Checklist of Chondrichthyans in Indian waters.

Abstract Conservation, management and sustainable utilisation of biological resources depend on the accurate identification of exploited taxa, which emphasises the need for systematic taxonomic research. Chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, skates and chimaeras) are considered to be one of the most vulnerable exploited marine resources, however, the basic taxonomic study of these groups in Indian waters needs improvement to achieve better management for their sustainable exploitation. We discuss issues concerning chondrichthyan taxonomic research in India and provide an extended, updated checklist of chondrichthyans listed/reported from Indian waters, together with comments on their occurrence. Keywords: Chondrichthyans, checklist, taxonomy, status, India, diversity, management, conservation. Introduction India has many different climatic, ecological and bio-geographical zones, and diverse faunal and floral groups in its ecosystems. Conservation and management of this diversity is important to maintain the equilibrium of ecosystems and for their potential human usage. Conservation, management