RAMESWARAM: After an entire year, a gigantic Ornate eagle ray weighing more than 500 kg was caught by a fisherman from Pamban in a rare catch. Ramanathapuram fishermen had not ventured into the sea for a few days due to climate warnings. More than 80 fishermen from Pamban went back into the Bay of Bengal after two weeks on Thursday.
One of them caught a massive stingray fish, locally known as Kuruvi Thirukkai, measuring nearly 20 feet and weighing around 500-800 kg. Locals said it’s rare to land a catch this big. Scientists from ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Mandapam Regional Centre inspected the catch. Dr G Tamilmani, senior scientist and head-in-charge of Mandapam Regional Centre of CMFRI, said,
“The stripes on the fish’s back identify it as Ornate eagle ray (Aetomylaeus vespertilio). It is a species of large stingray variety, which usually resides in deep waters. This particular species is listed as endangered, as the population is drastically declining. This type of fish is widely found in the Indian Ocean, Tanzania, Bali sea and the South China Sea and a few other places in the world.”
He further added that the same kind of stingray was caught by Pamban fishermen last year. Local fishermen expressed their joy for landing such a major catch after being away from the sea.