Qamrul
Hasan (1984) Shahoo et al 1985 1987) Mathew (1989) Mukharji (1993)
Hence the hydrology was considered for the study
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study of hydrological parameters was carried in the three zones at
their corresponding stations KS GS and VS every month from July 2004 to
March 2005 Sampling was done between the 2nd and 3rd week of every month
during full tide Samples were assessed using the standard methods as per
APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 sediments as per the Buchananrsquos settling rate
method 1984 and Organic carbon by Walkley and Black 1934 method
14
The water parameters assessment such as water colour water
temperature light penetration and dissolved oxygen were assessed on site
during the collection Water samples required for remaining parameters such as
water pH salinity BOD SiO3-Si NO3-N and PO4-P were collected in the
lsquowasher-stopperedrsquo polyethylene bottles of one liter capacity and brought to the
laboratory and were examine on the same day
II1 WATER PARAMETERS
II 1i WATER COLOUR
Water colour changes due to the seasonal or artificial alteration such as
planktonic growth land run-off industrial effluents etc the study some how
helps in water condition interpretation
The greenish colour of water showed the rich growth of phytoplankton
brownish colour showed either river influx during the rainy season or the sand
dredging activity and the blackish colour showed the pollution along the Ulhas
River estuary
II1ii WATER TEMPERATURE
Due to the shallowness of the basin and influx of the river the temperature
varies diurnally and seasonally Several other manmade factors such as the
particulate matter thermal pollution exothermic chemicals etc also affect the
temperature regime of the estuarine ecosystem Therefore water temperature
plays an important role in the estuaries The endemic organisms being
eurythermic can tolerate the temperature fluctuation but the occasional visitors
are greatly affected Temperature fluctuation also affects the phytoplankton and
zooplankton and hence affects the fish
The surface water temperature ranged from 24oC to 33o C with an average of
263 0C in the Ulhas river estuary (Graph 1) The temperature rises gradually
from early post monsoon to the late post monsoons throughout the estuary
II1iii LIGHT PENETRATION
15
The light penetration has importance regarding the primary productivity of the
ambient water Being shallow the light can reach the bottom but due to the
particulate matter it is greatly obliterated The particulate matters may be the
plankton or the suspended solids Certain other sources like turbulence run-off
water water added from the domestic and industrial wastes mining or dredging
activity increase the particulate matters which in turn hinder the light penetration
Light penetration ranged between 15 cm in September 2004 at GS and 38 cm
in October 2004 at VS and the average being 1033 cm (Graph 2) in Ulhas
River estuary Light penetration remained in concurrence with the water colour
ie When water was greenish (revealing the high phytoplankton) the light
penetration was also greater
II1iv SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The plankton population imparts the suspended solids in aquatic habitat
like estuary The upwelling of the sea and land run-off water during winter and
monsoon respectively causes the increase in SS Human activity such as
mining sand dredging may bring about considerable change in the SS of small
waterbody like Ulhas River estuary Alam (1992) observed that detrital particle
generally form a major component of suspended matters in sewage polluted
aquatic environment Suspended particles obliterate the light penetration hence
lowering the photosynthetic rate These also hinder the vision and clog the gills
of animals
Present study exhibited the suspended solids in the Ulhas River estuary
was fluctuating between 04 mgl (in Jan 2005 at GS and VS) and 150 mgl (in
Nov 2004 at VS) The average of being 4378 mgl (Graph 3) Suspended
solids in the estuary were high during the rainy days The high values occurred
however occurred on other than rainy days also
II1v pH of WATER
Saline water does not vary in pH since the salts render buffering action
but the pollution status may bring down the pH of water which normally remains
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
5
Strict monitoring and corrective measures have to be undertaken to
safeguard their existence This needs urgently a thorough knowledge of the
pollutants their entry source nature of toxicity on biota monitoring of the
ecosystem remedial measures management legislation etc
This project work discusses the status quo of pollution and problems and
need for protection of Ulhas River estuary of Thane district situated in
Maharashtra State
Mr Sudesh D Rathod
Associate Professor
Zoology Deptartment
B N Bandodkar College of Science
Thane Maharashtra India
6
CONTENTS
Chapter I INTRODUCTION helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 1-- 4
Chapter II POLLUTION STATUS OF THE helliphelliphelliphelliphellip 5--11
ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY AND
SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
CHAPTER III BIOLOGY of Boleopthalmushelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 12---17
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
CHAPTER IV FISHERY of Boleopthalmus helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 18--19
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
CHAPTER V DISCUSSION helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 20--23
CHAPTER VI BIBLIOGRAPHY
WEBSITES SITED amp
ABBREVIATIONhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 24--30
7
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The Ulhas River estuary is one of the inward waters characteristic in its
environmental conditions due to the shallow depth tidal currents mangrove
vegetation salinity gradient diurnal temperature variation etc It is one of the
important waterbody in Thane District Ulhas River originates at Budhemal Lake
near Rajmachi Fort 821655 meters above the sea level traverses through
Sahyadrian ranges of hilly tracks of Western Ghats and meets the Arabian Sea
at Vasai Fort in Thane District The upper stretches of the Ulhas River is fed by
fresh water from the Raigad and Thane districts It receives a number of
tributaries carrying runoff water from their respective catchment areas namely
Pej Chilar Pashri Kalu Bhatsa Murbadi Varna and Kamwadi It runs for about
122 kms before joining the sea at Vasai The estuarine part of the river
commences from S-E near Kalyan ndashDombivli railway station headwards
meanders for about 40 km before it joins the Arabian Sea towards N-E at Vasai
creek situated between the latitude 18045rsquo to 19016rsquo N and longitude 72042rsquo to
73020rsquo E on the world map The river is shallow having sandy basin since the
land runoff carry huge sediments from its catchment area
There are number of industries situated along the either riverrsquos banks
adding their effluents at various localities namely Ambivli Ulhas Nagar
Dombivli Bhiwandi and Thane City and loading the waterbody with pollutants
heavily There is a considerable load of the domestic waste water is also added
to the estuary since the Thane city requires over 280 MLD (Lala2004) of water
which in-turn must be used variously and ultimately added to the Thane creek
and Ulhas River estuary daily Archeivala (1969) has observed that the heavy
pollution at the upper reaches of the estuary has lost the spawning ground of the
8
Hilsa fishery It has been observed that the fisheries of the estuary have been
dwindling to the threatening status (Rathod et al 2002) It is evident that the
heavy pollution due to industrial and domestic effluents affects the aquatic
organisms inhabiting the ambient water Nath et al (2003) observed the
degeneration in the ovarian cells of Clarias batrachus due to the altered physico-
chemical parameters of the wetlands Moreover mass kill of the fish occurs
frequently in the coastal waters of Mumbai and Thane cities
The conditions observer at one instance will change at the other as the
estuaries are dynamic in nature Therefore despite of earlier findings
reinvestigation of the hydrological conditions is essential An effort has been
made to ordained pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary and to determine
the fate of mudskipper fishery one of the major fisheries from the Ulhas River
estuary on which the poor fishermen communities residing in the vicinity rely
The important fish species being Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) (See
plate no1) of the mudskipper fishery has been considered for the study It is one
of the most relished and highly demanded fish in the local market It is
consumed in fresh condition
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne 1837) is the
amphibious estuarine fish found flourishing in the mudflats of the of Ulhas River
estuary It is a benthic and burrowing type of fish inhabiting on the neretic
mudflats of the Ulhas River estuary They construct the burrows in the mud and
feed on the mudflats Although they often come out of water they restrict
themselves close to the water for breathing and other activities Therefore their
burrows are always constructed in the limits of intertidal zone (Mutsaddi 1964
Chung et al 1991 Clayton 1993)
The salient features of the ambient mudskipper B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
are described as follows
i Fin Formula BV D527-28 P19 V15 A26 C13 L1ca 125
ii Pseudobranchiae present single rayed dorsal fin with flexible spine
eyes placed dorsally
9
iii Smaller black blotches on 1st dorsal 2nd dorsal contains 2-3 rows of
oblong white spots
iv Three teeth on the either side of middle of upper jaw pointed and
directed downwards A pair of posterior canines on lower jaw and
about 25 truncated and notched sub-horizontals on either aside of the
lower jaw
v Caudal pointed lower rays are shorter than the dorsals
Systematic position of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne
1837) is as follows
i Family- Gobiidae
ii Sub family- Oxudercinae
iii Genus- Boleopthalmus
iv species- dussumieri
The fishermen communities residing in the vicinity of the Ulhas River
estuary dependant on available fisheries of the same are suffering for their daily
needs due to the depleted fishery Many fisher-folks have therefore shifted to the
other available occupations As the river is moderate source of sand few
fishermen have adopted sand dredging activities
Besides some anthropogenic activities such as solid waste disposal
mangrove cutting reclamation construction etc are also observed to be
influencing the estuarine environment of the ambient waterbody (Athalye et al
2003)
I1 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
The project involves an attempt to determine the pollution status of the
ambient water through the hydrological study and certain anthropogenic
activities affecting the same
To correlate the biological studies of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) with its health status
10
To ordain the status quo of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery of the Ulhas River estuary
I2 PLAN OF WORK
Since tidal water oscillates from Vasai Fort to the Dombivli-Kalyan and
back it was taken up as the estuarine region of the Ulhas River The estuary
was imagined for the three zones as study areas as follows
Zone I ndash From Dombivli to Kolshet this zone is highly affected due to the
domestic activities as there are several human habitations viz Mumbra
Kharegaon Vehele Alimghar Diva where fragmented of mangrove
vegetation and the fishery is seldom occurred The zone is constricted at its
seaward proximity due to two major bridge constructions of Bhiwandi bypass
and the Kasheli
Zone II ndash From Kasheli village to Gaimukh Sand landing centre traversing
from the lustful mangrove vegetation The zone is demarcated by moderate
depth and prevalent mudflats It is influenced largely due to the Bhiwandi
MIDC area Bayer Pharmaceutical Company ColorChem Dyeing industry and
sand dredging activities
Zone III ndash From Gaimukh to the Bhayandar made-up of rocky basin and
gradually increasing in depth at its greatest as it approaches the Arabian Sea
towards Vasai Fort Mudskipper fishing is predominant in this zone as it holds
a number of wider mudflats throughout
The study was carried for nine months from the month of July 2004 to
March 2005 The seasons were designated as
Monsoon- July to September
Early Post Monsoon (EPM)- October to December
Late Post Monsoon (LPM)- January to March
The hydro-sedimentological studies were performed zone-wise on
monthly basis Sample collection stations one station from each zone were
decided for the sampling purpose
-Kharegaon station (KS) in the vicinity of Thane city from Zone-I
-Gaimukh station (GS) at Gaimukh jetty from Zone-II and
11
-Versova-bridge station (VS) near Bhayandar Village (see plate 1 amp
Map annexure I)
-Whereas the fishery and the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were studied zone-wise and recorded according to season in the
entire estuary Entire investigation was carried from the months of July 2004 to
March 2005 A pooled data of the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) has been produced
12
13
CHAPTER II
POLLUTION STATUS OF THE ULHAS RIVER
ESTUARY AND SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
Numerous experts have instantaneously studied the hydrological
parameters of various waterbodies in the country It has been found that the
water quality of the water bodies lying in the vicinities of urban areas is heavily
polluted due to industrial and domestic wastes It influences aquatic environment
heavily and put adverse effect on the organisms living therein (Mishra 2002
Athalye et al 2003 CPHERI 1971 Tandel 1884 Durve 1961 Metcalf et al
1979 Zingde 2002 Mohapatra et al 2000 Patil 1982) The study of water
quality and the sediments indicate the pollution status of the aquatic
environments The Ulhas River estuary hydrology was corroborated by Qamrul
Hasan (1984) Shahoo et al 1985 1987) Mathew (1989) Mukharji (1993)
Hence the hydrology was considered for the study
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study of hydrological parameters was carried in the three zones at
their corresponding stations KS GS and VS every month from July 2004 to
March 2005 Sampling was done between the 2nd and 3rd week of every month
during full tide Samples were assessed using the standard methods as per
APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 sediments as per the Buchananrsquos settling rate
method 1984 and Organic carbon by Walkley and Black 1934 method
14
The water parameters assessment such as water colour water
temperature light penetration and dissolved oxygen were assessed on site
during the collection Water samples required for remaining parameters such as
water pH salinity BOD SiO3-Si NO3-N and PO4-P were collected in the
lsquowasher-stopperedrsquo polyethylene bottles of one liter capacity and brought to the
laboratory and were examine on the same day
II1 WATER PARAMETERS
II 1i WATER COLOUR
Water colour changes due to the seasonal or artificial alteration such as
planktonic growth land run-off industrial effluents etc the study some how
helps in water condition interpretation
The greenish colour of water showed the rich growth of phytoplankton
brownish colour showed either river influx during the rainy season or the sand
dredging activity and the blackish colour showed the pollution along the Ulhas
River estuary
II1ii WATER TEMPERATURE
Due to the shallowness of the basin and influx of the river the temperature
varies diurnally and seasonally Several other manmade factors such as the
particulate matter thermal pollution exothermic chemicals etc also affect the
temperature regime of the estuarine ecosystem Therefore water temperature
plays an important role in the estuaries The endemic organisms being
eurythermic can tolerate the temperature fluctuation but the occasional visitors
are greatly affected Temperature fluctuation also affects the phytoplankton and
zooplankton and hence affects the fish
The surface water temperature ranged from 24oC to 33o C with an average of
263 0C in the Ulhas river estuary (Graph 1) The temperature rises gradually
from early post monsoon to the late post monsoons throughout the estuary
II1iii LIGHT PENETRATION
15
The light penetration has importance regarding the primary productivity of the
ambient water Being shallow the light can reach the bottom but due to the
particulate matter it is greatly obliterated The particulate matters may be the
plankton or the suspended solids Certain other sources like turbulence run-off
water water added from the domestic and industrial wastes mining or dredging
activity increase the particulate matters which in turn hinder the light penetration
Light penetration ranged between 15 cm in September 2004 at GS and 38 cm
in October 2004 at VS and the average being 1033 cm (Graph 2) in Ulhas
River estuary Light penetration remained in concurrence with the water colour
ie When water was greenish (revealing the high phytoplankton) the light
penetration was also greater
II1iv SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The plankton population imparts the suspended solids in aquatic habitat
like estuary The upwelling of the sea and land run-off water during winter and
monsoon respectively causes the increase in SS Human activity such as
mining sand dredging may bring about considerable change in the SS of small
waterbody like Ulhas River estuary Alam (1992) observed that detrital particle
generally form a major component of suspended matters in sewage polluted
aquatic environment Suspended particles obliterate the light penetration hence
lowering the photosynthetic rate These also hinder the vision and clog the gills
of animals
Present study exhibited the suspended solids in the Ulhas River estuary
was fluctuating between 04 mgl (in Jan 2005 at GS and VS) and 150 mgl (in
Nov 2004 at VS) The average of being 4378 mgl (Graph 3) Suspended
solids in the estuary were high during the rainy days The high values occurred
however occurred on other than rainy days also
II1v pH of WATER
Saline water does not vary in pH since the salts render buffering action
but the pollution status may bring down the pH of water which normally remains
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
6
CONTENTS
Chapter I INTRODUCTION helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 1-- 4
Chapter II POLLUTION STATUS OF THE helliphelliphelliphelliphellip 5--11
ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY AND
SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
CHAPTER III BIOLOGY of Boleopthalmushelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 12---17
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
CHAPTER IV FISHERY of Boleopthalmus helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 18--19
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
CHAPTER V DISCUSSION helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 20--23
CHAPTER VI BIBLIOGRAPHY
WEBSITES SITED amp
ABBREVIATIONhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 24--30
7
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The Ulhas River estuary is one of the inward waters characteristic in its
environmental conditions due to the shallow depth tidal currents mangrove
vegetation salinity gradient diurnal temperature variation etc It is one of the
important waterbody in Thane District Ulhas River originates at Budhemal Lake
near Rajmachi Fort 821655 meters above the sea level traverses through
Sahyadrian ranges of hilly tracks of Western Ghats and meets the Arabian Sea
at Vasai Fort in Thane District The upper stretches of the Ulhas River is fed by
fresh water from the Raigad and Thane districts It receives a number of
tributaries carrying runoff water from their respective catchment areas namely
Pej Chilar Pashri Kalu Bhatsa Murbadi Varna and Kamwadi It runs for about
122 kms before joining the sea at Vasai The estuarine part of the river
commences from S-E near Kalyan ndashDombivli railway station headwards
meanders for about 40 km before it joins the Arabian Sea towards N-E at Vasai
creek situated between the latitude 18045rsquo to 19016rsquo N and longitude 72042rsquo to
73020rsquo E on the world map The river is shallow having sandy basin since the
land runoff carry huge sediments from its catchment area
There are number of industries situated along the either riverrsquos banks
adding their effluents at various localities namely Ambivli Ulhas Nagar
Dombivli Bhiwandi and Thane City and loading the waterbody with pollutants
heavily There is a considerable load of the domestic waste water is also added
to the estuary since the Thane city requires over 280 MLD (Lala2004) of water
which in-turn must be used variously and ultimately added to the Thane creek
and Ulhas River estuary daily Archeivala (1969) has observed that the heavy
pollution at the upper reaches of the estuary has lost the spawning ground of the
8
Hilsa fishery It has been observed that the fisheries of the estuary have been
dwindling to the threatening status (Rathod et al 2002) It is evident that the
heavy pollution due to industrial and domestic effluents affects the aquatic
organisms inhabiting the ambient water Nath et al (2003) observed the
degeneration in the ovarian cells of Clarias batrachus due to the altered physico-
chemical parameters of the wetlands Moreover mass kill of the fish occurs
frequently in the coastal waters of Mumbai and Thane cities
The conditions observer at one instance will change at the other as the
estuaries are dynamic in nature Therefore despite of earlier findings
reinvestigation of the hydrological conditions is essential An effort has been
made to ordained pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary and to determine
the fate of mudskipper fishery one of the major fisheries from the Ulhas River
estuary on which the poor fishermen communities residing in the vicinity rely
The important fish species being Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) (See
plate no1) of the mudskipper fishery has been considered for the study It is one
of the most relished and highly demanded fish in the local market It is
consumed in fresh condition
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne 1837) is the
amphibious estuarine fish found flourishing in the mudflats of the of Ulhas River
estuary It is a benthic and burrowing type of fish inhabiting on the neretic
mudflats of the Ulhas River estuary They construct the burrows in the mud and
feed on the mudflats Although they often come out of water they restrict
themselves close to the water for breathing and other activities Therefore their
burrows are always constructed in the limits of intertidal zone (Mutsaddi 1964
Chung et al 1991 Clayton 1993)
The salient features of the ambient mudskipper B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
are described as follows
i Fin Formula BV D527-28 P19 V15 A26 C13 L1ca 125
ii Pseudobranchiae present single rayed dorsal fin with flexible spine
eyes placed dorsally
9
iii Smaller black blotches on 1st dorsal 2nd dorsal contains 2-3 rows of
oblong white spots
iv Three teeth on the either side of middle of upper jaw pointed and
directed downwards A pair of posterior canines on lower jaw and
about 25 truncated and notched sub-horizontals on either aside of the
lower jaw
v Caudal pointed lower rays are shorter than the dorsals
Systematic position of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne
1837) is as follows
i Family- Gobiidae
ii Sub family- Oxudercinae
iii Genus- Boleopthalmus
iv species- dussumieri
The fishermen communities residing in the vicinity of the Ulhas River
estuary dependant on available fisheries of the same are suffering for their daily
needs due to the depleted fishery Many fisher-folks have therefore shifted to the
other available occupations As the river is moderate source of sand few
fishermen have adopted sand dredging activities
Besides some anthropogenic activities such as solid waste disposal
mangrove cutting reclamation construction etc are also observed to be
influencing the estuarine environment of the ambient waterbody (Athalye et al
2003)
I1 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
The project involves an attempt to determine the pollution status of the
ambient water through the hydrological study and certain anthropogenic
activities affecting the same
To correlate the biological studies of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) with its health status
10
To ordain the status quo of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery of the Ulhas River estuary
I2 PLAN OF WORK
Since tidal water oscillates from Vasai Fort to the Dombivli-Kalyan and
back it was taken up as the estuarine region of the Ulhas River The estuary
was imagined for the three zones as study areas as follows
Zone I ndash From Dombivli to Kolshet this zone is highly affected due to the
domestic activities as there are several human habitations viz Mumbra
Kharegaon Vehele Alimghar Diva where fragmented of mangrove
vegetation and the fishery is seldom occurred The zone is constricted at its
seaward proximity due to two major bridge constructions of Bhiwandi bypass
and the Kasheli
Zone II ndash From Kasheli village to Gaimukh Sand landing centre traversing
from the lustful mangrove vegetation The zone is demarcated by moderate
depth and prevalent mudflats It is influenced largely due to the Bhiwandi
MIDC area Bayer Pharmaceutical Company ColorChem Dyeing industry and
sand dredging activities
Zone III ndash From Gaimukh to the Bhayandar made-up of rocky basin and
gradually increasing in depth at its greatest as it approaches the Arabian Sea
towards Vasai Fort Mudskipper fishing is predominant in this zone as it holds
a number of wider mudflats throughout
The study was carried for nine months from the month of July 2004 to
March 2005 The seasons were designated as
Monsoon- July to September
Early Post Monsoon (EPM)- October to December
Late Post Monsoon (LPM)- January to March
The hydro-sedimentological studies were performed zone-wise on
monthly basis Sample collection stations one station from each zone were
decided for the sampling purpose
-Kharegaon station (KS) in the vicinity of Thane city from Zone-I
-Gaimukh station (GS) at Gaimukh jetty from Zone-II and
11
-Versova-bridge station (VS) near Bhayandar Village (see plate 1 amp
Map annexure I)
-Whereas the fishery and the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were studied zone-wise and recorded according to season in the
entire estuary Entire investigation was carried from the months of July 2004 to
March 2005 A pooled data of the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) has been produced
12
13
CHAPTER II
POLLUTION STATUS OF THE ULHAS RIVER
ESTUARY AND SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
Numerous experts have instantaneously studied the hydrological
parameters of various waterbodies in the country It has been found that the
water quality of the water bodies lying in the vicinities of urban areas is heavily
polluted due to industrial and domestic wastes It influences aquatic environment
heavily and put adverse effect on the organisms living therein (Mishra 2002
Athalye et al 2003 CPHERI 1971 Tandel 1884 Durve 1961 Metcalf et al
1979 Zingde 2002 Mohapatra et al 2000 Patil 1982) The study of water
quality and the sediments indicate the pollution status of the aquatic
environments The Ulhas River estuary hydrology was corroborated by Qamrul
Hasan (1984) Shahoo et al 1985 1987) Mathew (1989) Mukharji (1993)
Hence the hydrology was considered for the study
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study of hydrological parameters was carried in the three zones at
their corresponding stations KS GS and VS every month from July 2004 to
March 2005 Sampling was done between the 2nd and 3rd week of every month
during full tide Samples were assessed using the standard methods as per
APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 sediments as per the Buchananrsquos settling rate
method 1984 and Organic carbon by Walkley and Black 1934 method
14
The water parameters assessment such as water colour water
temperature light penetration and dissolved oxygen were assessed on site
during the collection Water samples required for remaining parameters such as
water pH salinity BOD SiO3-Si NO3-N and PO4-P were collected in the
lsquowasher-stopperedrsquo polyethylene bottles of one liter capacity and brought to the
laboratory and were examine on the same day
II1 WATER PARAMETERS
II 1i WATER COLOUR
Water colour changes due to the seasonal or artificial alteration such as
planktonic growth land run-off industrial effluents etc the study some how
helps in water condition interpretation
The greenish colour of water showed the rich growth of phytoplankton
brownish colour showed either river influx during the rainy season or the sand
dredging activity and the blackish colour showed the pollution along the Ulhas
River estuary
II1ii WATER TEMPERATURE
Due to the shallowness of the basin and influx of the river the temperature
varies diurnally and seasonally Several other manmade factors such as the
particulate matter thermal pollution exothermic chemicals etc also affect the
temperature regime of the estuarine ecosystem Therefore water temperature
plays an important role in the estuaries The endemic organisms being
eurythermic can tolerate the temperature fluctuation but the occasional visitors
are greatly affected Temperature fluctuation also affects the phytoplankton and
zooplankton and hence affects the fish
The surface water temperature ranged from 24oC to 33o C with an average of
263 0C in the Ulhas river estuary (Graph 1) The temperature rises gradually
from early post monsoon to the late post monsoons throughout the estuary
II1iii LIGHT PENETRATION
15
The light penetration has importance regarding the primary productivity of the
ambient water Being shallow the light can reach the bottom but due to the
particulate matter it is greatly obliterated The particulate matters may be the
plankton or the suspended solids Certain other sources like turbulence run-off
water water added from the domestic and industrial wastes mining or dredging
activity increase the particulate matters which in turn hinder the light penetration
Light penetration ranged between 15 cm in September 2004 at GS and 38 cm
in October 2004 at VS and the average being 1033 cm (Graph 2) in Ulhas
River estuary Light penetration remained in concurrence with the water colour
ie When water was greenish (revealing the high phytoplankton) the light
penetration was also greater
II1iv SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The plankton population imparts the suspended solids in aquatic habitat
like estuary The upwelling of the sea and land run-off water during winter and
monsoon respectively causes the increase in SS Human activity such as
mining sand dredging may bring about considerable change in the SS of small
waterbody like Ulhas River estuary Alam (1992) observed that detrital particle
generally form a major component of suspended matters in sewage polluted
aquatic environment Suspended particles obliterate the light penetration hence
lowering the photosynthetic rate These also hinder the vision and clog the gills
of animals
Present study exhibited the suspended solids in the Ulhas River estuary
was fluctuating between 04 mgl (in Jan 2005 at GS and VS) and 150 mgl (in
Nov 2004 at VS) The average of being 4378 mgl (Graph 3) Suspended
solids in the estuary were high during the rainy days The high values occurred
however occurred on other than rainy days also
II1v pH of WATER
Saline water does not vary in pH since the salts render buffering action
but the pollution status may bring down the pH of water which normally remains
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
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Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
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6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
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11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
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College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
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Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
7
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The Ulhas River estuary is one of the inward waters characteristic in its
environmental conditions due to the shallow depth tidal currents mangrove
vegetation salinity gradient diurnal temperature variation etc It is one of the
important waterbody in Thane District Ulhas River originates at Budhemal Lake
near Rajmachi Fort 821655 meters above the sea level traverses through
Sahyadrian ranges of hilly tracks of Western Ghats and meets the Arabian Sea
at Vasai Fort in Thane District The upper stretches of the Ulhas River is fed by
fresh water from the Raigad and Thane districts It receives a number of
tributaries carrying runoff water from their respective catchment areas namely
Pej Chilar Pashri Kalu Bhatsa Murbadi Varna and Kamwadi It runs for about
122 kms before joining the sea at Vasai The estuarine part of the river
commences from S-E near Kalyan ndashDombivli railway station headwards
meanders for about 40 km before it joins the Arabian Sea towards N-E at Vasai
creek situated between the latitude 18045rsquo to 19016rsquo N and longitude 72042rsquo to
73020rsquo E on the world map The river is shallow having sandy basin since the
land runoff carry huge sediments from its catchment area
There are number of industries situated along the either riverrsquos banks
adding their effluents at various localities namely Ambivli Ulhas Nagar
Dombivli Bhiwandi and Thane City and loading the waterbody with pollutants
heavily There is a considerable load of the domestic waste water is also added
to the estuary since the Thane city requires over 280 MLD (Lala2004) of water
which in-turn must be used variously and ultimately added to the Thane creek
and Ulhas River estuary daily Archeivala (1969) has observed that the heavy
pollution at the upper reaches of the estuary has lost the spawning ground of the
8
Hilsa fishery It has been observed that the fisheries of the estuary have been
dwindling to the threatening status (Rathod et al 2002) It is evident that the
heavy pollution due to industrial and domestic effluents affects the aquatic
organisms inhabiting the ambient water Nath et al (2003) observed the
degeneration in the ovarian cells of Clarias batrachus due to the altered physico-
chemical parameters of the wetlands Moreover mass kill of the fish occurs
frequently in the coastal waters of Mumbai and Thane cities
The conditions observer at one instance will change at the other as the
estuaries are dynamic in nature Therefore despite of earlier findings
reinvestigation of the hydrological conditions is essential An effort has been
made to ordained pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary and to determine
the fate of mudskipper fishery one of the major fisheries from the Ulhas River
estuary on which the poor fishermen communities residing in the vicinity rely
The important fish species being Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) (See
plate no1) of the mudskipper fishery has been considered for the study It is one
of the most relished and highly demanded fish in the local market It is
consumed in fresh condition
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne 1837) is the
amphibious estuarine fish found flourishing in the mudflats of the of Ulhas River
estuary It is a benthic and burrowing type of fish inhabiting on the neretic
mudflats of the Ulhas River estuary They construct the burrows in the mud and
feed on the mudflats Although they often come out of water they restrict
themselves close to the water for breathing and other activities Therefore their
burrows are always constructed in the limits of intertidal zone (Mutsaddi 1964
Chung et al 1991 Clayton 1993)
The salient features of the ambient mudskipper B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
are described as follows
i Fin Formula BV D527-28 P19 V15 A26 C13 L1ca 125
ii Pseudobranchiae present single rayed dorsal fin with flexible spine
eyes placed dorsally
9
iii Smaller black blotches on 1st dorsal 2nd dorsal contains 2-3 rows of
oblong white spots
iv Three teeth on the either side of middle of upper jaw pointed and
directed downwards A pair of posterior canines on lower jaw and
about 25 truncated and notched sub-horizontals on either aside of the
lower jaw
v Caudal pointed lower rays are shorter than the dorsals
Systematic position of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne
1837) is as follows
i Family- Gobiidae
ii Sub family- Oxudercinae
iii Genus- Boleopthalmus
iv species- dussumieri
The fishermen communities residing in the vicinity of the Ulhas River
estuary dependant on available fisheries of the same are suffering for their daily
needs due to the depleted fishery Many fisher-folks have therefore shifted to the
other available occupations As the river is moderate source of sand few
fishermen have adopted sand dredging activities
Besides some anthropogenic activities such as solid waste disposal
mangrove cutting reclamation construction etc are also observed to be
influencing the estuarine environment of the ambient waterbody (Athalye et al
2003)
I1 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
The project involves an attempt to determine the pollution status of the
ambient water through the hydrological study and certain anthropogenic
activities affecting the same
To correlate the biological studies of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) with its health status
10
To ordain the status quo of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery of the Ulhas River estuary
I2 PLAN OF WORK
Since tidal water oscillates from Vasai Fort to the Dombivli-Kalyan and
back it was taken up as the estuarine region of the Ulhas River The estuary
was imagined for the three zones as study areas as follows
Zone I ndash From Dombivli to Kolshet this zone is highly affected due to the
domestic activities as there are several human habitations viz Mumbra
Kharegaon Vehele Alimghar Diva where fragmented of mangrove
vegetation and the fishery is seldom occurred The zone is constricted at its
seaward proximity due to two major bridge constructions of Bhiwandi bypass
and the Kasheli
Zone II ndash From Kasheli village to Gaimukh Sand landing centre traversing
from the lustful mangrove vegetation The zone is demarcated by moderate
depth and prevalent mudflats It is influenced largely due to the Bhiwandi
MIDC area Bayer Pharmaceutical Company ColorChem Dyeing industry and
sand dredging activities
Zone III ndash From Gaimukh to the Bhayandar made-up of rocky basin and
gradually increasing in depth at its greatest as it approaches the Arabian Sea
towards Vasai Fort Mudskipper fishing is predominant in this zone as it holds
a number of wider mudflats throughout
The study was carried for nine months from the month of July 2004 to
March 2005 The seasons were designated as
Monsoon- July to September
Early Post Monsoon (EPM)- October to December
Late Post Monsoon (LPM)- January to March
The hydro-sedimentological studies were performed zone-wise on
monthly basis Sample collection stations one station from each zone were
decided for the sampling purpose
-Kharegaon station (KS) in the vicinity of Thane city from Zone-I
-Gaimukh station (GS) at Gaimukh jetty from Zone-II and
11
-Versova-bridge station (VS) near Bhayandar Village (see plate 1 amp
Map annexure I)
-Whereas the fishery and the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were studied zone-wise and recorded according to season in the
entire estuary Entire investigation was carried from the months of July 2004 to
March 2005 A pooled data of the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) has been produced
12
13
CHAPTER II
POLLUTION STATUS OF THE ULHAS RIVER
ESTUARY AND SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
Numerous experts have instantaneously studied the hydrological
parameters of various waterbodies in the country It has been found that the
water quality of the water bodies lying in the vicinities of urban areas is heavily
polluted due to industrial and domestic wastes It influences aquatic environment
heavily and put adverse effect on the organisms living therein (Mishra 2002
Athalye et al 2003 CPHERI 1971 Tandel 1884 Durve 1961 Metcalf et al
1979 Zingde 2002 Mohapatra et al 2000 Patil 1982) The study of water
quality and the sediments indicate the pollution status of the aquatic
environments The Ulhas River estuary hydrology was corroborated by Qamrul
Hasan (1984) Shahoo et al 1985 1987) Mathew (1989) Mukharji (1993)
Hence the hydrology was considered for the study
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study of hydrological parameters was carried in the three zones at
their corresponding stations KS GS and VS every month from July 2004 to
March 2005 Sampling was done between the 2nd and 3rd week of every month
during full tide Samples were assessed using the standard methods as per
APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 sediments as per the Buchananrsquos settling rate
method 1984 and Organic carbon by Walkley and Black 1934 method
14
The water parameters assessment such as water colour water
temperature light penetration and dissolved oxygen were assessed on site
during the collection Water samples required for remaining parameters such as
water pH salinity BOD SiO3-Si NO3-N and PO4-P were collected in the
lsquowasher-stopperedrsquo polyethylene bottles of one liter capacity and brought to the
laboratory and were examine on the same day
II1 WATER PARAMETERS
II 1i WATER COLOUR
Water colour changes due to the seasonal or artificial alteration such as
planktonic growth land run-off industrial effluents etc the study some how
helps in water condition interpretation
The greenish colour of water showed the rich growth of phytoplankton
brownish colour showed either river influx during the rainy season or the sand
dredging activity and the blackish colour showed the pollution along the Ulhas
River estuary
II1ii WATER TEMPERATURE
Due to the shallowness of the basin and influx of the river the temperature
varies diurnally and seasonally Several other manmade factors such as the
particulate matter thermal pollution exothermic chemicals etc also affect the
temperature regime of the estuarine ecosystem Therefore water temperature
plays an important role in the estuaries The endemic organisms being
eurythermic can tolerate the temperature fluctuation but the occasional visitors
are greatly affected Temperature fluctuation also affects the phytoplankton and
zooplankton and hence affects the fish
The surface water temperature ranged from 24oC to 33o C with an average of
263 0C in the Ulhas river estuary (Graph 1) The temperature rises gradually
from early post monsoon to the late post monsoons throughout the estuary
II1iii LIGHT PENETRATION
15
The light penetration has importance regarding the primary productivity of the
ambient water Being shallow the light can reach the bottom but due to the
particulate matter it is greatly obliterated The particulate matters may be the
plankton or the suspended solids Certain other sources like turbulence run-off
water water added from the domestic and industrial wastes mining or dredging
activity increase the particulate matters which in turn hinder the light penetration
Light penetration ranged between 15 cm in September 2004 at GS and 38 cm
in October 2004 at VS and the average being 1033 cm (Graph 2) in Ulhas
River estuary Light penetration remained in concurrence with the water colour
ie When water was greenish (revealing the high phytoplankton) the light
penetration was also greater
II1iv SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The plankton population imparts the suspended solids in aquatic habitat
like estuary The upwelling of the sea and land run-off water during winter and
monsoon respectively causes the increase in SS Human activity such as
mining sand dredging may bring about considerable change in the SS of small
waterbody like Ulhas River estuary Alam (1992) observed that detrital particle
generally form a major component of suspended matters in sewage polluted
aquatic environment Suspended particles obliterate the light penetration hence
lowering the photosynthetic rate These also hinder the vision and clog the gills
of animals
Present study exhibited the suspended solids in the Ulhas River estuary
was fluctuating between 04 mgl (in Jan 2005 at GS and VS) and 150 mgl (in
Nov 2004 at VS) The average of being 4378 mgl (Graph 3) Suspended
solids in the estuary were high during the rainy days The high values occurred
however occurred on other than rainy days also
II1v pH of WATER
Saline water does not vary in pH since the salts render buffering action
but the pollution status may bring down the pH of water which normally remains
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
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Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
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11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
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College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
8
Hilsa fishery It has been observed that the fisheries of the estuary have been
dwindling to the threatening status (Rathod et al 2002) It is evident that the
heavy pollution due to industrial and domestic effluents affects the aquatic
organisms inhabiting the ambient water Nath et al (2003) observed the
degeneration in the ovarian cells of Clarias batrachus due to the altered physico-
chemical parameters of the wetlands Moreover mass kill of the fish occurs
frequently in the coastal waters of Mumbai and Thane cities
The conditions observer at one instance will change at the other as the
estuaries are dynamic in nature Therefore despite of earlier findings
reinvestigation of the hydrological conditions is essential An effort has been
made to ordained pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary and to determine
the fate of mudskipper fishery one of the major fisheries from the Ulhas River
estuary on which the poor fishermen communities residing in the vicinity rely
The important fish species being Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) (See
plate no1) of the mudskipper fishery has been considered for the study It is one
of the most relished and highly demanded fish in the local market It is
consumed in fresh condition
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne 1837) is the
amphibious estuarine fish found flourishing in the mudflats of the of Ulhas River
estuary It is a benthic and burrowing type of fish inhabiting on the neretic
mudflats of the Ulhas River estuary They construct the burrows in the mud and
feed on the mudflats Although they often come out of water they restrict
themselves close to the water for breathing and other activities Therefore their
burrows are always constructed in the limits of intertidal zone (Mutsaddi 1964
Chung et al 1991 Clayton 1993)
The salient features of the ambient mudskipper B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
are described as follows
i Fin Formula BV D527-28 P19 V15 A26 C13 L1ca 125
ii Pseudobranchiae present single rayed dorsal fin with flexible spine
eyes placed dorsally
9
iii Smaller black blotches on 1st dorsal 2nd dorsal contains 2-3 rows of
oblong white spots
iv Three teeth on the either side of middle of upper jaw pointed and
directed downwards A pair of posterior canines on lower jaw and
about 25 truncated and notched sub-horizontals on either aside of the
lower jaw
v Caudal pointed lower rays are shorter than the dorsals
Systematic position of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne
1837) is as follows
i Family- Gobiidae
ii Sub family- Oxudercinae
iii Genus- Boleopthalmus
iv species- dussumieri
The fishermen communities residing in the vicinity of the Ulhas River
estuary dependant on available fisheries of the same are suffering for their daily
needs due to the depleted fishery Many fisher-folks have therefore shifted to the
other available occupations As the river is moderate source of sand few
fishermen have adopted sand dredging activities
Besides some anthropogenic activities such as solid waste disposal
mangrove cutting reclamation construction etc are also observed to be
influencing the estuarine environment of the ambient waterbody (Athalye et al
2003)
I1 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
The project involves an attempt to determine the pollution status of the
ambient water through the hydrological study and certain anthropogenic
activities affecting the same
To correlate the biological studies of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) with its health status
10
To ordain the status quo of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery of the Ulhas River estuary
I2 PLAN OF WORK
Since tidal water oscillates from Vasai Fort to the Dombivli-Kalyan and
back it was taken up as the estuarine region of the Ulhas River The estuary
was imagined for the three zones as study areas as follows
Zone I ndash From Dombivli to Kolshet this zone is highly affected due to the
domestic activities as there are several human habitations viz Mumbra
Kharegaon Vehele Alimghar Diva where fragmented of mangrove
vegetation and the fishery is seldom occurred The zone is constricted at its
seaward proximity due to two major bridge constructions of Bhiwandi bypass
and the Kasheli
Zone II ndash From Kasheli village to Gaimukh Sand landing centre traversing
from the lustful mangrove vegetation The zone is demarcated by moderate
depth and prevalent mudflats It is influenced largely due to the Bhiwandi
MIDC area Bayer Pharmaceutical Company ColorChem Dyeing industry and
sand dredging activities
Zone III ndash From Gaimukh to the Bhayandar made-up of rocky basin and
gradually increasing in depth at its greatest as it approaches the Arabian Sea
towards Vasai Fort Mudskipper fishing is predominant in this zone as it holds
a number of wider mudflats throughout
The study was carried for nine months from the month of July 2004 to
March 2005 The seasons were designated as
Monsoon- July to September
Early Post Monsoon (EPM)- October to December
Late Post Monsoon (LPM)- January to March
The hydro-sedimentological studies were performed zone-wise on
monthly basis Sample collection stations one station from each zone were
decided for the sampling purpose
-Kharegaon station (KS) in the vicinity of Thane city from Zone-I
-Gaimukh station (GS) at Gaimukh jetty from Zone-II and
11
-Versova-bridge station (VS) near Bhayandar Village (see plate 1 amp
Map annexure I)
-Whereas the fishery and the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were studied zone-wise and recorded according to season in the
entire estuary Entire investigation was carried from the months of July 2004 to
March 2005 A pooled data of the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) has been produced
12
13
CHAPTER II
POLLUTION STATUS OF THE ULHAS RIVER
ESTUARY AND SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
Numerous experts have instantaneously studied the hydrological
parameters of various waterbodies in the country It has been found that the
water quality of the water bodies lying in the vicinities of urban areas is heavily
polluted due to industrial and domestic wastes It influences aquatic environment
heavily and put adverse effect on the organisms living therein (Mishra 2002
Athalye et al 2003 CPHERI 1971 Tandel 1884 Durve 1961 Metcalf et al
1979 Zingde 2002 Mohapatra et al 2000 Patil 1982) The study of water
quality and the sediments indicate the pollution status of the aquatic
environments The Ulhas River estuary hydrology was corroborated by Qamrul
Hasan (1984) Shahoo et al 1985 1987) Mathew (1989) Mukharji (1993)
Hence the hydrology was considered for the study
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study of hydrological parameters was carried in the three zones at
their corresponding stations KS GS and VS every month from July 2004 to
March 2005 Sampling was done between the 2nd and 3rd week of every month
during full tide Samples were assessed using the standard methods as per
APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 sediments as per the Buchananrsquos settling rate
method 1984 and Organic carbon by Walkley and Black 1934 method
14
The water parameters assessment such as water colour water
temperature light penetration and dissolved oxygen were assessed on site
during the collection Water samples required for remaining parameters such as
water pH salinity BOD SiO3-Si NO3-N and PO4-P were collected in the
lsquowasher-stopperedrsquo polyethylene bottles of one liter capacity and brought to the
laboratory and were examine on the same day
II1 WATER PARAMETERS
II 1i WATER COLOUR
Water colour changes due to the seasonal or artificial alteration such as
planktonic growth land run-off industrial effluents etc the study some how
helps in water condition interpretation
The greenish colour of water showed the rich growth of phytoplankton
brownish colour showed either river influx during the rainy season or the sand
dredging activity and the blackish colour showed the pollution along the Ulhas
River estuary
II1ii WATER TEMPERATURE
Due to the shallowness of the basin and influx of the river the temperature
varies diurnally and seasonally Several other manmade factors such as the
particulate matter thermal pollution exothermic chemicals etc also affect the
temperature regime of the estuarine ecosystem Therefore water temperature
plays an important role in the estuaries The endemic organisms being
eurythermic can tolerate the temperature fluctuation but the occasional visitors
are greatly affected Temperature fluctuation also affects the phytoplankton and
zooplankton and hence affects the fish
The surface water temperature ranged from 24oC to 33o C with an average of
263 0C in the Ulhas river estuary (Graph 1) The temperature rises gradually
from early post monsoon to the late post monsoons throughout the estuary
II1iii LIGHT PENETRATION
15
The light penetration has importance regarding the primary productivity of the
ambient water Being shallow the light can reach the bottom but due to the
particulate matter it is greatly obliterated The particulate matters may be the
plankton or the suspended solids Certain other sources like turbulence run-off
water water added from the domestic and industrial wastes mining or dredging
activity increase the particulate matters which in turn hinder the light penetration
Light penetration ranged between 15 cm in September 2004 at GS and 38 cm
in October 2004 at VS and the average being 1033 cm (Graph 2) in Ulhas
River estuary Light penetration remained in concurrence with the water colour
ie When water was greenish (revealing the high phytoplankton) the light
penetration was also greater
II1iv SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The plankton population imparts the suspended solids in aquatic habitat
like estuary The upwelling of the sea and land run-off water during winter and
monsoon respectively causes the increase in SS Human activity such as
mining sand dredging may bring about considerable change in the SS of small
waterbody like Ulhas River estuary Alam (1992) observed that detrital particle
generally form a major component of suspended matters in sewage polluted
aquatic environment Suspended particles obliterate the light penetration hence
lowering the photosynthetic rate These also hinder the vision and clog the gills
of animals
Present study exhibited the suspended solids in the Ulhas River estuary
was fluctuating between 04 mgl (in Jan 2005 at GS and VS) and 150 mgl (in
Nov 2004 at VS) The average of being 4378 mgl (Graph 3) Suspended
solids in the estuary were high during the rainy days The high values occurred
however occurred on other than rainy days also
II1v pH of WATER
Saline water does not vary in pH since the salts render buffering action
but the pollution status may bring down the pH of water which normally remains
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
9
iii Smaller black blotches on 1st dorsal 2nd dorsal contains 2-3 rows of
oblong white spots
iv Three teeth on the either side of middle of upper jaw pointed and
directed downwards A pair of posterior canines on lower jaw and
about 25 truncated and notched sub-horizontals on either aside of the
lower jaw
v Caudal pointed lower rays are shorter than the dorsals
Systematic position of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuvier amp Valencienne
1837) is as follows
i Family- Gobiidae
ii Sub family- Oxudercinae
iii Genus- Boleopthalmus
iv species- dussumieri
The fishermen communities residing in the vicinity of the Ulhas River
estuary dependant on available fisheries of the same are suffering for their daily
needs due to the depleted fishery Many fisher-folks have therefore shifted to the
other available occupations As the river is moderate source of sand few
fishermen have adopted sand dredging activities
Besides some anthropogenic activities such as solid waste disposal
mangrove cutting reclamation construction etc are also observed to be
influencing the estuarine environment of the ambient waterbody (Athalye et al
2003)
I1 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
The project involves an attempt to determine the pollution status of the
ambient water through the hydrological study and certain anthropogenic
activities affecting the same
To correlate the biological studies of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) with its health status
10
To ordain the status quo of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery of the Ulhas River estuary
I2 PLAN OF WORK
Since tidal water oscillates from Vasai Fort to the Dombivli-Kalyan and
back it was taken up as the estuarine region of the Ulhas River The estuary
was imagined for the three zones as study areas as follows
Zone I ndash From Dombivli to Kolshet this zone is highly affected due to the
domestic activities as there are several human habitations viz Mumbra
Kharegaon Vehele Alimghar Diva where fragmented of mangrove
vegetation and the fishery is seldom occurred The zone is constricted at its
seaward proximity due to two major bridge constructions of Bhiwandi bypass
and the Kasheli
Zone II ndash From Kasheli village to Gaimukh Sand landing centre traversing
from the lustful mangrove vegetation The zone is demarcated by moderate
depth and prevalent mudflats It is influenced largely due to the Bhiwandi
MIDC area Bayer Pharmaceutical Company ColorChem Dyeing industry and
sand dredging activities
Zone III ndash From Gaimukh to the Bhayandar made-up of rocky basin and
gradually increasing in depth at its greatest as it approaches the Arabian Sea
towards Vasai Fort Mudskipper fishing is predominant in this zone as it holds
a number of wider mudflats throughout
The study was carried for nine months from the month of July 2004 to
March 2005 The seasons were designated as
Monsoon- July to September
Early Post Monsoon (EPM)- October to December
Late Post Monsoon (LPM)- January to March
The hydro-sedimentological studies were performed zone-wise on
monthly basis Sample collection stations one station from each zone were
decided for the sampling purpose
-Kharegaon station (KS) in the vicinity of Thane city from Zone-I
-Gaimukh station (GS) at Gaimukh jetty from Zone-II and
11
-Versova-bridge station (VS) near Bhayandar Village (see plate 1 amp
Map annexure I)
-Whereas the fishery and the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were studied zone-wise and recorded according to season in the
entire estuary Entire investigation was carried from the months of July 2004 to
March 2005 A pooled data of the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) has been produced
12
13
CHAPTER II
POLLUTION STATUS OF THE ULHAS RIVER
ESTUARY AND SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
Numerous experts have instantaneously studied the hydrological
parameters of various waterbodies in the country It has been found that the
water quality of the water bodies lying in the vicinities of urban areas is heavily
polluted due to industrial and domestic wastes It influences aquatic environment
heavily and put adverse effect on the organisms living therein (Mishra 2002
Athalye et al 2003 CPHERI 1971 Tandel 1884 Durve 1961 Metcalf et al
1979 Zingde 2002 Mohapatra et al 2000 Patil 1982) The study of water
quality and the sediments indicate the pollution status of the aquatic
environments The Ulhas River estuary hydrology was corroborated by Qamrul
Hasan (1984) Shahoo et al 1985 1987) Mathew (1989) Mukharji (1993)
Hence the hydrology was considered for the study
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study of hydrological parameters was carried in the three zones at
their corresponding stations KS GS and VS every month from July 2004 to
March 2005 Sampling was done between the 2nd and 3rd week of every month
during full tide Samples were assessed using the standard methods as per
APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 sediments as per the Buchananrsquos settling rate
method 1984 and Organic carbon by Walkley and Black 1934 method
14
The water parameters assessment such as water colour water
temperature light penetration and dissolved oxygen were assessed on site
during the collection Water samples required for remaining parameters such as
water pH salinity BOD SiO3-Si NO3-N and PO4-P were collected in the
lsquowasher-stopperedrsquo polyethylene bottles of one liter capacity and brought to the
laboratory and were examine on the same day
II1 WATER PARAMETERS
II 1i WATER COLOUR
Water colour changes due to the seasonal or artificial alteration such as
planktonic growth land run-off industrial effluents etc the study some how
helps in water condition interpretation
The greenish colour of water showed the rich growth of phytoplankton
brownish colour showed either river influx during the rainy season or the sand
dredging activity and the blackish colour showed the pollution along the Ulhas
River estuary
II1ii WATER TEMPERATURE
Due to the shallowness of the basin and influx of the river the temperature
varies diurnally and seasonally Several other manmade factors such as the
particulate matter thermal pollution exothermic chemicals etc also affect the
temperature regime of the estuarine ecosystem Therefore water temperature
plays an important role in the estuaries The endemic organisms being
eurythermic can tolerate the temperature fluctuation but the occasional visitors
are greatly affected Temperature fluctuation also affects the phytoplankton and
zooplankton and hence affects the fish
The surface water temperature ranged from 24oC to 33o C with an average of
263 0C in the Ulhas river estuary (Graph 1) The temperature rises gradually
from early post monsoon to the late post monsoons throughout the estuary
II1iii LIGHT PENETRATION
15
The light penetration has importance regarding the primary productivity of the
ambient water Being shallow the light can reach the bottom but due to the
particulate matter it is greatly obliterated The particulate matters may be the
plankton or the suspended solids Certain other sources like turbulence run-off
water water added from the domestic and industrial wastes mining or dredging
activity increase the particulate matters which in turn hinder the light penetration
Light penetration ranged between 15 cm in September 2004 at GS and 38 cm
in October 2004 at VS and the average being 1033 cm (Graph 2) in Ulhas
River estuary Light penetration remained in concurrence with the water colour
ie When water was greenish (revealing the high phytoplankton) the light
penetration was also greater
II1iv SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The plankton population imparts the suspended solids in aquatic habitat
like estuary The upwelling of the sea and land run-off water during winter and
monsoon respectively causes the increase in SS Human activity such as
mining sand dredging may bring about considerable change in the SS of small
waterbody like Ulhas River estuary Alam (1992) observed that detrital particle
generally form a major component of suspended matters in sewage polluted
aquatic environment Suspended particles obliterate the light penetration hence
lowering the photosynthetic rate These also hinder the vision and clog the gills
of animals
Present study exhibited the suspended solids in the Ulhas River estuary
was fluctuating between 04 mgl (in Jan 2005 at GS and VS) and 150 mgl (in
Nov 2004 at VS) The average of being 4378 mgl (Graph 3) Suspended
solids in the estuary were high during the rainy days The high values occurred
however occurred on other than rainy days also
II1v pH of WATER
Saline water does not vary in pH since the salts render buffering action
but the pollution status may bring down the pH of water which normally remains
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
10
To ordain the status quo of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery of the Ulhas River estuary
I2 PLAN OF WORK
Since tidal water oscillates from Vasai Fort to the Dombivli-Kalyan and
back it was taken up as the estuarine region of the Ulhas River The estuary
was imagined for the three zones as study areas as follows
Zone I ndash From Dombivli to Kolshet this zone is highly affected due to the
domestic activities as there are several human habitations viz Mumbra
Kharegaon Vehele Alimghar Diva where fragmented of mangrove
vegetation and the fishery is seldom occurred The zone is constricted at its
seaward proximity due to two major bridge constructions of Bhiwandi bypass
and the Kasheli
Zone II ndash From Kasheli village to Gaimukh Sand landing centre traversing
from the lustful mangrove vegetation The zone is demarcated by moderate
depth and prevalent mudflats It is influenced largely due to the Bhiwandi
MIDC area Bayer Pharmaceutical Company ColorChem Dyeing industry and
sand dredging activities
Zone III ndash From Gaimukh to the Bhayandar made-up of rocky basin and
gradually increasing in depth at its greatest as it approaches the Arabian Sea
towards Vasai Fort Mudskipper fishing is predominant in this zone as it holds
a number of wider mudflats throughout
The study was carried for nine months from the month of July 2004 to
March 2005 The seasons were designated as
Monsoon- July to September
Early Post Monsoon (EPM)- October to December
Late Post Monsoon (LPM)- January to March
The hydro-sedimentological studies were performed zone-wise on
monthly basis Sample collection stations one station from each zone were
decided for the sampling purpose
-Kharegaon station (KS) in the vicinity of Thane city from Zone-I
-Gaimukh station (GS) at Gaimukh jetty from Zone-II and
11
-Versova-bridge station (VS) near Bhayandar Village (see plate 1 amp
Map annexure I)
-Whereas the fishery and the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were studied zone-wise and recorded according to season in the
entire estuary Entire investigation was carried from the months of July 2004 to
March 2005 A pooled data of the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) has been produced
12
13
CHAPTER II
POLLUTION STATUS OF THE ULHAS RIVER
ESTUARY AND SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
Numerous experts have instantaneously studied the hydrological
parameters of various waterbodies in the country It has been found that the
water quality of the water bodies lying in the vicinities of urban areas is heavily
polluted due to industrial and domestic wastes It influences aquatic environment
heavily and put adverse effect on the organisms living therein (Mishra 2002
Athalye et al 2003 CPHERI 1971 Tandel 1884 Durve 1961 Metcalf et al
1979 Zingde 2002 Mohapatra et al 2000 Patil 1982) The study of water
quality and the sediments indicate the pollution status of the aquatic
environments The Ulhas River estuary hydrology was corroborated by Qamrul
Hasan (1984) Shahoo et al 1985 1987) Mathew (1989) Mukharji (1993)
Hence the hydrology was considered for the study
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study of hydrological parameters was carried in the three zones at
their corresponding stations KS GS and VS every month from July 2004 to
March 2005 Sampling was done between the 2nd and 3rd week of every month
during full tide Samples were assessed using the standard methods as per
APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 sediments as per the Buchananrsquos settling rate
method 1984 and Organic carbon by Walkley and Black 1934 method
14
The water parameters assessment such as water colour water
temperature light penetration and dissolved oxygen were assessed on site
during the collection Water samples required for remaining parameters such as
water pH salinity BOD SiO3-Si NO3-N and PO4-P were collected in the
lsquowasher-stopperedrsquo polyethylene bottles of one liter capacity and brought to the
laboratory and were examine on the same day
II1 WATER PARAMETERS
II 1i WATER COLOUR
Water colour changes due to the seasonal or artificial alteration such as
planktonic growth land run-off industrial effluents etc the study some how
helps in water condition interpretation
The greenish colour of water showed the rich growth of phytoplankton
brownish colour showed either river influx during the rainy season or the sand
dredging activity and the blackish colour showed the pollution along the Ulhas
River estuary
II1ii WATER TEMPERATURE
Due to the shallowness of the basin and influx of the river the temperature
varies diurnally and seasonally Several other manmade factors such as the
particulate matter thermal pollution exothermic chemicals etc also affect the
temperature regime of the estuarine ecosystem Therefore water temperature
plays an important role in the estuaries The endemic organisms being
eurythermic can tolerate the temperature fluctuation but the occasional visitors
are greatly affected Temperature fluctuation also affects the phytoplankton and
zooplankton and hence affects the fish
The surface water temperature ranged from 24oC to 33o C with an average of
263 0C in the Ulhas river estuary (Graph 1) The temperature rises gradually
from early post monsoon to the late post monsoons throughout the estuary
II1iii LIGHT PENETRATION
15
The light penetration has importance regarding the primary productivity of the
ambient water Being shallow the light can reach the bottom but due to the
particulate matter it is greatly obliterated The particulate matters may be the
plankton or the suspended solids Certain other sources like turbulence run-off
water water added from the domestic and industrial wastes mining or dredging
activity increase the particulate matters which in turn hinder the light penetration
Light penetration ranged between 15 cm in September 2004 at GS and 38 cm
in October 2004 at VS and the average being 1033 cm (Graph 2) in Ulhas
River estuary Light penetration remained in concurrence with the water colour
ie When water was greenish (revealing the high phytoplankton) the light
penetration was also greater
II1iv SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The plankton population imparts the suspended solids in aquatic habitat
like estuary The upwelling of the sea and land run-off water during winter and
monsoon respectively causes the increase in SS Human activity such as
mining sand dredging may bring about considerable change in the SS of small
waterbody like Ulhas River estuary Alam (1992) observed that detrital particle
generally form a major component of suspended matters in sewage polluted
aquatic environment Suspended particles obliterate the light penetration hence
lowering the photosynthetic rate These also hinder the vision and clog the gills
of animals
Present study exhibited the suspended solids in the Ulhas River estuary
was fluctuating between 04 mgl (in Jan 2005 at GS and VS) and 150 mgl (in
Nov 2004 at VS) The average of being 4378 mgl (Graph 3) Suspended
solids in the estuary were high during the rainy days The high values occurred
however occurred on other than rainy days also
II1v pH of WATER
Saline water does not vary in pH since the salts render buffering action
but the pollution status may bring down the pH of water which normally remains
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
11
-Versova-bridge station (VS) near Bhayandar Village (see plate 1 amp
Map annexure I)
-Whereas the fishery and the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were studied zone-wise and recorded according to season in the
entire estuary Entire investigation was carried from the months of July 2004 to
March 2005 A pooled data of the biology of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) has been produced
12
13
CHAPTER II
POLLUTION STATUS OF THE ULHAS RIVER
ESTUARY AND SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
Numerous experts have instantaneously studied the hydrological
parameters of various waterbodies in the country It has been found that the
water quality of the water bodies lying in the vicinities of urban areas is heavily
polluted due to industrial and domestic wastes It influences aquatic environment
heavily and put adverse effect on the organisms living therein (Mishra 2002
Athalye et al 2003 CPHERI 1971 Tandel 1884 Durve 1961 Metcalf et al
1979 Zingde 2002 Mohapatra et al 2000 Patil 1982) The study of water
quality and the sediments indicate the pollution status of the aquatic
environments The Ulhas River estuary hydrology was corroborated by Qamrul
Hasan (1984) Shahoo et al 1985 1987) Mathew (1989) Mukharji (1993)
Hence the hydrology was considered for the study
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study of hydrological parameters was carried in the three zones at
their corresponding stations KS GS and VS every month from July 2004 to
March 2005 Sampling was done between the 2nd and 3rd week of every month
during full tide Samples were assessed using the standard methods as per
APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 sediments as per the Buchananrsquos settling rate
method 1984 and Organic carbon by Walkley and Black 1934 method
14
The water parameters assessment such as water colour water
temperature light penetration and dissolved oxygen were assessed on site
during the collection Water samples required for remaining parameters such as
water pH salinity BOD SiO3-Si NO3-N and PO4-P were collected in the
lsquowasher-stopperedrsquo polyethylene bottles of one liter capacity and brought to the
laboratory and were examine on the same day
II1 WATER PARAMETERS
II 1i WATER COLOUR
Water colour changes due to the seasonal or artificial alteration such as
planktonic growth land run-off industrial effluents etc the study some how
helps in water condition interpretation
The greenish colour of water showed the rich growth of phytoplankton
brownish colour showed either river influx during the rainy season or the sand
dredging activity and the blackish colour showed the pollution along the Ulhas
River estuary
II1ii WATER TEMPERATURE
Due to the shallowness of the basin and influx of the river the temperature
varies diurnally and seasonally Several other manmade factors such as the
particulate matter thermal pollution exothermic chemicals etc also affect the
temperature regime of the estuarine ecosystem Therefore water temperature
plays an important role in the estuaries The endemic organisms being
eurythermic can tolerate the temperature fluctuation but the occasional visitors
are greatly affected Temperature fluctuation also affects the phytoplankton and
zooplankton and hence affects the fish
The surface water temperature ranged from 24oC to 33o C with an average of
263 0C in the Ulhas river estuary (Graph 1) The temperature rises gradually
from early post monsoon to the late post monsoons throughout the estuary
II1iii LIGHT PENETRATION
15
The light penetration has importance regarding the primary productivity of the
ambient water Being shallow the light can reach the bottom but due to the
particulate matter it is greatly obliterated The particulate matters may be the
plankton or the suspended solids Certain other sources like turbulence run-off
water water added from the domestic and industrial wastes mining or dredging
activity increase the particulate matters which in turn hinder the light penetration
Light penetration ranged between 15 cm in September 2004 at GS and 38 cm
in October 2004 at VS and the average being 1033 cm (Graph 2) in Ulhas
River estuary Light penetration remained in concurrence with the water colour
ie When water was greenish (revealing the high phytoplankton) the light
penetration was also greater
II1iv SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The plankton population imparts the suspended solids in aquatic habitat
like estuary The upwelling of the sea and land run-off water during winter and
monsoon respectively causes the increase in SS Human activity such as
mining sand dredging may bring about considerable change in the SS of small
waterbody like Ulhas River estuary Alam (1992) observed that detrital particle
generally form a major component of suspended matters in sewage polluted
aquatic environment Suspended particles obliterate the light penetration hence
lowering the photosynthetic rate These also hinder the vision and clog the gills
of animals
Present study exhibited the suspended solids in the Ulhas River estuary
was fluctuating between 04 mgl (in Jan 2005 at GS and VS) and 150 mgl (in
Nov 2004 at VS) The average of being 4378 mgl (Graph 3) Suspended
solids in the estuary were high during the rainy days The high values occurred
however occurred on other than rainy days also
II1v pH of WATER
Saline water does not vary in pH since the salts render buffering action
but the pollution status may bring down the pH of water which normally remains
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
12
13
CHAPTER II
POLLUTION STATUS OF THE ULHAS RIVER
ESTUARY AND SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
Numerous experts have instantaneously studied the hydrological
parameters of various waterbodies in the country It has been found that the
water quality of the water bodies lying in the vicinities of urban areas is heavily
polluted due to industrial and domestic wastes It influences aquatic environment
heavily and put adverse effect on the organisms living therein (Mishra 2002
Athalye et al 2003 CPHERI 1971 Tandel 1884 Durve 1961 Metcalf et al
1979 Zingde 2002 Mohapatra et al 2000 Patil 1982) The study of water
quality and the sediments indicate the pollution status of the aquatic
environments The Ulhas River estuary hydrology was corroborated by Qamrul
Hasan (1984) Shahoo et al 1985 1987) Mathew (1989) Mukharji (1993)
Hence the hydrology was considered for the study
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study of hydrological parameters was carried in the three zones at
their corresponding stations KS GS and VS every month from July 2004 to
March 2005 Sampling was done between the 2nd and 3rd week of every month
during full tide Samples were assessed using the standard methods as per
APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 sediments as per the Buchananrsquos settling rate
method 1984 and Organic carbon by Walkley and Black 1934 method
14
The water parameters assessment such as water colour water
temperature light penetration and dissolved oxygen were assessed on site
during the collection Water samples required for remaining parameters such as
water pH salinity BOD SiO3-Si NO3-N and PO4-P were collected in the
lsquowasher-stopperedrsquo polyethylene bottles of one liter capacity and brought to the
laboratory and were examine on the same day
II1 WATER PARAMETERS
II 1i WATER COLOUR
Water colour changes due to the seasonal or artificial alteration such as
planktonic growth land run-off industrial effluents etc the study some how
helps in water condition interpretation
The greenish colour of water showed the rich growth of phytoplankton
brownish colour showed either river influx during the rainy season or the sand
dredging activity and the blackish colour showed the pollution along the Ulhas
River estuary
II1ii WATER TEMPERATURE
Due to the shallowness of the basin and influx of the river the temperature
varies diurnally and seasonally Several other manmade factors such as the
particulate matter thermal pollution exothermic chemicals etc also affect the
temperature regime of the estuarine ecosystem Therefore water temperature
plays an important role in the estuaries The endemic organisms being
eurythermic can tolerate the temperature fluctuation but the occasional visitors
are greatly affected Temperature fluctuation also affects the phytoplankton and
zooplankton and hence affects the fish
The surface water temperature ranged from 24oC to 33o C with an average of
263 0C in the Ulhas river estuary (Graph 1) The temperature rises gradually
from early post monsoon to the late post monsoons throughout the estuary
II1iii LIGHT PENETRATION
15
The light penetration has importance regarding the primary productivity of the
ambient water Being shallow the light can reach the bottom but due to the
particulate matter it is greatly obliterated The particulate matters may be the
plankton or the suspended solids Certain other sources like turbulence run-off
water water added from the domestic and industrial wastes mining or dredging
activity increase the particulate matters which in turn hinder the light penetration
Light penetration ranged between 15 cm in September 2004 at GS and 38 cm
in October 2004 at VS and the average being 1033 cm (Graph 2) in Ulhas
River estuary Light penetration remained in concurrence with the water colour
ie When water was greenish (revealing the high phytoplankton) the light
penetration was also greater
II1iv SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The plankton population imparts the suspended solids in aquatic habitat
like estuary The upwelling of the sea and land run-off water during winter and
monsoon respectively causes the increase in SS Human activity such as
mining sand dredging may bring about considerable change in the SS of small
waterbody like Ulhas River estuary Alam (1992) observed that detrital particle
generally form a major component of suspended matters in sewage polluted
aquatic environment Suspended particles obliterate the light penetration hence
lowering the photosynthetic rate These also hinder the vision and clog the gills
of animals
Present study exhibited the suspended solids in the Ulhas River estuary
was fluctuating between 04 mgl (in Jan 2005 at GS and VS) and 150 mgl (in
Nov 2004 at VS) The average of being 4378 mgl (Graph 3) Suspended
solids in the estuary were high during the rainy days The high values occurred
however occurred on other than rainy days also
II1v pH of WATER
Saline water does not vary in pH since the salts render buffering action
but the pollution status may bring down the pH of water which normally remains
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
13
CHAPTER II
POLLUTION STATUS OF THE ULHAS RIVER
ESTUARY AND SOME ANTHROPOGENIC
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
Numerous experts have instantaneously studied the hydrological
parameters of various waterbodies in the country It has been found that the
water quality of the water bodies lying in the vicinities of urban areas is heavily
polluted due to industrial and domestic wastes It influences aquatic environment
heavily and put adverse effect on the organisms living therein (Mishra 2002
Athalye et al 2003 CPHERI 1971 Tandel 1884 Durve 1961 Metcalf et al
1979 Zingde 2002 Mohapatra et al 2000 Patil 1982) The study of water
quality and the sediments indicate the pollution status of the aquatic
environments The Ulhas River estuary hydrology was corroborated by Qamrul
Hasan (1984) Shahoo et al 1985 1987) Mathew (1989) Mukharji (1993)
Hence the hydrology was considered for the study
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study of hydrological parameters was carried in the three zones at
their corresponding stations KS GS and VS every month from July 2004 to
March 2005 Sampling was done between the 2nd and 3rd week of every month
during full tide Samples were assessed using the standard methods as per
APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 sediments as per the Buchananrsquos settling rate
method 1984 and Organic carbon by Walkley and Black 1934 method
14
The water parameters assessment such as water colour water
temperature light penetration and dissolved oxygen were assessed on site
during the collection Water samples required for remaining parameters such as
water pH salinity BOD SiO3-Si NO3-N and PO4-P were collected in the
lsquowasher-stopperedrsquo polyethylene bottles of one liter capacity and brought to the
laboratory and were examine on the same day
II1 WATER PARAMETERS
II 1i WATER COLOUR
Water colour changes due to the seasonal or artificial alteration such as
planktonic growth land run-off industrial effluents etc the study some how
helps in water condition interpretation
The greenish colour of water showed the rich growth of phytoplankton
brownish colour showed either river influx during the rainy season or the sand
dredging activity and the blackish colour showed the pollution along the Ulhas
River estuary
II1ii WATER TEMPERATURE
Due to the shallowness of the basin and influx of the river the temperature
varies diurnally and seasonally Several other manmade factors such as the
particulate matter thermal pollution exothermic chemicals etc also affect the
temperature regime of the estuarine ecosystem Therefore water temperature
plays an important role in the estuaries The endemic organisms being
eurythermic can tolerate the temperature fluctuation but the occasional visitors
are greatly affected Temperature fluctuation also affects the phytoplankton and
zooplankton and hence affects the fish
The surface water temperature ranged from 24oC to 33o C with an average of
263 0C in the Ulhas river estuary (Graph 1) The temperature rises gradually
from early post monsoon to the late post monsoons throughout the estuary
II1iii LIGHT PENETRATION
15
The light penetration has importance regarding the primary productivity of the
ambient water Being shallow the light can reach the bottom but due to the
particulate matter it is greatly obliterated The particulate matters may be the
plankton or the suspended solids Certain other sources like turbulence run-off
water water added from the domestic and industrial wastes mining or dredging
activity increase the particulate matters which in turn hinder the light penetration
Light penetration ranged between 15 cm in September 2004 at GS and 38 cm
in October 2004 at VS and the average being 1033 cm (Graph 2) in Ulhas
River estuary Light penetration remained in concurrence with the water colour
ie When water was greenish (revealing the high phytoplankton) the light
penetration was also greater
II1iv SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The plankton population imparts the suspended solids in aquatic habitat
like estuary The upwelling of the sea and land run-off water during winter and
monsoon respectively causes the increase in SS Human activity such as
mining sand dredging may bring about considerable change in the SS of small
waterbody like Ulhas River estuary Alam (1992) observed that detrital particle
generally form a major component of suspended matters in sewage polluted
aquatic environment Suspended particles obliterate the light penetration hence
lowering the photosynthetic rate These also hinder the vision and clog the gills
of animals
Present study exhibited the suspended solids in the Ulhas River estuary
was fluctuating between 04 mgl (in Jan 2005 at GS and VS) and 150 mgl (in
Nov 2004 at VS) The average of being 4378 mgl (Graph 3) Suspended
solids in the estuary were high during the rainy days The high values occurred
however occurred on other than rainy days also
II1v pH of WATER
Saline water does not vary in pH since the salts render buffering action
but the pollution status may bring down the pH of water which normally remains
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
14
The water parameters assessment such as water colour water
temperature light penetration and dissolved oxygen were assessed on site
during the collection Water samples required for remaining parameters such as
water pH salinity BOD SiO3-Si NO3-N and PO4-P were collected in the
lsquowasher-stopperedrsquo polyethylene bottles of one liter capacity and brought to the
laboratory and were examine on the same day
II1 WATER PARAMETERS
II 1i WATER COLOUR
Water colour changes due to the seasonal or artificial alteration such as
planktonic growth land run-off industrial effluents etc the study some how
helps in water condition interpretation
The greenish colour of water showed the rich growth of phytoplankton
brownish colour showed either river influx during the rainy season or the sand
dredging activity and the blackish colour showed the pollution along the Ulhas
River estuary
II1ii WATER TEMPERATURE
Due to the shallowness of the basin and influx of the river the temperature
varies diurnally and seasonally Several other manmade factors such as the
particulate matter thermal pollution exothermic chemicals etc also affect the
temperature regime of the estuarine ecosystem Therefore water temperature
plays an important role in the estuaries The endemic organisms being
eurythermic can tolerate the temperature fluctuation but the occasional visitors
are greatly affected Temperature fluctuation also affects the phytoplankton and
zooplankton and hence affects the fish
The surface water temperature ranged from 24oC to 33o C with an average of
263 0C in the Ulhas river estuary (Graph 1) The temperature rises gradually
from early post monsoon to the late post monsoons throughout the estuary
II1iii LIGHT PENETRATION
15
The light penetration has importance regarding the primary productivity of the
ambient water Being shallow the light can reach the bottom but due to the
particulate matter it is greatly obliterated The particulate matters may be the
plankton or the suspended solids Certain other sources like turbulence run-off
water water added from the domestic and industrial wastes mining or dredging
activity increase the particulate matters which in turn hinder the light penetration
Light penetration ranged between 15 cm in September 2004 at GS and 38 cm
in October 2004 at VS and the average being 1033 cm (Graph 2) in Ulhas
River estuary Light penetration remained in concurrence with the water colour
ie When water was greenish (revealing the high phytoplankton) the light
penetration was also greater
II1iv SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The plankton population imparts the suspended solids in aquatic habitat
like estuary The upwelling of the sea and land run-off water during winter and
monsoon respectively causes the increase in SS Human activity such as
mining sand dredging may bring about considerable change in the SS of small
waterbody like Ulhas River estuary Alam (1992) observed that detrital particle
generally form a major component of suspended matters in sewage polluted
aquatic environment Suspended particles obliterate the light penetration hence
lowering the photosynthetic rate These also hinder the vision and clog the gills
of animals
Present study exhibited the suspended solids in the Ulhas River estuary
was fluctuating between 04 mgl (in Jan 2005 at GS and VS) and 150 mgl (in
Nov 2004 at VS) The average of being 4378 mgl (Graph 3) Suspended
solids in the estuary were high during the rainy days The high values occurred
however occurred on other than rainy days also
II1v pH of WATER
Saline water does not vary in pH since the salts render buffering action
but the pollution status may bring down the pH of water which normally remains
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
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Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
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Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
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11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
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Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
15
The light penetration has importance regarding the primary productivity of the
ambient water Being shallow the light can reach the bottom but due to the
particulate matter it is greatly obliterated The particulate matters may be the
plankton or the suspended solids Certain other sources like turbulence run-off
water water added from the domestic and industrial wastes mining or dredging
activity increase the particulate matters which in turn hinder the light penetration
Light penetration ranged between 15 cm in September 2004 at GS and 38 cm
in October 2004 at VS and the average being 1033 cm (Graph 2) in Ulhas
River estuary Light penetration remained in concurrence with the water colour
ie When water was greenish (revealing the high phytoplankton) the light
penetration was also greater
II1iv SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The plankton population imparts the suspended solids in aquatic habitat
like estuary The upwelling of the sea and land run-off water during winter and
monsoon respectively causes the increase in SS Human activity such as
mining sand dredging may bring about considerable change in the SS of small
waterbody like Ulhas River estuary Alam (1992) observed that detrital particle
generally form a major component of suspended matters in sewage polluted
aquatic environment Suspended particles obliterate the light penetration hence
lowering the photosynthetic rate These also hinder the vision and clog the gills
of animals
Present study exhibited the suspended solids in the Ulhas River estuary
was fluctuating between 04 mgl (in Jan 2005 at GS and VS) and 150 mgl (in
Nov 2004 at VS) The average of being 4378 mgl (Graph 3) Suspended
solids in the estuary were high during the rainy days The high values occurred
however occurred on other than rainy days also
II1v pH of WATER
Saline water does not vary in pH since the salts render buffering action
but the pollution status may bring down the pH of water which normally remains
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
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3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
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pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
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6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
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10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
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11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
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10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
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105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
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15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
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Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
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(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
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22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
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Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
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and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
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Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
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Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
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Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
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Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
16
slightly alkaline Accumulation of CO2 due to the heavy decomposition of
organic matter indicating domestic deposition may also decrease pH
The pH ranged from 624 (acidic in February 2005) at GS to 791
(alkaline in Sept 2004) at VS The average pH was 708 (Graph 4)
II1vi SALINITY
Water salinity plays a crucial role in the estuarine habitat as it often
fluctuates with the oceanic tidal inundation and the river water influx Ulhas River
estuary is very shallow and hence is affected largely due to both the tidal and
riverine currents Euryhaline endemic organisms are not much affected due to
the salinity fluctuation but some being very sensitive to it cannot withstand the
dilution due to sewage water disposal or release of dam water up-streams
The salinity varied greatly from 0376 0(in Aug 2004 at KS) to 3122 0
in March 2005 at VS) with an average of 174 o (Graph 5)
II1vii DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Dissolved oxygen (DO) like salinity plays an important role in the estuary
The inhabitant organisms are affected greatly due the diurnal and seasonal
variation in the dissolved oxygen of the ambient water DO is governed by the
water turbulence surface diffusion rate of photosynthesis BOD water
temperature and carbon dioxide concentration The dissolved oxygen level
below 25 mgl (Laponite et al 1992) is hypoxic to organisms residing in
estuary (Graph 6)
Dissolved oxygen ranged between 0504 mgl (in Feb 2005 at KS) and
7049 mgl (in March 2005 at VS) the average being 2402 mgl the dissolved
oxygen was almost at hypoxic level in the entire estuary
II1viii BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
It is a measure of the organic matter present in the ambient water BOD
increases with the increased inflow of the domestic waste Athalye et al 2003)
High BOD depletes the oxygen level to a critical condition especially during the
night Oxygen being vital factor in the estuarine ecosystem BOD must be
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
17
checked for its existence Besides it is a tool for monitoring the pollution status
of waters
BOD of Ulhas River estuary ranged from 0403 mgl (in Oct 2004 at GS
and VS) to 15708 mgl (in Jan 2005 at VS) with an average of 4597mgl BOD
increases to its greatest in the LPM season indicating the accumulation of
organic matter (Graph 7)
II1ix NUTRIENTS Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Nitrate nitrogen
(NO3- N) and Silicate silicon (SiO3-Si)
The nutrients play a major role in primary productivity of the estuary
These are generated as a result of decomposition in natural condition that is
regularly taken up by the phytoplankton in an aquatic body However the
industrial effluents and domestic waste also carry excessive nutrients like NO3-N
and PO4-P The SiO3-Si is brought in by riverine water due to leaching of the
basin as a result of affinity to oxygen or sources like igneous rock of volcanic
origin (Mishra 2002) (Graph 8) The silicate silicon values are very elaborate
with an average of 488 mgl high during monsoon and gradually decreasing in
the EPM and finally LPM
Nitrate nitrogen values are moderate and rose twice in the monsoon and
later in the Late-post monsoon In monsoon it must be brought in by the rain
water from the catchment area whereas in LPM it is due to high decomposition
rate as indicated by the BOD Nitrogen averages at 1124 mgl (Graph 9)
The phosphate phosphorus is added to the estuary from the domestic
area sewage The bimodal curves occurred (see graph 10) thus land runoff
increases the phosphorus during the monsoon and in LPM from the domestic
sewage (Graph 10)
II 2 SEDIMENTS
Sediments are deposited from the river fed water which forms a rich
substratum for the benthic organisms in the estuary The animals like
mudskippers crabs clams etc require soil for their shelter The Ulhas River
estuary has rich mudflats on its either banks from Kevani-Diva to its proximity till
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
18
Vasai Fort This renders a considerable fishery in the area But due to the
various anthropogenic activities the substratum is disturbed and the fishery
species are greatly affected Therefore assessment of the sediment structure is
essential to be taken in the mudskipper fishery study The Sedimentology such
as soil texture and organic carbon were done
II2i SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture involves three types of particlesndash the particles size above 62micro
are sand between 4 micro to 62 micro is silt and particles below 4 micro are clay (Buchanan
1984)
Mishra (2002) found highest percentage of the silt in monsoon season in
the Ulhas River estuary
The present study revealed the silt being keeping high during the entire
study period It ranged from 30 to 60 in various months The average was
found to be 1956 4482 and 2815 for sand silt and clay respectively (Graph
11)
II 2ii ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon is a source of organic matter which is dumped in the
estuary through domestic wastes and the dead organisms of the water body
Organic matter enhances the decomposition increasing the BOD of the water
and discomforting the living beings inhabiting in it Many endemic organisms are
therefore shifted to the other available locations
The present finding revealed that organic carbon in the Ulhas River
estuary varied from the minimum of 069 to 353 with an average of 2173
Zone I reciprocated with Zone II amp III in early post monsoon dropping abruptly to
069 in the month of November in EPM However overall organic carbon kept
fluctuates during the study period (Graph 12)
II 3 ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
Several anthropogenic activities have been noted during the study those
incur favorable or adverse effect on the health of the ambient waters such as
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
19
plastic garbage mangrove cutting for fuel reclamation in the estuarine area
constructions solid waste dumping
A HARMFUL PRACTICES ALONG THE ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Indiscriminate use of plastic goods and the polyethylene bags has
raised the plastic garbage to unimaginable level The Ulhas River
estuary has dumped with tremendous plastic garbage which is
blocking the pneumatophores of mangrove plants suffocate the fish
and hinder the normal activity of the aquatic organisms Huge
amount of plastic was found trapped in the fishing gears Animals
sometime consume the plastic mistaking them for food and die
(Anatharaman et al 2003) The young ones of B dussumieri (Cuv
amp Val) were found to get disappeared from plastic prone areas in
the study (see plate 3)
Fuel gathering is the activity disturbing the habitat Villagers from
Yela Alimghar Kevani Kalher Chena etc have been observed for
mangrove cutting for fuel purpose
Places are reclaimed for human settlement through obliterating the
channel of the Ulhas River Estuary The solid waste dumping and
reclamation go hand in hand in the Ulhas River estuary The solid
waste especially from the reconstructions eg building rubbles are
dumped in the area sited for reclamation (eg Mumbra) which
narrowed the channel affecting the passage of organisms inhabiting
it
Besides the megaconstructions like bridges also constrict the
passage for the estuarine water and enhances the sedimentation
due to the lack of proper flushing On estuary there are four major
bridges namely Bhiwandi bypass Kasheli Bridge Versova Bridge
and Bhaindar-Virar Bridge Sand dredging was frequent in the Zone
I and Zone II latter being more vigorous (Plate 2)
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
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11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
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Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
20
B PLASTIC SORTING AT ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY
Approximately 10 million tonnes of solid waste are discharged in to ocean
every year of which 1 million tonnes are plastic debris (Anantharaman et
al 2003) It is prime time for controlling the plastic garbage from
deteriorating the ambient waterbody
Amongst one of the healthy practices plastic was found to be sorted at
Kharegaon for recycling procedure at Kharegaon (See Plate 2) Such
practices are the prime need of the present days
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 1Water Temp URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
tem
p (
C)
UI UII UIII
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
21
Graph 2 Light Penetration URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
monthas
LP
(cm
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 3Suspended solids URE 2004-05
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
SS
(m
gl)
UI UII UIII
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
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3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
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pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
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6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
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10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
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11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
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10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
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105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
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15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
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(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
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22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
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Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
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and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
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Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
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Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
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59
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CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
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Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
22
Graph 4 pH in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
pH
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 5 Salinity in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Sali
nit
y (
oo
o)
UI UII UIII
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
23
Graph 6 Dissolved ozxygen in URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
DO
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 7 BOD in URE 2004-05
0
5
10
15
20
25
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
BO
D (
mg
l)
UI UII UIII
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
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3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
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pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
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6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
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Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
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10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
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11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
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10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
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14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
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College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
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Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
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and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
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Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
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CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
24
Graph 8 Silicates in URE 2004-05
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
Silic
ate
as
(m
gl)
Series1 Series2 Series3
Hydrological Parameters in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 9 Nitrate-Nitrogen in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
NO
3-N
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
25
Graph 10 Phosphates-P in URE 2005-04
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
ph
osp
hate
(m
gl
)
UI UII UIII
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Graph 11 Organic carbon in URE 2004-05
0
05
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
rg ca
rbo
n
UI UII UIII
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
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pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
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6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
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53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
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10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
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11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
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10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
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14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
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15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
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Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
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24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
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25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
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Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
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J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
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49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
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Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
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(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
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Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
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Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
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joint venture pp
58
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3 360-390pp
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and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
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Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
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8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
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59
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District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
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Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
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Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
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Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
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Conservation Nov 135-141pp
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Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
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River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
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Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
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Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
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Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
26
Soil Texture in Ulhas River Estuary 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
UI UII UIII UI UII UIII UI UII UIII
Sand Silt Clay
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Sediments in Ulhas River Estuary
Silt regime of URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
month
s
ilt
Silt UI Silt UIISilt UIII
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
27
Graph 12 Sand Regime in URE 2004-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f S
an
d
Sand UI Sand UII Sand UIII
Graph 14 Clay regime in URE 2004-05
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
months
o
f C
lay
Clay UI Clay UII Clay UIII
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
28
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
29
CHAPTER III
BIOLOGY OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
Biological study is essential to ordain the health status of the ambient fish Food
feeding hepatosomatic index gonadosomatic index length-weight relationship
proximate composition spawning behaviour etc are the frequently quested
biological aspects during the last two centuries and have been found to be
established in directing the condition of the fish( (Day 1882 Mutsaddi 1964
Qasim 1972) The present biological studies have been corroborated for
procuring the exact health status of the ambient fish in the Ulhas River estuary
III1 MATERIAL AND METHOD
The specimens were collected from the fishing location in live condition and
were assessed immediately for glycogen in the muscles At-least three
individuals were assessed separately and the mean of the spectrophotometric
readings was noted The edible part (muscles) was removed from the freshly
killed individuals and was kept for drying in the oven at 70oC for 48 hrs This was
used for crude protein total lipids (Ametaj et al 2003) and body moisture
assessments Remaining individuals were preserved in 10 Formaldehyde
prepared in brackish water collected from the Ulhas River estuary for future
study (length-weight relationship food and feeding and liver- somatic index)
The length and weight of fish were noted in preserved condition Specimens
were washed and carefully blotted and length and weight were noted to the
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
30
nearest mm and mg respectively Each fish was then opened and the liver
weight and the gut contents were noted
The Following methods were used for various biological assessments
Sr
No Biological study Method
1
Food and feeding habit
of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
Point method
2 Length-weight
relationship Statistical method
3 Hepato-somatic index Adams amp Mc Leanrsquos equation
Proximate composition
4 Muscle crude protein Lowryrsquos method (Lowry1984)
5 Muscle glycogen Anthrone reagent method (Seifter et
al1949)
6 Total lipids Folch et al (1957)
7 Body moisture Oven drying
8 Total ash Furnace combustion
III2 Food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The estuarine environment are rich in primary production therefore
numerous fishes migrate to the estuary for feeding purpose Food and feeding
habit of the fish in the estuary is of great importance to understand their life
history including growth breeding and migration and also for management of
commercially important fisheries (Bal et al 1984) Several experts have
concentrated on the food and feeding habit of various fish in the world (Day
1882 Mutsaddi 1964 Qasim 1972 Clayton 1993 Wise 1994 Connolly 2004
Kitts 2004)
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
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3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
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pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
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6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
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Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
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10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
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11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
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105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
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College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
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22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
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Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
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and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
31
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) is herbivorous bottom feeder
and endemic to the Ulhas River estuary A seasonwise pooled data was
procured for food and feeding habit of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The high feeding intensity of the monsoon season decreased to its lowest
level in the late post monsoon Individuals were well-fed in monsoon moderately
fed in early post monsoon and starving in the late post monsoon season (Graph
13) Diatoms were the most selected food during the monsoon season
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) was observed for shifting from diatom to
algae during early post monsoon whereas in late post monsoon most of the
individuals were starving (Graph 14) and found to be foraging on decayed
mangrove foliage (Spongy tissue water storage tissue Palisade cells and salt
glands) and seldom on fish scales and ova But the extent of the intake of
mangrove foliage was very low Individuals having the gorged or full stomach
were found to forage on diatoms predominantly (Table III2)
Food items were observed in the gut of b Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from
ulhas river estuary 2004 -2005 as tabulated below (plate 5 amp 6)
Table III2
type of food sr no name of food item frequency
pinnate diatoms 1 Nitschia sigmoides most frequent
2 Navicula tumida Very frequent
3 Pleurosigma sp Very frequent
4 Nitschia ascicula Frequent
5 Gyrosigma sp Frequent
6 Surirella sp Frequent
7 Asterionella sp Common
8 Navicula sp Frequent
9 Pseudonitschia sp Common
Centric Diatoms 10 Cyclotella sp Frequent
Algae 11 Melosira sp Frequent
12 Oscillatiria sp Frequent
13 Spirulina sp Common
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
32
Early postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val)
8537
0183 122
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
14 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Common
(plate 5 )
15 Unidentified sp
(Chlorophyceae)
Rare
(plate 5)
Mangrove foliage 16 Water storage tissue
Spongy tissue Palisade
cells and salt glands
Common
Others 17 Fish egg Accidental
18 Fish scale Accidental
Late postmonsoon diet of B dussumieri
(Cuvamp Val)
6271
2723297 1089
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
33
III3 Length-weight relationship of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The knowledge of length-weight relationship of fish has a vital importance in
fishery as it not only helps in establishing the yield but in converting one
variable (eg Length) into the other (weight) Fishery biologists commonly
record the size of fish in terms of length and work out its relationship with the
weight of animal so that the conversion between length and weight may be
possible when desired This relationship also helps in fishery management and
in understanding biological phenomena like age growth and maturity It also
gives insight into the well being of the animal (Pejaver 1984)The relationship
between length L and weight W is derived by the equation W = a Lb where a
(Le Cren 1951) is a constant and b the exponent On the linear transformation
the above equation becomes
log W = log a + b (log L)
Where theoretical value of lsquobrsquo is normally 3 called as Herbert Spencerrsquos
cube law
Length and weight of the specimens were taken in preserved condition
The observations on specimens from three seasons (monsoon early post-
monsoon and late post-monsoon) were analyzed separately for which they
were grouped with the class interval on 10 mm Average total body length and
total body weight of the specimens in each group were calculated Average
monsoon diet of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736
6110
7673
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
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Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
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11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
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10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
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Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
34
length frequency of specimens groups ranged from 75-85 to 105-115 These
groups were found common in all the three seasons and hence were considered
in the length-weight relationship The relationship between the length and weight
of both the sexes shows parabola (Graph15) ie exponential relationship
occurred Log length and Log weight relationship in all the three seasons
indicates a straight line with little difference (Graph 16) The length-weight
relationship indicated that the health of the Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) was better in early post monsoon and was poor in the late post monsoon
Graph 13 Seasonwise feeding intensity of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mon Epm LpmSeason
f
ull
ness
gorged full 34th half 14th traces empty
Graph 14 Season wise variation in components of gut
content in B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
1736122
6287
611183
1089
0 0 149
2723
7732
8537
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
monsoon Epm LpmSeason
O
ccu
rren
ce
Diatom Algae Foliage Others
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
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3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
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pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
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6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
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Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
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10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
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10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
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14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
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15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
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Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
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22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
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Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
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Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
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and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
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CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
35
Graph 15 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in Monsoon
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in LPM
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
length (mm)
we
igh
t (m
g)
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
36
Graph 16 Seasonwise Length-weight relationship of
Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
L-W rlationship B dussumieri i(Cuv amp Val) in monsoon
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) in EPM
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
39
395
4
188 19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206 208
log l
log
w
L-W Relationship of B dussumieri (Cuv Val) in LPM
335
34
345
35
355
36
365
37
375
38
385
19 192 194 196 198 2 202 204 206
log l
log
w
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
37
Length-Weight BD Monsoon -2004 (July Aug amp Sept)
Length-Weight BD Early-postmonsoon -2004 (Oct Nov amp Dec)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 105-115 11063 2173 2044 1337 4178 1788 2732
2 115-125 1200 902 2079 0955 4323 0912 1986
3 125-135 1265 10135 2100 1006 441 1012 2113
4 135-145 1344 2027 2128 1307 453 1708 2782
5 145-155 15067 13275 2178 1123 4744 1261 2446
6 155-165 1600 15405 2204 1188 4858 1411 2618
7 165-176 1730 1907 2238 128 50 1639 2864
8 175-185 1775 20095 2249 1303 5058 1697 2931
sum 8 1722 9499 37101 11428 20472
Length-Weight BD Late-postmonsoon -2005 (Jan Feb amp March)
Sr
No
Grps L (mm) W (gm) Log L
=X
Log W
=Y
X2 Y2 XY
1 55-65 490 1053 169 0022 2857 000 0037
2 65-75 690 1687 1839 0227 3381 0052 0417
3 75-85 8075 2495 1907 0397 3637 0158 0757
4 85-95 89571 3669 1952 0565 3811 0319 1103
5 95-105 10029 4998 2001 0301 4005 0091 0602
6 105-115 10978 6113 2041 0786 4164 0618 1604
sum 6 943 2696 21855 1635 5317
Sr
No
Grps L(mm) W(gm) Log L=X Log
W=Y
X2 Y
2 XY
1 75-85 7967 2307 1901 0363 3615 0132 069
2 85-95 890 309 1949 0489 88 0239 0953
3 95-105 990 5024 1996 0701 3982 0491 1399
4 105-115 1150 85 2061 0929 4246 0863 1914
5 115-125 1180 945 2072 0974 4293 0949 2018
6 125-135 1290 1304 2111 1115 4455 1243 2353
sum 6 62967 41371 1209 4571 24391 3917 9327
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
38
III4 Hepato-somatic index (IH) of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Fish growth pattern can be a tool for determining the health of fish
Logically the growth of tissue and the storage energy in muscles and liver can
cause a fish to attain a greater weight than it would normally have at a particular
age during the period of high energy intake (Busacker et al 1998)
On the contrary the pollution may affect the normal growth of fish Hoque
(1998) found the growth rate and liver somatic index (IH) significantly lower
(Pgt005) in Mystus nemurus exposed to hydrogen sulphide A reduction in IH has
been demonstrated in fish population stressed by acidity (Lee et al 1983) other
chemicals such as heavy metals (Larsson et al 1984)
Graph 17 Season-wise average of hepato-somatic index (I H)
of B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) from URE 2004-05
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monsoon EPM LPM
Season
IH
In the ambient fish the Hepato-somatic index (Mc Lean 1985) was found
to be greater in early post-monsoon the second highest was the monsoon and
the least being late post-monsoon (Graph 17)
III 5 Proximate composition of Boleopthalmus dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
The proximate composition of organisms (such as lipids glycogen
moisture crude protein) has been fetching the concentration of the several
experts as it is closely related to the health and the toxic stress caused due to
the pollution in aquatic environment Millory (1908) observed conspicuously low
glycogen level in spent fishes The increased feeding intensity rises the
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
39
glycogen percentage after spawning in both the sexes The glycogen content of
muscle fluctuates in relation to the maturation and spawning (Sonawane et al
2001) The energy metabolism has a key role as the animal is forced to spend
more energy to mitigate the augmented toxic stress The glycogen level
decreases as the pollutants increase in the aquatic organisms (Kumar et al
2001) Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship fat and moisture
content in both Mugil cephalus and Mystus gulio Therefore proximate
composition was assessed to find whether they correlation with the pollution
status of the estuary
III5i Observations
Table III5
Season Moisture
()
Crude
Protein ()
Lipids () Glycogen
()
Total Ash
()
Monsoon 803 955 063 169 780
EPMonsoon 807 1048 051 240 680
LPMonsoon 801 869 110 120 832
The study revealed that the percentage of the moisture in the muscles is directly
proportional with that of crude protein glycogen and total ash where as it
reciprocates with the fat content of the body (Table III5) The fish was observed
to be containing comparatively high moisture crude protein and glycogen and
low fat contents in early post-monsoon Monsoon season exhibited medium
levels whereas in late post-monsoon the former conditions were exactly
opposite to that of early post-monsoon season
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
40
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
41
CHAPTER IV
FISHERIES OF BOLEOPTHALMUS DUSSUMIERI
(CUV amp VAL)
IV1 FISHING ACTIVITIES
The poor fishermen are mostly involved in the inward water fishery
therefore estuary is boon for their livelihood It has been observed that the
estuarine fisheries are dwindling by time The main reason is the human
exploitation of the ambient waterbody The fuel gathering reclamation industrial
and domestic pollutants and overfishing are the main factor involved in the
deterioration of the Ulhas River estuary (Qamrul et al 1981 Athalye et al
2003 Baig 1990) In the Ulhas River estuary fishermen from localities in the
vicinity such as Vehele Sarang Surai Anjur Diva-Kankavli Alimghar Dombivli
and Kasheli from Zone-I are involved in the mudskipper fishery In Zone-II
mudskipper fishery was insignificant whereas in Zone-III it was frequently
observed at Nagla Sasu Navghar Maljipada Versova Naigao Vadavli
Khochivade and Panju situated along the northern bank
The fishery study was carried through the personal interview of the
fishermen involved in the mudskipper fishery in the regions and the survey of
fish market at Thane Kankavli Naka Kalher and Bhayandar
The mudskipper fishing is carried out mostly setting a trap on the
mudflats only of northern bank of the Ulhas River estuary as there is
considerable deterioration occurred due to the human intrusion on the southern
bank (see map annexure I) The fishing method involved lsquobasin-methodrsquo locally
known as lsquoMallirsquo The technique is based on suffocating the fish by covering the
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
42
burrow A rectangular or triangular embankment is constructed out of mud from
the fishing ground itself A slope is maintained towards one of the corners
where an earthen or metal container is buried in the soil keeping its mouth
(brim) open at ground level The container plays a role of trap Now the burrows
in the ring are blocked by plastering with the mud The mudskippers come out of
burrow due to suffocation which are scared making noise and waving the flag
made of colorful cloth and slowly driven towards the trap Fish is hauled after a
considerable number of individuals are trapped and transported in the split-
bamboo basket Apart from this fishes are seldom caught in Dol net (bag net
used in the estuary proper in major fishery) Bokshi net (small bag net used in
the inundated area with very fine mosquito-net mesh during monsoon) and
barrier net (a pen net popular for mullet fishery) along the entire estuary The
bokshi-net being destructive to mudskipper fishery as the young-ones of 30mm
to 60mm length are caught which may diminish the catch of the forthcoming
season
Fishing attempts were on vogue from monsoon to the early post-
monsoon seasons frequenting from thrice to forth in a fortnight which however
diminished towards the late post-monsoon to negligible level There were about
50 from Zone I 3 from Zone II and 200 fishermen from Zone III were found to be
engaged in B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) fishing during the observation
IV2 FISHERY
Several gobiid fish species were caught along the Ulhas River estuary
(Rathod 2003) out of which the Gobius spp Boleopthalmus dussumieri and B
boddarti comprised major catch B dussumieri was dominant species in the
mudskipper fishery locally known as lsquoNiwatirsquo The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
fishery is important as concerned to the high demand from decades It is
relished in fresh condition by the local people of Thane district B dussumieri
(Cuv amp Val) fishery has fetched a special importance as the fish is available in
live condition in the markets It was soled in a local measure of lsquoKodi (ie one
Kodi = 22 pieces) immaterial of the size and weight The value of a lsquoKodirsquo ranged
from Rs 25 to Rs 100Kodi dependent on the availability and demand of the
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
43
fish It was learned through the interview of fishermen that the fishery has
dwindled to merely 5 as compared to the past two decades Therefore many
fishermen have recently stopped the mudskipper fishing Most of the
mudskipper catch was confined to monsoon and early post monsoon seasons of
the study period The size groups in the monsoon were varied whereas in the
early post-monsoon they were bigger and uniform
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
44
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
45
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
46
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
47
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
Despite the studies on hydrology and fisheries of the Ulhas river estuary
were attempted on a few occasions (Mutsaddi 1964 Archeivala 1969 Qamrul
et al 1981 Baig 1990 Mishra 2002 Athalye et al 2003) and as the estuary
being a dynamic and ever-changing it was essential to perform the similar
studies again to ordain exact present status quo of the estuarine pollution and
fisheries therein Several factors found insignificant at one instance may become
significant at the other The synchronization between the ambient species B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) and the seasonal variation in the hydrological
conditions of the Ulhas river estuary was needed to be established Therefore
the hydrological study was included in the plan along with the fishery B
dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
V1 Hydrological parameters (Refer Table I1 I2 and I3)
Present study revealed that the water temperature stayed almost
constant except during the severe hot month of Late post-monsoon Variations
were almost stable in all the zones (Graph 1) The temperature condition is
quiet encouraging to the inhabitant species as it renders the protection Light
penetration was at peak in the early post-monsoon This dropped to its minimum
due to the increased turbidity in Zone II and Zone III except Zone I where the
turbidity is diluted due to riverine clear water The other reason to increase the
turbidity in Zone II and Zone III was due to the increased sand dredging activity
in Zone II The water colour was in concurrence with the light penetration Water
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
48
remained greenish when light penetration was greater indicating high primary
productivity The brownish water colour was due to the land runoff water from
riverside during monsoon and at the occasions of sand dredging activity
Normally the saline water remains stable in pH keeping at slightly alkaline due
the buffering action of dissolved salts But it was found that the pH dropped to
slightly acidic from the month of December 2004 to February and March 2005
In zone II it kept fluctuating irrespective of the seasons This must be due to the
effluent added intermittently from the industries lying in this zone such as Bayer
color-hem MIDC Bhiwandi etc the pH variation in zone I and zone II must
exerting heavy stress as the estuarine organisms are sensitive to pH fluctuation
The condition becomes worst when the salinity is low (Clayton 1993) therefore
the mudskippers are not populated at all in zone II and scarce in zone I The
ambient species being Euryhaline stays in the estuary for lifetime but it has been
observed that the young-ones abruptly disappear after the initial monsoon
precipitation from zone I Tandel (1984) in her study observed the size-wise
composition of mudskippers in the catch indicated that only small mudskippers
were more sensitive to the turbulence caused by rainy season
Dissolved oxygen however remained hypoxic throughout the year in all
the zones except some instances (Graph 6) revealed that the estuary is highly
polluted (Laponite amp Clark 1992)
BOD was relatively high in zone than zone II and zone III indicating the
high organic deposition through domestic wastes It was observed during the
study that in zone III the human excreta were disposed in the estuary in the late
post monsoon season due to which the BOD shot to extreme level (2122 mgl)
The nutrients like SiO3-Si and NO3-N remained very high can be
correlated with the industrial effluent and domestic waste added to the estuary
throughout the year Extreme high levels of SiO3-Si in Ulhas River estuary was
due to igneous rock of volcanic origin in the vicinity (Mishra 2002) High
phosphate status in the monsoon was due to land runoff water flooded in the
estuary during monsoon (Qasim et al 1969)
Sedimentology study with an average of sand silt and clay revealed that
the percentage of silt was greater According to Buchanan (1984) the soil is
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
49
clayey silt if the silt exceeds 60 in soil texture estimate High silt is the sign of
domestic wastes (Goldin 2001) added to the estuary This forced the inhabitant
species to abandon the area Due to the siltation the benthic organisms were
disappeared from zone I and zone II as it must be hindering them from building
their burrows
In the present study it was found that the health of the estuary has
reached a critical position due to industrial and domestic activities Overall
scenario of the pollution status of the Ulhas River estuary during the study
period indicated that the estuary has deteriorated to its threshold limit and must
be protected from indiscriminate exploitation in future to save the natural
heritage of our township
V2 Biological study
From feeding intensity and the content of gut B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
was found to be selective in feeding as it selected only few spp of diatoms from
the number of them occurred in earlier study (Mishra 2002) Individuals were
well fed in the prosperous seasons Diatoms were the most selected food during
monsoon and early post monsoon seasons Hence the diatom can be called as
the basic food of the B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Alternatively the individuals
also foraged on algae as obligatory food In the absence of both the basic and
obligatory food the fish was found to survive on mangrove foliage in late post
monsoon season Therefore the decayed mangrove foliage may be noted as
emergency food It is evident from the food and feeding of B dussumieri (Cuv
Val) that it suffered from sever starvation which is in concurrence in the low
primary productivity in late post-monsoon season This must be the reason for
the depletion of the mudskipper fishery in the late post-monsoon season and the
meager catches of the same indicated lack of bigger individuals in the estuary
The bigger individuals might be either migrating towards sea or dying of
starvation and stress or probably due to the fishing activity in early post
monsoon The fish containing high body fat low muscle glycogen in late post-
monsoon indicated the high pollution stress
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
50
The length weight study supports the pollution conditions in the three
seasons In the early post monsoon the fish were comparatively healthy stating
the prosperity of the season The early post monsoon season exhibited wealthy
food condition stability in the environmental conditions The subsequent
increase in the organic carbon indicated that earlier primary production in the
season
The study of proximate composition also revealed the change according
to the seasons Tandel (1984) observed the reciprocal relationship between the
fat and moisture content of the body She has also mentioned that the fish
accumulates fat due to the environmental stress The rise in the fat in late post
monsoon is the similar observation in present study At the same time the
lowered glycogen in the late post monsoon season supports the above fact
The fishery study was found concomitant to the hydrological and
biological evidences procured in this study The fish has to face heavy
environmental stress in late post monsoon that makes it to disappear in the
season from the Ulhas River estuary
V3 Conclusion
The pollution study of the ambient water examined through hydrology has
clearly shown that the estuary was polluted to a critical level Zone I
comparatively faced sever hazard due to domestic activity The water body
as a whole was influenced greatly during the late post-monsoon season
The anthropogenic activities along with the industries are worsening the
situation
The B dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) health has affected due to pollution The
fish was lacking from the Zone I and Zone II in late post monsoon the
pollution stress exerted on the fish during the late post monsoon season
The low glycogen and high fat content of the fish B dussumieri (Cuv amp
Val) during the late post monsoon was concurrent with the pollution and
the low salinity stress during the rainy season
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
51
The fishery has dwindled to a miserable condition due to the above
reasons
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
52
CHAPTER VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Adams S M amp McLean R B 1985 Estimation of the largemouth bass Micropterus
salmoides Lacepede growth using the liver-somatic index physiological variables
J of Fish Biology 26 11-126
2 Alam S K 1992 Ecology of Zooplankton and Benthos with Special Reference to
Waste Waters of the Malad Creek along Bombay Coast Ph D Thesis University of
Bombay pp
3 Alexander K M 1954 Gross Chemical Composition of the Skeletal Muscle in some
Representative Vertebrates and its Significance Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai
pp
4 Ametaj BN et al J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 2105
5 Anantharaman P and V Daisy Rathina Nightingale CAS in Marine Biology Seshaiyana
Vol11 No2 (2003) 5 pp
6 AOAC 1975 Official methods of analysis 15th ed Association of Official Analytical
Chemists Washington DC 1984 1018 pp
7 Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) 1984 Official Methods of Analysis
Horwitz W Ed 12th EditionWashington D C 129-146pp
8 APHA AWWA WPCF 1981 International Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Waste Water 15th Edition Washington D C 874pp
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
53
9 Archeivala S J 1969 Water Pollution Control and Strategy for a Livable
Environment Env Health -1191pp
10 Athalye R P 1988 Status of Macrobenthos in Detritus Food Chain of Thane Creek
near Thane City Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay 197pp
11 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros 2004 Aug Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem-
Proceedings of One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case
Study) Vidya prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi pp
10-12pp
12 Athalye R P Goldin Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Status of fishery of
Thane Creek Ecol Environ And Cons 6(3) 63-69pp
13 Athalye R P V V Mishra G Quadros V Ullal and K S Gokhale 2001 Heavy Metals
in the Abiotic Components of Thane Creek Ind Eco Environ And Conservation 7(3)
105-111pp
14 Athalye R P N N Patil U Borkar Goldin Quadros and V U Somani 2003 Study of
Flora Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna and Fishery of Ulhas River Estuary and Thane
Creek to assess the pollution status and decide mitigative strategy B N Bandodkar
College of Science Thane and MMRDA Mumbai project 211pp
15 Bagenal T B amp F W Tesch 1978 Age and growth Methods For assessment of fish
production in freshwater (Banegal T B Ed) Oxford Blacwell Scientific Publications
101-136pp
16 Baig M M N 1990 Studies on the River Ulhas with Reference to Pollution in the
Vicinity of Shahad ndashAmbivli Industrial Area and its Effect on Puntius sphore MSc
Thesis University of Mumbai pp
17 Bal D V K Virbhadra Rao 1984 Marine Fisheries Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publication Coy
Ltd N Delhi 470pp
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
54
18 Bal D V amp K V Rao 1990 Marine fisheries of India Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd N Delhi 472pp
19 Buchanan J B 1984 Methods of Study of Marine Benthos Edited by N A Holmes amp
A D McInytre (Blackwell Scientific Publication) 384pp
20 Busacker G PAdelman I R and Goolish E M 1990 Growth In Methods for Biology
(Screck C B and Moyle P B Eds) 363-387pp
21 Chatterji Jaya Conservation of Mangroves along the East Coast Biodiversity 268-
296pp
22 Chopra Geetanjali March 2000 Sewage Disposal Project Transforming Urban
environment and Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Indiapp
23 Chung Ee-Yung Cheul-Min and Taek-Yuil Lee 1991 Sexual maturation of the
bluespotted mud hopper Boleopthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus) Bull of the
Korean Fisheries Society 24(3) 167-176pp
24 Clayton David A 1993 Mudskippers in Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 31 515-
518pp
25 Connolly Rod M Michaela A Guest 2004 Critical estuarine habitats for foodwebs
supporting fisheries in Port Curtis Co-op Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary
and waterway Management Central Queensland Australia 1-25pp
26 CPHERI 1971 Survey of literature on sewage and waste treatment with reference to
Indian condition Survey of Bombay Harbour bay and Thane Creek pp
27 Davis James TD M Gatlin and Max R Alleger Channel Catfish- Dietary Effects on
Body Composition and Storage Quality Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre
Publication No 186 1-4pp
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
55
28 Day F J B 1889 The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma Fishes
Willium Dawson and sons London Taylor and Francis 1 548pp 2 509pp
29 Durve V S amp Bal D V 1961 ndashHydrology of Kalwa Backwaters and Adjoining Area
J Univ Bom 2939-48pp
30 FAO Aqua-book 1991 Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Coastal Regulation
Zone 41-79pp
31 Folch J Lees M Stere amp G H Stanely 1957 A simple method for isolation and
purification of the total lipids from animal tissue J Biol Chem 226297-308pp
32 Ghate Utkarsh Peoples Ecological Planning (PEP) Network and Agricultural
Revitalization in South India 235-248pp
33 GokhaleYogesh Scope Of Sacred Conservation Practices In India Sacred
Consevation Practices 257-267pp
34 Goldin Quadros 2001 Study of Intertidal Fauna of Thane Creek Ph D Thesis
University of umbai 1264pp
35 Goldin Quadros V Mishra V Ullal K S Gokhale and R P Athalye 2001 Status of
water quality of Thane Creek (India) Ecol Environ And cons 6 (3) 17-22pp
36 Goldin Quadros RP Athalye Vidya Mishra Vidya Ullal Mangal Mukherjee Madhuri K
Pejaver SS Tandel Mangal Borkar Vaishali Somani and KS Gokhale 2003
Deterioration of Thane Creek Ecosystem near Thane City over the Past 20 Years Zoology
Department BNBandodkar College of Science lsquoDnyanadweeprsquo Chendani Thane 400
601 Maharashtra India Email 7 Seshaiyana 11 (2) 6 -7pp
37 Hendry P Andrew and Ronald W Hardy 2000 Proximate composition reproductive
Development and a Test for Trade-Offs in Captive Sockeye Salmon Transactions of
the American Fisheries Society129 1082-1095pp
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
56
38 Hoque M T F M Yusoff A T Law and M A Syed 1998 Effect of Hydrogen
Sulphide on Liver Somatic Index and Fultonrsquos Condition factor in Mystus nemurus
J of Fish Biology 52 23 -30pp
39 Humphrey Sarah Marine Protected Area Needs in the South Asian Seas Region
Volume 2 India IUCN Marine and Coastal Areas Programme Rue Mauverney 28 1196
Gland Switzerland 1-63pp
40 Jhingaran V G 1982 Fish and Fisheries of India 2nd
Ed Hindustan Publishing Corp
Delhi 666pp
41 Joseph Leena ndashEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies with Special
Reference to the Impact of Effluent Discharge on the Coastal Waters of Mumbai
Maharashtra Ph D Thesis CIFE 199pp
42 Kitts David D Minh Dieu Huynh Chun Hu and Andrew W Trites 2004 Season Variation
in Nutrition Composition of Alaskan Walleye Pollock Can J Zool 82 1408-1415pp
43 Kamat Sima V 2003 (Dept Bot PES Coll Farmagudi Ponda Goa
403401)Bioecological Observations of the Aquatic Macrophytes of the Wetlands of
Goa Eco Env Conserv 9 (3) 385-390pp
44 Kuo Shih-Rong and Kwang- Tsao Shao 1999 Species Composition of Fish in the
Tsengwen Estuary with Description of Five New Records from Taiwan Zoological
Studies 38 (4) 391 -404pp
45 Lakshminarayana K 1992 Conservation and Management of the Mangroves of the
Krishna Delta Final Report Of Research Project Andhra University Waltair - 530003
Financed by Department of Environment Forests amp Wildlife Ministry of Environment and
Forests New Delhi pp
46 Lala KD 2004 Aug Water Supply of Thane Municipal Corporation Proceedings of
One Day Seminar on- Pollution of Water Bodies In urban Area (case Study) Vidya
prasarak Mandalrsquos Polytechnic Thane Sponsored by AICTE N Delhi 6-9pp
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
57
47 Laponite and Clark 1992 Nutrient inputs from the Water Based on an assessment of
Dominance and Diversity J Nat Hist 17859-874pp
48 Larsson A Haaux CSjobeck M L and Lithner G 1984 Physiological effects on an
additional stressor on fish exposed to a simulated heavy metal-containing effluent
from a sulphide ore smeltry Ecotxicology and Environmental Safty 8 118-128p
49 LeeR M Gerking S B and Jezierska B 1983 Electrolyte balance and energy
miobiliztion in acidstressed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and their relation to
reproductive success Environmental boil Of fish 8115-123p
50 Lowry O H Rosebrough NJ Fare AL Randal RJ 1951 Protein Measurement with
Folinrsquos Phenol Reagent J Biol Chem 193265-275pp
51 Luzzana U G Serrini V M Moretti P Grimaldi M A Paleari and F Valfre 1996
Seasonal Variation in Fat Contenet and Fatty Acid Composition of Male and Female
Coregonid lsquoBondellarsquo from Lake Maggiore and Landlocked Shad From Lake Como
(North Italy) J of Fish Biology 48 352 -366pp
52 Madhupratap M K N V Nair T C Gopalkrishnan P Haridas K K C Nair P
Venugopal and Mangesh Gauns 2001 Arabian Sea Oceanography and Fisheries of
the West Coast of India Current Sci 81 (4) 355 -361pp
53 Madhyastha M N P D Rekha and K C Shashikumar Estuary ndash A Significant
Wetland Mangroves and Estuaries 200 pp
54 Mahesh Shindikar Sandeep Jadhav Rajendra Karpe VR Gunale Manish Lale and P
Tetali 2002 Biodegradable solid waste material in the mangroves of Thane
creek
55 Metcalf amp Eddy 1979 Study of Municipal Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water
from Greater Bombay Vol 1 Metcalf amp Eddy Inc Environ Engineering and consultants-
joint venture pp
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
58
56 Millory T H 1908 Changes in the Herring during the Reproductive Period Biochem J
3 360-390pp
57 Mishra Vidya 2002 Study of Macrofauna of Mangrove Mudflats of Ulhas River
Estuary Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai 253pp
58 Mohapatra BC K Rengarajan 2000 Heavy metal toxicity in the Estuarine Coastal
and Marine Ecosystems of India CMFRI Special Pub 69 121pp
59 Morris D L 1948 Quantitative Determination of Carbohydrates with Drywoods
Anthrone reagent Science 107 254-255pp
60 Mutsaddi K B 1964 A Study of Gobioid Boleopthalmus Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val)
Ph D Thesis University Of Bombay pp
61 Naik Nilima 1999 Toxicity Studies With Phospamidon On Gobioid Boleopthalmus
Dussumieri (Cuv amp Val) Ph D Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
62 Nair Tulsi J 1998 Study on Clupeoids Ph D Thesis University of Mumbai pp
63 Nath A Verma Prakriti Chand GB Sinha Anuja 2003 (Cell Bio Toxico Lab Dept Zoo
Patna Univ Patna 800005) Degenerative changes in the ovarian cells of Clarias
batrachus due to altered physico chemical parameter of wetlands J Ecophysio
Occupl Hlth 3 (1amp2) 153-159pp
64 Natrajan A V and A G Jhingran 1961 Index of preponderance ndasha Method of
Grading the Food Elements in the Stomach Analysis of Fishes Indian J Fish
8(1)54-59pp
65 Nelson D W and L E Sommers 1982 Total Carbon Organic Carbon and Organic
Matter In A L Page et al (ed) Methods of soil analysis Part 2 Chemical and
microbiological properties ASA Monograph 9 539-579pp
66 Nikolsky G V 1963 The Ecology of Fishes Academic Press London and New York pp
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
59
67 NSW Fisheries 2004 Publication (Cronulla Fisheries Centre 02 Nicholson Parade
CORONULLA NSW 2230) Fishery Management Strategy for the Estuary General
Fishery pp
68 Patil A R 1982 Study of Heavy Metals (Cu Cd amp Hg) in the Aquatic Environment of
Ulhas Mula-Mutha River MSc Thesis University Of Mumbai pp
69 Pejaver M K 1984 Bilogy of some Crustaceans from the creek near Thane City
MSc Thesis University of Bombay 108-143pp
70 Pillay T V R 1952 A Critique of the Methods for Study of Food of Fishes J Zool
Soc India 4185-200pp
71 Qamrul Hasan 1980 Studies on Fishes and Fisheries of the Ulhas River District
Thane J of Univ of Bombay 85 XLIX 25-38pp
72 Qamrul Hasan and K B savant 1981 Some Ecological Aspects of Ulhas River
District Thane Vol I amp II MSc Thesis University of Mumbai pp
73 Qamrul Hasan R 1984 Ulhas Creek Pollution with Reference to Effluents from MIDC
Kalyan ndashBhiwandi and their effects on Mystus gulio (Ham) Ph D Thesis University
of Mumbai pp
74 Qasim S Z 1972 The dynamics of food and feeding habits of some marine fishes II
Indian J Fish 19 (1-2) 11-28pp
75 Rathod Sudesh D N N Patil Goldin Quadros and R P Athalye 2002 Qualitative
Study of Fin Fish and Shell Fish Fauna of Thane Creek and Ulhas River Estuary
Proc The National Seminar On Creek Estuaries And Mangroves ndash Pollution and
Conservation Nov 135-141pp
76 Ryu Bong-Suk Ryu Ik-Soo Kim and Young Choi 1995 Ecology and Life History of
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris in Korea J Korean FishSoc 28 (3) pp 316-324
77 Sagir Ahmed Md Md Aktheruzzaman and Paul Thompson 2002 Katha fishery in the
River Titas Brahmanbaria Bangladesh SUFER Project DFID UGC Bhaban
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
60
Agargoan Dhaka 1207 Department of Zoology University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh 5 pp
78 Shettu N 1993 Studies on Certain Aspects of Biology of the Gobid Fish
Boleopthalmus dentatus (Cuv Val) Ph D Thesis CIFE P-25pp
79 Shiefter S Seymour Dayton B Novic and Edward Muntwyler 1949 The Estimation of
Glycogen with the Anthron Reagent Federation Proc8 (249) 191pp
80 Singh Khuraijam Bijoykumar the Sacred Grove Of Umanglai Traditional Bio-Diversity
Conservation Manipur Shape of Lokayan 249-256pp
81 Sonawane S R Sumela Sinha B S Khoberagade and D R Deshmukh 2001
Seasonal Variation in Muscle Glycogen Content in the Common carp Cyprinus carpio J
Aqua Biol 16 (1) 68-70pp
82 Suma KP Joy CM 2003 (Dept Bot SNM Coll Moliankara 683516 Kerala)
Hydrobiological studies on mangrove flora and associated algae in Vypeen Kerala
Nature Env Polln Techno vol 2 no 3 269-272pp
83 Tandel S S 1984 ndashBiology of some fishes of Thane Creek near Thane city MSc
Thesis University of Bombay pp
84 Tandel S S 1986 Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on a Catfish Mystus gulio
(Ham) from Thane Creek near Thane City Ph D Thesis University of Bombay pp
85 Tandel S S 1984 Biology of Some Fishes of the Creek near Thane MSc Thesis
University of Bombay 150pp
86 Walkley A amp J A Black 1934 ndashIn Soil and plant analysis by Piper The determination of
organic carbon by rapid titration method Soil Science 37 29-38pp
87 Washio Masato Minoru Tsutsui and Toru Takita 1991 Age and Growth of the
Mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Distributed in the Mud Flat of the Midori
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
61
River Kumamoto Prefecturerdquo Bulletin of the Japanese SocSci Fisheries vol 57 no 4
637-644pp
88 WiseB S I C Potter and J H Wallace1994 Growth movements and diet of the
terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary J of Fish Biology 45
917-931pp
89 Zingade M D S K Trivedi and B N Desai Physico-chemical studies on coastal
pollution off Bombay Ind J of Marine Science 8 271-277pp
90 Zingde M D 2002 A report on Health status of Coastal Marine environment of India
Regional Center National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai 400054 India 2002 pp
Websites sited
1 wwwhttpaucasmbenvisorg
2 wwwhttpfisheriesnswgovau
3 wwwhttpSouth Asia SUSG Fisheries Workshop
4 wwwhttpramsarorgphoto_essay_india_bhojhtm
ABBRIVIATIONS USED-
1 Mon = monsoon
2 Epm EPM= early post monsoon
3 LpmLPM = late post monsoon
4 URE = Ulhas River estuary
5 DO = Dissolved oxygen
6 BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand
7 IH = Hepatosomatic index
8 LP= light penetration
9 SS = Suspended solids
10 pp = printed pages
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