Spatial distribution of Nematalosa nasus (Bloch, 1795) of the Northern Indian Ocean in a changing climate

Abstract

Globally, ocean climate is changing at unprecedented rates. Shifts of species distribution towards the northern latitudes are evident in many seas. The Northern Indian Ocean is warming at an alarming rate as compared to the other oceans. The increased rate of warming will cause substantial responses in the distribution of the pelagic fish species. Many fishes of the family Clupeidae form the mainstay of the marine fisheries of the countries bordering the Northern Indian Ocean. Nematalosa nasus is one of the important pelagic fish found in the region. This study tries to understand the distributional shifts of this species from the region in two future climate scenarios (RCP 6.0 & 8.5). The results indicate a higher influence of the current vector and mean temperature on the distribution of this species. A northward shift in the distribution range is observed in both the future scenarios as compared to the predicted current distribution.