Indian tunas-a preliminary review, with a key for their identification

Abstract

Until recently only scant attention has been paid to the study of Scombroid fishes in general and tunas in particular occurring in the Indian Seas. That tunas form an untapped resource awaiting exploitation needs hardly any stress. Year after year, Japanese fishing vessels operating in the high seas off Indian coast and other parts of the Indian Ocean reap rich harvests as will be evident from reports of catch statistics published by them (Average years fishing condition of tuna long line fisheries by the Nankai Regional Fisheries Laboratory and other publications emanating from Japan).