Prayag Arora-Desai
In a first, researchers have discovered seven species of Gobiid fish at 25 locations along the Maharashtra coast. The findings were part of a survey carried out by Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) on behalf of the forest department’s mangrove foundation.
The presence of such a diverse variety of Gobies, experts said, points to the larger health of brackish mangrove habitats.
“This study has offered the first baseline information on the state’s Gobiid diversity. These fish comprise a major component of biodiversity in mangrove ecosystems,” Virendra Tiwari, additional principal chief conservator of forests (mangrove cell), said.
Unmesh Katwate, an ichthyologist with BNHS who studies the ecology, evolution and taxonomy of Indian freshwater fishes and amphibians, said Goby fishes are extremely hard to identify based on what they look like as their morphological features can be similar.
“Using samples collected from the field our study for the mangrove foundation uses an integrative taxonomic approach to highlight the true diversity of these charismatic groups of mangrove fishes. This will help us delineate certain areas as biodiversity hotspots for which priority conservation initiatives can be developed,” he said.
The study, ‘Diversity and distribution of Gobiid fishes in the mangrove and estuarine areas of Maharashtra’ was conducted between January 2020 and December 2021. It covered large and small creeks, mudflats and mangrove forests, including Thane and Panvel creeks, and similar landscapes at Dharamtar, Kundalika, Savitri, Anjarle, Dabhol, Jaigad, Kajali, Vaghotan and Karali. This is in addition to several smaller estuarine drainage channels.
Though Maharashtra has taken steps in recent years to bring most of its mangroves under the legal definition of ‘forest’, Tiwari called these actions inadequate. “To protect these mangroves, we have to study them, see what all is present in the environment, and see how the flora and fauna interact with one another. This knowledge will help us understand our mangrove ecosystem in a better way, which is why we have been investing in such studies.”
The mangrove foundation has already commissioned studies on globally threatened shark and ray populations, flamingoes, otters, sea turtles, pest management for mangroves, remote sensing of mangrove ecologies, sea snakes, corals, and sustainable aquaculture. It recently tied up with the coastal conservation foundation for carrying out the first-ever survey of dolphins and finless porpoises around the Mumbai Metropolitan Region coast.