Bombay Duck Research Articles

Muscle tissue structural changes in bombay-duck (Harpodon nehereus) induced by formaldehyde solution during post-mortem storage

Formaldehyde is a harmful compound that is usually used as an illegal preservative agent in fisheries products to prevent spoilage and extend shelf life. In several fishery products, formaldehyde can be formed endogenously during the post mortem process through degradation of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) by enzymatic process. Exogenous and endogenous formaldehyde can affect the textural and structural change in fish muscle tissue significantly influencing flesh quality. This study was aimed to characterize the structural change of the muscle tissue in Bombay duck (Harpodon nehereus) that is immersed with formaldehyde solution on chilling storage temperature. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis was used to identify and characterize the structural change in muscle tissue samples, which were immersed with formaldehyde solution 0%, 1%, 3%, and 5%. SEM analysis identified that in transversal section samples immersed with formaldehyde solution 0% (control) intermyofibrillar space was increased significantly during post mortem storage. This was in line with the increased of myofibril, connective tissue and sarcolemma lost on samples. Furthermore, on samples that were immersed with formaldehyde solution 1%,3%, and 5% the degradation of myofibril and intermyofibrillar was can be held and the connectivity tissue muscle still showed strong aggregation during post mortem storage.

Ascaridoid nematodes infecting commercially important marine fish and squid species from Bangladesh waters in the Bay of Bengal

Parasitic ascaridoid nematodes occur in a wide range of marine organisms across the globe. Some species of the anisakid family (Ascaridoidea: Anisakidae) can cause gastrointestinal disease in humans (i. e. anisakidosis). Despite their importance as potentially hazardous parasites, the occurrence and infection characteristics of ascaridoids are still poorly known from many host species and geographical areas. This study investigated the diversity and infection levels of ascaridoid parasites in various commercial fish and squid host species off Bangladesh. Fish and squid specimens were visually inspected for nematodes using the UV-press method. Nematodes were assigned to genus level based on morphology and identified by sequence analyses of the entire ITS region and partial 28S rDNA and mtDNA cox2 genes. Third-stage larvae (L3) of Anisakis typica occurred at low prevalence (P = 10% and 8%, respectively) in the viscera of Selar crumenophthalmus and Trichiurus lepturus, while Hysterothylacium amoyense occurred in the viscera of Sardinella fimbriata (P = 1%) and the viscera and muscle of Harpadon nehereus (P = 32%) and T. lepturus (P = 76%). Lappetascaris sp. Type A L3 occurred in the mantle of the squid Uroteuthis duvaucelii (P = 11%). Anisakis and Lappetascaris species, and H. amoyense were firstly identified in the Bay of Bengal. The potentially zoonotic A. typica was only found in fish viscera. Hysterothylacium amoyense and Lappetascaris sp., both generally regarded as non-zoonotic, occurred at low prevalence in the muscle or mantle of fish or squid, respectively. Since consumption of raw or lightly processed seafood seems to be rare in Bangladesh, the risk of acquiring anisakidosis from consuming fishery products from off Bangladesh appears to be low. Due to its reddish appearance, the visual presence of H. amoyense larvae in fish flesh may represent a food quality issue.

A Comparison of Fish Diversity in Rocky Reef Habitats by Multi-Mesh Gillnets and Environmental DNA Metabarcoding

This study was undertaken in order to explore the practical effectiveness of the environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding approach in evaluating fish composition and diversity in a high heterogeneous rocky reef habitat. We assessed the fish composition and diversity characteristics of the rocky reef habitat at Dachen Islands, Taizhou and the Zhejiang Province in China in November 2020 by comparing two methods: multi-mesh gillnets and eDNA. A comparative analysis was carried out on the fish composition and diversity characteristics gained under the two methods by using taxonomy, ecotypes and diversity indices. The results showed that there were 28 species of fish collected through gillnets, distributed under 24 genera, 19 families, 6 orders and one class. Among them, 4, 18, and 6 species of near-surface, near groundfish and groundfish were found, respectively, with Thryssa mystax, Johnius belangerii, and Sebastiscus marmoratus being the dominant species in each water layer. A total of 81 species of fish detected by eDNA metabarcoding belonging to 67 genera, 46 families, 15 orders and 2 classes. The near-surface, near groundfish and groundfish species were 17, 42, and 22, with Thryssa vitrirostris, Benthosema pterotum, Harpadon nehereus, and Dasyatis akajei being the dominant species in each water layer. Twenty species (71.4%) and 41 species (50.6%) of reef fish were counted by gillnets and eDNA, respectively. The results showed that multi-mesh gillnets can accurately obtain information on fish composition in rocky reef habitats, but with some selectivity. The eDNA technology can detect species not collected by gillnets, but the number of species detected in areas with fast water velocity is significantly less than other eDNA stations where the water velocity is slow. In summary, the combination of traditional nets and eDNA will provide more information on taxonomic diversity and population biomass, transforming natural resource management and ecological studies of fish communities on a larger spatial and temporal scale.

Effects of two natural diets on the biochemical compositions of post‐mating female mud crab ( Scylla paramamosain )

Understanding the effects of different natural diets on the growth performance and nutritional quality of mud crab Scylla paramamosain is important for both aquaculture and human nutrition perspectives. In the present study, female S. paramamosain were fed with two different natural diets, a marine bivalve species Potamocorbula rubromuscula (initial weight of the experimental crabs: 192.1 ± 29.2 g) and lizardfish Harpadon nehereus (initial weight of the experimental crabs: 188.1 ± 42.9 g) during the post-mating period. Furthermore, the weight gain ratio (WGR), specific growth rate (SGR), gonado-somatic index (GSI), hepatosomatic index (HSI), proximate compositions, total carotenoid content, amino and fatty acid profiles were investigated. Different diets affected HSI, carotenoid, lipid, amino acid and fatty acid contents in the claw muscle, hepatopancreas and ovary of female S. paramamosain. However, different diets did not affect the growth parameters including WGR, SGR and GSI. Crabs fed with P. rubromuscula had significantly higher amino acid content in the claw muscle, hepatopancreas and ovary, but lower HSI value and lipid content in the hepatopancreas and ovary compared with the crabs fed with H. nehereus. The carotenoid content was significantly higher in the hepatopancreas and ovary tissues of crabs fed with P. rubromuscula, whereas crab fed with H. nehereus displayed higher carotenoid content in the claw muscle. These results indicated that feeding S. paramamosain with P. rubromuscula could enhance amino acid contents (in claw muscle, hepatopancreas and ovary) and carotenoid contents in the hepatopancreas and ovary. Moreover, this study showed that the post-mating period is a critical period for nutritional deposition and a short feeding strategy during this period dramatically alters the body biochemical compositions.

Dry Fish Market Condition and Socio-economic Status of Dry Fish Retailer: A Survey Study in Noakhali, Bangladesh

Background: Fish drying is very common in the entire coastal areas of Bangladesh and these dried fishes have demand both in domestic and international market though the people involved early in the production chain (fishing and drying) add relatively more value and make little profit. Present investigation gives an idea about the scenario of the dried fish market and livelihood pattern of dry fish seller in the Noakhali region, an important coastal region in southern part of Bangladesh.
 Methodology: Twenty five retails shops from 12 markets under five upazilla of Noakhali district were surveyed for the study.
 Results: Nineteen species of dried fish and 7 types of semi-fermented and salted fish were found in the dried fish market of study area. Most demanded species of dried fish were Harpadon nehereus (Hamilton, 1822), Trichiurus lepturus, Coilia dussumieri,and Apocryptes bato. Peak marketing season of dried fish was rainy season. The market share of freshwater fishes was found 79% and marine water fishes 21%. Average 40% of the retailer completed only the primary level of education. Forty eight percent retailer earn 200-500BDT, 44% earn 500-1000BDT and 8% earn more than 1000BDT daily. Only 4 dried fish retailers have alternative sources of income and 21 have no alternative sources of income. Three types of marketing channels were found in the dried fish market of Noakhali.
 Conclusion: Several constraints were found in the dried fish market of Noakhali such as rapid damage of dry fishes, high transaction costs, lack of marketing infrastructure, transportation and storage facilities, etc.

Prevalence of fish-borne zoonotic parasites and their molecular identification in Bhola district of Bangladesh

. Fish-borne zoonotic parasites are a rapidly increasing health hazards for human in all over the world. There is a scarcity of information on the fish-borne zoonotic parasite infection in Bangladesh. The present study was aimed to investigate fish-borne helminth parasites in Bhola district. A total of 300 fresh fish samples were collected randomly from different local markets of Bhola district and transported to the laboratory of the Department of Parasitology, BAU. Fishes were homogenized and digested with pepsin-HCl solution for overnight and washed with NaCl solution for 8-9 times and then sediment was examined under a microscope to detect the presence of metacercariae/metacestode. Fishes were found to be infected with multiple infective stages of helminth parasites such as Opisthorchis sp., Clonorchis sp., Diphyllobothrium sp., Metagonimus sp. and Metorchis sp. In this study, 58% overall prevalence of fish-borne zoonotic parasites was recorded. About 80% metacercariae was found in Loitta (Harpadon nehereus) followed by 65% in Spotted snakehead (Channa punctata), 60% in Tilapia (Oreochromis nilolticus), 45% in Stinging catfish (Heteropneustes fossilis) and 24.28% in Indian carplet (Amblypharyngodon microlepis). The plerocercoid of Diphyllobothrium sp. were identified morphologically and was confirmed molecularly by PCR. This study indicates that fish-borne helminth parasites may pose a significant public health risk to the people of Bhola district.

Presence of microplastics in two common dried marine fish species from Bangladesh

We examined microplastics (MP) in two commercially important dried fish, Bombay duck (Harpadon nehereus) and ribbon fish (Trichiurus lepturus), collected from two sites on the Bay of Bengal (Cox's Bazar and Kuakata). The number of MP found in dried Bombay duck and ribbon fish from Kuakata was significantly higher (41.33 g−1 and 46.00 g−1, respectively) than the MP present in samples collected from Cox's Bazar (28.54 g−1 and 34.17 g−1, respectively). Fibers were the most common type of MP identified in all samples (41–64%), followed by fragments (22–34%), microbeads (9–16%), films (3–4%), foams (1–4%), and pellets (0–2%). ATR-FTIR analysis revealed three different types of MP polymer - polyethylene (35–45%), polystyrene (20–30%) and polyamide (30–45%) in the dried fish samples. The study confirms the presence of high MP loads in dried fish from the Bay of Bengal, with high potential of trophic transfer of MP to the human body.

Length-Based Stock Assessment for the Data-Poor Bombay Duck Fishery from the Northern Bay of Bengal Coast, Bangladesh

The Bombay duck (Harpadon nehereus) forms the second-largest single-species marine fishery in Bangladesh and therefore has a significant impact on the local economy, providing employment, food, and nutrition to thousands of people. Despite the immense importance, this fishery has never been a priority for the relevant regulatory authorities. To enhance the sustainability of this fishery, an effective management policy based on the scientific evaluation of the current stock’s status is urgently required. Therefore, this study used three methodological approaches (traditional size structure-based stock assessment to reveal current exploitation status; the length-based spawning potential ratio (LB-SPR) to evaluate the stock’s spawning biomass; and Froese’s sustainability indicators for sustainable fishing) to conduct a thorough assessment of the Bombay duck stock to establish basic standards for the sustainable management of this fishery. The results revealed that this fishery is presently suffering from overexploitation and the stock’s spawning biomass (SPR = 8%) is below the limit reference point because of the juvenile-oriented fishing behavior of the fishery. Based on the outputs, this study recommended the mesh size regulation of the set bag nets (SBNs) (5 cm mesh size for the codend) to ensure not to catch immature fishes with a length equal to or smaller than 17.95 cm; and reduce the existing number of SBNs by half to reduce fishing pressure on the stock to ensure the sustainability of this fishery.

Comparison between different modeling techniques for assessing the role of environmental variables in predicting the catches of major pelagic fishes off India’s north-west coast

The contribution of four variables, namely Chlorophyll -a (Chl- a ), Sea Surface Temperature (SST), diffuse attenuation coefficient (Kd_490 or Kd), and Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR), in predicting the catches of major pelagic fish species (Indian mackerel, horse mackerel, Bombay duck, oil sardine, and other sardines) was evaluated using Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA). The outcome of the analysis was compared with those obtained by using the following models and methods: the Generalized Linear Model (GLM), the Generalized Additive Model (GAM), connection weight methods, and the explanatory methods of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). Both the sets of results were in agreement. Neither the GAM nor the ANNs method showed any clear advantage over each other, although the GAM performed better than the GLM.

Evaluation of salt content and effectiveness of excessive salt reduction methods in selected commercially available dried fish types in Sri Lanka

High salt intake elevates the risk of non-communicable diseases such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and stroke worldwide. Sri Lanka has recorded in 2010 as the country with highest average fish & fish products consumption in South Asia. In the current study, salt in ten types of commonly available dried fish namely; sprats, prawns, smoothbelly sardinella, queen fish, cat fish, sail fish, shark, skipjack tuna, Bombay duck and trenched sardinella was analyzed and determined salt reduction methods with minimal protein loss. Four salt reduction methods were tested; Method 1: washed with water at Room Temperature (RT) for five times; Method 2: washed with water for five times at RT and kept in hot water for 5min; Method 3: washed with water for five times at RT and boiled for 5min; Method 4: washed with water for five times at RT and kept in coconut water for 5min. Using Volhard method, sodium chloride was analyzed while protein was determined using Kjeldahl method. All four methods showed significant reduction of salt level in tested dried fish (p < 0.05). Among the tested salt reduction methods, Method 3 showed the highest salt reduction for all types of dried fish except smoothbelly sardinella and cat fish.The highest salt mean value of 28.8% was recorded in queen fish and the lowest mean value of 12.8% was recorded in smoothbelly sardinella. The highest protein loss was recorded in Method 3. To reduce considerable amount of salt, the easiest and fairly effective method is method 1 except for prawns and Shark. Although higher salt reduction showed in method 2 and 3, they are not recommended due to high protein loss, high energy expenditure and reduction of freshness of dried fish. Method 4 can be applied for all dried fish types because it is economical and reduces considerable amount of salt, removes less amount of protein comparatively. The results revealed that all tested dried fish except smoothbelly sardinella contain significantly high amount of salt (p < 0.05) than the standard value specified (12%) by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI).Keywords: Dried fish, protein loss, salt-intake, salt reduction, non-communicable diseases

Determination of concentrations of some elements in marine consumables from Thane creek area (Mumbai, India) using ED-XRF technique; and risk assessment

ABSTRACT Six marine consumable species, namely, Bombay duck (Harpadon nehereus), Ghol (Protonibea diacanthus), Rawas (Eleutheronema tetradactylum), Prawns (Dendrobranchiata), Surmai (Scomberomorus guttatus), and Bangda fish (Rastrelliger kanagurta) were collected for assessment of minor and trace element contents. EDXRF methods (using secondary targets and filters) were optimised and validated for quantification of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn Se, As, Br, Cd, Pb, Sr, K, Ca Na, Mg, and Al in these samples. The levels of each target element were found to be comparable to those reported across the globe. The potential health risk evaluated for selected trace and toxic elements showed no adverse impact on human health (Hazard Index < 1) from exposure to these elements through consumption of these marine species.

Trophic Plasticity of Bombay Duck (Harpadon nehereus) in the South-Central East China Sea Based on Stable Isotope Evidence

High trophic plasticity is often invoked to explain the successful expansion of many aquatic species. Bombay duck (BD) outcompete other traditionally commercial fishes in the East China Sea (ECS) in recent years, displaying a continuous and sharp increase of catches, however, little is known whether the competition advantage of BD was related to its trophic plasticity. Using stable isotope analysis (SIA), we investigated the trophic ecology of BD in the south-central ECS in two periods. Significant differences in δ13C and δ15N values were found between sampling months and among body sizes. Modal (95% credibility limits) estimation showed that BD’s trophic position (TP) gradually increased from 3.56 (3.31–3.82) in G1 (120–150 mm for body size) to 4.09 (3.69–4.50) in G5 (241–270 mm) in November, and from 3.37 (2.92–3.88) in G2 (151–180 mm) to 3.66 (3.07–4.23) in G4 (211–240 mm) in April, respectively, suggesting obvious ontogenetic variation of δ15N and TP. More importantly, the TP of BD within the same body size showed wide amplitude, indicating BD possess high trophic plasticity, and can capture prey from low to high trophic levels. Further quantitative analysis based on the MixSIAR model showed that BD mainly fed on zooplankton and fish, but its feeding habit was characterized by the consumption of gradually reduced zooplankton and increased fish associated with increased body size. Interestingly, the fish’s contribution to BD showed obvious seasonal variation. It can be explained by varied food availability in ECS. Relatively low fish prey in April forced BD to adjust its diet, adding the ingestion of shrimps and cephalopods corresponding to temporal variations in food availability. The present study provides the evidence that high trophic plasticity exists in the feeding strategy of BD, which is reflected in the ability to adjust the feeding preference according to nutritional needs and food environmental changes; thus, it is competitively advantageous and may partly explain why BD is becoming the predominant species and displays an extensive distribution in the ECS.

Comparative quality assessment of traditional vs. improved dried Bombay duck (Harpodon nehereus) under different storage conditions: Solar chimney dryer a low-cost improved approach for nutritional dried fish.

Dried fish and fishery products provide important and affordable dietary sources of animal protein. The present study compared the sensory, microbial, and biochemical quality of bombay duck (Harpadon nehereous) dried fish produced using improved versus traditional open‐air drying method. The sensory, microbial, and biochemical quality was determined following quality index, total plate count (TPC), and Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) method, respectively. The sensory quality results indicate highly acceptable dried fish with the improved method compared to traditional method at both initial and storage condition. The microbial load (APC, TEC, TViC, and TSC) of improved dried fish was within internationally permissible microbiological standards for food whereas traditionally dried fish exceeded the permissible limit. The biochemical composition (protein, lipid, ash, and moisture) of improved dried fish had better nutritional value than the traditional dried fish. After 60 days storage time, samples packaged under HDPE conditions exhibited excellent organoleptic characteristics, lower microbial load, and lower biochemical decomposition than samples packaged in LDPE. The above results confirmed that the solar chimney dryer produced superior quality of dried fish compared to the traditional open‐air drying method both initially and after storage, while packaging dried fish under HDPE conditions extended shelf life further.

Microplastic pollution in coastal ecosystem off Mumbai coast, India

Microplastics (MPs) are anthropogenic pollutants which can adsorb toxic substances from surrounding water and absorb into the fish body. During the present study, MPs were observed in water, sediment, and gastrointestinal tracts of marine biota samples collected from the coastal waters of Mumbai, India. The mean abundances of MPs recorded in water samples 372 ± 143 items/liter and 9630 ± 2947 items/kg dry weight (DW) in sediment samples. The mean abundance of MPs in pelagic fish species varied from 6.74 ± 2.74 to 9.12 ± 3.57 items/individual and in the demersal species the values ranged from 5.62 ± 2.27 to 6.6 ± 2.98 items/individual. Shape-wise, four type of MPs were observed in the surface waters, sediments and all studied species, predominantly fibers, followed by fragments, pellets/beads, and films. Seven different colors of MPs (red, blue, black, translucent, brown, green, and yellow) were observed from studied samples. MPs of size below 250 μm formed the dominant size in the surface water, sediments, and biota samples except Bombay duck and Malabar sole fish. Based on Raman spectroscopy analysis, eleven types of plastic polymers identified from all studied samples. Thus, presence of MPs in studied biota indicates the transfer of MPs through interlinked food chain/web to higher trophic levels and the occurrence of MPs in the fish gut underlines the necessity of more studies on processing interventions for reducing the microplastic contamination in fish for human consumption.

Genome-Wide Survey Reveals the Microsatellite Characteristics and Phylogenetic Relationships of Harpadon nehereus.

Harpadon nehereus forms one of the most important commercial fisheries along the Bay of Bengal and the southeast coast of China. In this study, the genome-wide survey dataset first produced using next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to provide general information on the genome size, heterozygosity and repeat sequence ratio of H. nehereus. About 68.74 GB of high-quality sequence data were obtained in total and the genome size was estimated to be 1315 Mb with the 17-mer frequency distribution. The sequence repeat ratio and heterozygosity were calculated to be 52.49% and 0.67%, respectively. A total of 1,027,651 microsatellite motifs were identified and dinucleotide repeat was the most dominant simple sequence repeat (SSR) motif with a frequency of 54.35%. As a by-product of whole genome sequencing, the mitochondrial genome is a powerful tool to investigate the evolutionary relationships between H. nehereus and its relatives. The maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic tree was constructed according to the concatenated matrix of amino acids translated from the 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs). Monophyly of two species of the genus Harpadon was revealed in the present study and they formed a monophyletic clade with Saurida with a high bootstrap value of 100%. The results would help to push back the frontiers of genomics and open the doors of molecular diversity as well as conservation genetics studies on this species.

Redistribution of the lizardfish Harpadon nehereus in coastal waters of China due to climate change

Redistribution of the lizardfish Harpadon nehereus in coastal waters of China due to climate change

Increase of a hypoxia-tolerant fish, Harpadon nehereus (Synodontidae), as a result of ocean deoxygenation off southwestern China

Increase of a hypoxia-tolerant fish, Harpadon nehereus (Synodontidae), as a result of ocean deoxygenation off southwestern China

Marine fisheries and biodiversity management in Maharashtra: Status, challenges and opportunities

Fisheries plays a pivotal role in the economy, food security, foreign exchange earnings and employment of the coastal population. Maharashtra is bestowed with a coastline of 720 km spread over 7 coastal districts, viz. Thane, Palghar, Mumbai city, Mumbai suburban, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg along the Arabian sea with rich marine fishery resources. There are 25 fishing zones in the seven districts with 173 fish landing centres. The total marine fish production from the state during 2018-19 was 4.6 MT valued at `6298 crores (DOF, Government of Maharashtra). The state offers huge potential for the sustainable utilization of the marine bioresources for fisheries, mariculture, coastal aquaculture and post -harvest development and exports. Maharashtra falls under the North- West coast which contributes the highest (32.8%) in the total catch during 2019-20. The major share is contributed by pelagic resources (39%), followed by crustaceans (31%), demersal comprising 22% and molluscs (7%). The prominent species/groupwise landings include non-penaeid shrimp (21%), penaeid shrimp (9%), Bombay duck and croakers (8.2%), Indian mackeral (6.9%), threadfin breams (5.9%), squids (5.1%), ribbon fishes (4.1%), golden anchovy (4%), horse mackerel (3.5%), cuttle fish (2.1%), silver pomfret (2.0%). The trawl fishing accounted for 55%, set bagnet (SBN/Dolnet) 23%, purse seines (15%) and gillnet (7%) (CMFRI Annual Report 2019).

Forecasting quarterly landings of total fish and major pelagic fishes and modelling the impacts of climate change on Bombay duck along India’s north-western Gujarat coast

Quarterly landings or catches of total fishes and the major pelagic fish species, were forecasted using the methods and models viz. autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), non-linear autoregressive (NAR) artificial neural network (ANN), autoregressive integrated moving average with exogenous inputs (ARIMAX), non-linear autoregressive with external (exogenous) inputs (NARX) artificial neural network. The models were also developed by considering only two important variables (differ for total fish and selected fish species) obtained from the ANN model. These simplified models proved nearly as good in their predictions. Simulated sea surface temperature (SST) for the A2 climate change scenario was used as an input for the NARX model to estimate the catches of Bombay duck over a short term (2020 – 2025) and a long term (2030 – 2050) with the last two years’ (2012 – 2013) average catch of training data as a benchmark. The catches increased on average by 41 % in the short term but decreased by 17.72 % in the long term.

Comparative assessment of dried fish quality collected from market and drying centre at Kuakata in Patuakhali, Bangladesh

The study identified the quality differences of dried Chinese pomfret (Stromateus chinensis), Bombay duck (Harpodon nehereus) and ribbon fish (Trichiurus haumela) from market and drying center at Kuakata, Patuakhali. The sensory, nutritional and microbial quality of collected dried samples were evaluated following organoleptic quality index, standard AOAC and aerobic plate count methods, respectively. Organoleptically no significant difference found between the samples from market and drying center. The highest moisture content value was obtained in Bombay duck (29.78%) from the market and lowest value in Chinese pomfret (20.06%) from drying center. The highest and lowest protein content was in Chinese pomfret (60.73%) and Bombay duck (47.9%) from drying center and market, respectively. The lipid and ash content varied from 2.85% to 7.20% and 13.98% to 19.57% for all the dried fish species collected from both sites. Microbiologically, higher aerobic plate count (APC), total E. coli count (TEC) and total Salmonella count (TSC) were found in Chinese pomfret at 1.96×106 CFU/g, 3.98×105 CFU/g and 1.62×105 CFU/g from market and lowest count found in Bombay duck at 5.05×105, 2.22×105 and 0.81×105 from drying center, respectively. In ribbon fish no Salmonella sp. was found. Based on the sensory and nutritional quality the study conclude that among three species and two sites studied, the dried Bombay duck from the fish drying center had better quality characteristics than the counter parts. However, higher microbial load especially pathogenic TSC and TEC suggests to improve hygiene and sanitary practices, better market distribution and storage facilities need to be followed by the producers for safe and quality dried fishery products.