Fresh-x^ater shrimp landings in India are estimatea at about 

 18 million potmds annually. The species of shrirnp most important from 

 a commercial standpoint are Penaeus carinatus , P. indicus , Metapenaeus 

 monoceros, M, af f ini 3 , M. dobsoni , M. brevicornis , and Parspeneopsis 

 stylifera . 



Penaeus c arinatus is the largest in size, often reaching a 

 length of 10 or 12 inches, and is brightly colored. It is not often 

 caught in large numbers. The species caught from estuaries and back- 

 waters are much the same as those caught in marine fishing, with the 

 exception of Parapeneopis stylifera , which is primarily a marine shrimp. 

 The fresh-water shrinp are largely species of Macrobiachium which pre- 

 dominate in the coastal lakes during the rajjiy season when the water is 

 fresh or nearly fresh. Penaeid shrimp increase in numbers during the 

 follov7ing months when the salinity rises j in the late suraraer months the 

 catch consists entirely of Penaeidea. 



Penaeid shrimp apparently migrate into estuaries and backwaters 

 quite early in life in the postlarval phase. They live for some months 

 in this environment and then go back to the sea, where further growth 

 and the attainment of sexual maturity takes place. The seaward migration 

 may be a passive process, as the shrimp are carried into the sea during 

 the monsoon period by the flow of rainvjater. 



Ocean-caught shrimp run principally 20 to 30 shrimp to the 

 pound. The backwater and fresh-water shrimp are smaller in size. Giant 

 shrimp, 5 "to the pound, are also caught seasonally in a restricted area 

 and in limited amounts. 



Fishing seasons 



Although a few shrirtip are caught throughout the year, shrimp 

 fishing is largely seasonal. On the west coast, the season coincides 

 generally with the monsoon period, June to September. On the south- 

 western coast of India, few fishermen go after shrimp from October to 

 April, as they find it more profitable to fish for sardines and mackerel. 

 In the Bombay area August to September is reported to be the best period, 

 while in Saurashtra shrimp fishing is concentrated in the period from 

 July to December. 



On the east coast, the shrimp-fishing season starts after the 

 start of the northeast monsoon in December and may last until April. 

 The Collier Lake area features shrimp fishing from May to December. In 

 the backwaters of Travancore-Cochin, shrimp fishing extends throughout 

 the year. 



k3 



