Diversity of marine molluscs in the bycatch from lobster nets, Erwadi, Gulf of Mannar

170-175The current study was carried out to document molluscs that are caught in lobster nets (Singhi valai), an indigenous gear operated by fishers in the Gulf of Mannar to harvest lobsters, crabs and fishes. This net is operated in depths up to 15 m from the traditional country craft, ‘Vallam’. A total of 73 species of marine molluscs from class Bivalvia (32 species belonging to 4 families) and Gastropoda (41 species belonging to 27 families) have been documented. Vulsella vulsella was dominant (12.35%) among bivalves whereas Lambis lambis was dominant (14.7%) among the gastropods. The family Veneridae in bivalves (29%) and the family Strombidae in gastropods (17%) contributed the highest among the documented molluscs