ANALYSIS OF CATCHING EFFICIENCY OF COLLAPSIBLE SERIAL FISH TRAPS WITH TWO DIFFERENT FUNNELS

unknown. A Study on the comaprative efficancy of two types of serial collapasible fish traps differning   rear end funnel opening was carried out. With respect to Type-1 trap having rectangular rear end funnel opening and Type-2 trap with elliptical rear end were fabricated. The experiment was carried out in fishing ground one nautical mile off  the coast of mandatam (Lat 09 degree 16.633 'N  long .. 0.79 degree 08.992 ') Feb 2015 to june 2015. significant differnce wasobserved with respect to catch rate of different species caught irrespective of the design of traps (Plt;0.05). The difference in shape of rear funnel opening was found to be responsible for the significant difference in the catch rear funnel opening was about 3 times higher catch rate of Type-1 trap with rectangular rear funnel opening was about three times higher (17.1 Nos/ soaking day) than that of Type-2 trap with elliptical shaped rear funnel opening (5.9 Nos./ soaking day). The impact of seasonal variation on the catch rate was found to be insignificant (Pgt; 0.05). Though Psammoperca waigensis was found to be the dominant specices in both  types of traps in terms of number, Epinephalus coioides ranked first in term  of weight and price per kilogram in both Type-1 and Type-2 traps. Irrespective of the types of traps tested, the higher catch rate, including all the species caught, and was observed during the month of February which directly increased the overall catch rate during February month. With respect to the behavior of different species caught in relation to the types of traps tested, Sarcocendrum rubrum was recorded only in Type-1 trap which had rectangular shaped rear funnel opening and Muraena sp was recorded only in Type-2 trap with elliptical shaped rear end of the funnel opening which served like a burrow and hence facilitated the entry of eel. Type -1 trap gave three times higher gross returns than Type-2 trap.