Fishery and Biology of Monopterus Cuchia on The South-West Coastal Area of Bangladesh

Abstract

The South-West coastal region of Bangladesh has come out as an area of brackishwater shrimp culture. The species Monopterus cuchia is naturally available in this area. A large group of poor people from low caste Hindus are involved in catching Cuchia from the characteristic semi-saline habitats of shrimp ghers, cricks and khals in the area. The species has some commercial importance; the poor people catching Cuchia earn their livelihoods from it, to some considerable level. The present study was based on the survey of the fishery and biology of Cuchia in the South-west coastal region of greater Khulna and Satkhira districts. Information was collected from 54 households involving a total of 109 fishermen through a structured questionnaire. Foods of Cuchia were reported to be consisted of aquatic insects, small fishes, frogs and small shrimp; however, the fishermen could not definitely tell the feeding habits of the species. The breeding season of Cuchia was known to start from April and continues up to July and August. Spawning usually takes place at night in the shallow inundated areas of the ghers. The total length and weight of the specimens ranged from 26.67- 66.15 cm and 10-210 g respectively. The co-efficient of correlation 'r' for the regression of total length and body weight was estimated to be 0.9378, which is highly significant at 1% level. Harvesting of Cuchia takes place throughout the year; however, the peak season of harvest was from November to March. During peak season a fisherman could catch up to 7 kg Cuchia per day. During peak season Cuchia is sold at Tk. 30-40/kg. Cuchia is marketed alive and there is a marketing system Cuchia in the areas concerned. Hindus are the principal group who eat Cuchia. Other than use as food for humans, Cuchia is used as bait for catching crabs in the greater Sundarbans area. Considering the socio-economic and biodiversity importance of Cuchia in the coastal region, the fishery of the species should be conserved and protected with sustainable management.