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Research Article
Nov 23, 2014
Determination of Protein, Lipid and Carbohydrate Contents of Conventional and Non-Conventional Feed ... Items Used in Carp Polyculture Pond
A study was conducted during April’2010-September’2010 with a view to compare the protein, lipid and carbohydrate contents in conventional and non-conventional feed items and to recommend suitable strategy in selecting feed item for the development of weed based fish farming in carp polyculture pond. The experiment was carried out at the Protein and Enzyme Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Rajshahi University, Rajshahi. Six different conventional and non-conventional fish feed items like rice bran, wheat bran, mustard oilcake, Azolla, grass and banana leaves were tested to determine the nutrient contents under 6 treatments as T1 , T2 , T3 , T4 , T5 and T6 , respectively. In this study, nutrient contents (protein, lipid and carbohydrate) were monitored monthly. Significant variations (P<0.05) were found in the mean values of nutrient contents with different treatments of feed items but in case of same feed item no significant difference was found in the nutrient content at different months. Among the non-conventional feed items treatment T4 (Azolla) varied more significantly (P<0.05) for the mean values of protein content. Findings indicated that Azolla was more nutritive and low cost effective diets for fish farming in Bangladesh.
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Research Article
Nov 23, 2014
A Review on Probiotics Application in Aquaculture
The growth of aquaculture as an industry has accelerated over the years; this has resulted in food production and positive economic impact. But the emergence of disease outbreak has been the constraint. The need for increased disease resistance, growth of aquatic organisms and feed efficiency has brought about the use of probiotics as nonantibiotic agent in aquaculture productions. There are documented evidences that probiotics can improve the water quality, growth promoters, disease resistance and enhancement of immune response. The field of probiotics as well as the selection steps to acquire probiotic strain for the management of disease in aquaculture is discussed. This report provides a summary of probiotic application and significance in aquaculture.
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Research Article
Sep 05, 2014
Survey on Penaeidae Shrimp Diversity and Exploitation in South East Coast of India
The assessment of Penaeidae species diversity in a particular region is very important in formulating conservation strategies. In the present study, the survey on diversity of Penaeidae species in south east coast of India has been assessed on the basis of landing of variety of species in this group. Penaeidae species were collected from various main landing centers of south east coast of India for three years. Identification and nomenclature was done based on previously published literature. Among the 59 species observed, the Penaeus semisulcatus, Penaeus monodon and Fenneropenaeus indicus were found mostly in all landing centers. As first and foremost, the Metapenaeus papuensis, Metapenaeus anchistus, Metapenaeopsis wellsi, Parapenaeopsis sinica (Kishinouyepenaeopsis amicus), Parapenaeopsis hungerfordi, Parapenaeopsis venusta, Parapenaeopsis coromandelica, Parapenaeopsis gracillima, Trachysalambria longipes and Parapenaeus lanceolatus landed in south east coast of India. As far as Penaeidae shrimp diversity is good in south east coast region of India, and needed the fishing site and mesh size regulation to protect the juvenile and adult of Penaeidae from inshore and offshore catching.
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Research Article
Jul 16, 2014
Impact Assessment on By-catch Artisanal Fisheries: Sea Turtles and Mammals in Cameroon, West Africa
The by-catch assessment has been carried out along Cameroon coastline to map artisanal fishing effort and quantify impact of by-catch on sea turtles and marine mammals during three months from June to September 2011 and specific objectives include: - To interview fishermen in various fishing villages or ports in Cameroon regarding fishing effort and catch. - To estimate fishing gears used in these fishing ports. - To evaluate impacts of by-catch on marine mammals and sea turtles. In total 30 fishing ports were been planned but 23 were covered with 932 files in total (245 long forms and 685 short forms). In total we have 4121boats (none motorized and motorized) and the common gears used are gillnet and surround seine. The results reveal that, yearly around 1228 turtles with back (green, hawksbill and olive) were caught and 13 Leatherback; most not intentionally. But in Sandje port we noted the intentional catch by local fishermen with around 400 individuals per year for international commercial uses. These numbers are low according to certain data on sea turtles surveys along Cameroon coast. About cetaceans and manatee we had the following data 97 and 292 respectively for each group, but most manatees are caught intentionally for bush meat trade. The survey was limited in time and lack of baseline information on the issue but in future it could be good to involve more permanent data collectors and scientific observers. These results must be feedback to official services for good monitoring of marine faunal and their ecosystem.
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Research Article
Jun 30, 2014
Profitability of Selected Ventures in Catfish Aquaculture in Ondo State, Nigeria
The need to provide information to prospective investors on the decision to invest led to this study on profitability analysis of selected ventures in catfish aquaculture in Ondo State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 144 fish farmers rearing fingerlings, juveniles and table size (full) fish in the study area. The results of the analysis of socio-economic characteristics showed that the mean age of the three groups of farmers was about 35.0 years, while about 88.0%was maleand about 83.0% was married.All the respondents had western education while about 88.0% of farmers had tertiary education. Fish farming was a secondary occupation for about 61.0% of farmers while the mean farming experience was 6.3 years. The result of Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) was 1.46 for fingerlings, 1.29 for juveniles and 1.26 for full fish. Profitability and efficiency ratio of 0.85 and 1.85, 0.71 and 1.71, and 0.55 and 1.55 were recorded for fingerlings, juveniles and full fish, respectively. Comparing these values indicated that fingerlings production is the most profitable catfish enterprise in the study area. It is recommended that governments at all levels explore the possibility of using the various ventures in catfish farming as a solution to the worrisome unemployment problem in Nigeria.
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Research Article
Apr 30, 2014
Traditional Authority in Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM): A Critical Investigat ... ion of the Role of Traditional Authority in Fisheries Management in Gache Gache Communal Lands of Kariba, Zimbabwe
In the recent years, debates on rural development and sustainable management of natural resources in Zimbabwe and many other African countries have emphasized the importance of Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) systems as the main driving force for sustainable development in rural communities. This is to say that central to CBNRM has been generative discussion around issues of decentralisation, administering of the commons in the rural areas, and community empowerment through the securing of resource rights. Yet equally important is the key question around issues of community resources (the commons), particularly on who owns and manages the commons and for what purposes (Murphree 2002). In the light of these observations and realizations, this paper makes an attempt to explore the relevance of CBNRM to development practitioners and policy makers in view of the commons in Zimbabwe. The paper adopts fisheries management in Gache Gache Communal Lands of Kariba in northern Zimbabwe as its case study. The choice of Gache Gache Communal Lands as a case study is not accidental but premised on the fact that it is one area where CBNRM is being deployed in managing fisheries in the area.
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Research Article
Apr 30, 2014
A Tool for Ecosystem-Based Management Applied to Pagasitikos Gulf
Considering the importance of the marine environment, in this work first effort towards a Marine Management Tool are described and presented. Taking advantage of an extensive in situ program during 1998–1999 a highly complex biogeochemical model was customised and applied in Pagasitikos gulf delivering for the first time valuable information on the ecosystem governing processes. Furthermore, through appropriate scenarios the dynamics behind the formation of mucilaginous events were examined, revealing the underlying dynamics. In the same framework the impact of two fish farms was evaluated illustrating the significance of inputs in the functioning of this sensitive ecosystem. Considering the importance of fisheries, the marine traffic in the area and the associated risk of an accident, future developments include a) an Individual Bioenergetics Model (IBM) that describes the full life of the cycle of the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and b) the development of a pollutant transport module capable of simulating the evolution of an oil spill.
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Research Article
Jan 10, 2014
A Common Concept of Population Dynamics Applicable to Both Thrips imaginis (Thysanoptera) and the ... Pacific Stock of the Japanese Sardine (Sardinops melanostictus)
The aim of this study was to discuss a common concept of population dynamics applicable to both Thrips imaginis (Thysanoptera) and the Pacific stock of the Japanese sardine (Sardinops melanostictus). First, I elucidate the mechanism that produces the false density-dependent effect on population changes of Thrips imaginis, I conducted simple deterministic simulations to discuss the qualitative viewpoints. Second, I conducted Monte Carlo simulations by using the average population size and standard deviation of the thrip data used by Davidson and Andrewartha for the quantitative discussion. In simple deterministic simulations, the resultant plots of population change against population size showed a decreasing trend for which the slope was statistically significant even though the true relationship between the population change and population size had no density-dependent effect. The results of the Monte Carlo simulations indicated that nearly 70% of the trials showed false density-dependent effects. The provability of the false decision, which was to recognize the existence of density-dependent effects, increased as the standard deviation in population size in a month i-1 increased. When the number of samples increased, the probability of the false decision greatly increased. The conclusion from these simulations was that the density-dependent effect that emerged in the population change of T. imaginis was artificially produced and invalid. Further, the thrip population size in month i was determined in proportion to that in month i-1; and environmental conditions in month i. This mechanism was completely same of that shown in the Japanese sardine (Sardinops melanostictus). Therefore, the fluctuations in populations of T. imaginis and Japanese sardine could be explained with the same concept of population dynamics shown here.
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Research Article
Dec 20, 2013
Mattress Making Using Typha latifolia and Cyprus Species of Chefa Wetland in Kemissie, Ethiopia: A ... Means for Livelihood Improvement
The survey was conducted in May 2012 at Amrach and Santie villages in Kemissie. The objectives of the study were to assess challenges and opportunities of people involved in mattress production and their level of knowledge for sustainable utilization of Typha latifolia and Cyprus species from Chefa wetland. The villages were selected purposely and a total of 60 households were selected for interview randomly, 30 from each villages. In addition to questionnaires Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) was used. The average age of mattress makers were 37 and 31 at Amrach and Santie respectively. Majority of the mattress makers, 76.7% at Amrach and 60% at Santie were female that indicate the profession has significant contribution for livelihood especially for women. The average monthly production of mattress at Amrach was higher (86) than Santie (23) because most of the people involved in mattress production at Amrach have no other livelihood means unlike the people at Santie. The average net income from mattress was 928 and 227 for Amrach and Santie respectively. There is high demand for mattress market at Kemissie, Dessie and Haik, however there is shortage of these raw materials, Typha latifolia and Cyprus species used for making mattress due to the presence of high demand by different stakeholders, pastoralists specially in dry season used as feed for their animals, making their shelter, the local people used for ceremonial purpose and making shelter. As the result the people involved in mattress production are forced to go more than 10 kilo meter per day to collect these plants and hence produce less mattresses per month and hence low income. Therefore awareness creation training should be given for stakeholders to promote sustainable utilization of these plants collected from Chefa wetland and improving income of mattress makers.
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Research Article
Dec 15, 2013
Distribution and Abundance of Finfish Eggs from Muthupettai, South East Coast of India
The occurrence and distribution of finfish eggs and larvae is an integral part of a fishery research programme. Finfish eggs abundance data is an important for patterns of distribution, an areas providing information for nursery ground and a range of adult and spawning trends. The density of fin fish eggs at all stations showed a seasonal variation. The maximum number of eggs were recorded during post-monsoon followed by pre-monsoon, summer and monsoon seasons. The seasonal occurrence of finfish eggs did not follow a similar pattern during the two-year period of study. This might be due to the fluctuation in the environmental parameters. Environmental parameters such as rainfall, atmospheric temperature, water temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen were recorded and correlated with the distribution of fish eggs. It is evident from the present study that the water temperature and salinity appear to play a significant role in determining the distribution of fin fish eggs in the study area.
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Research Article
Nov 28, 2013
The Study of Temporal Dynamics of Phytoplankton Biomass and Species Composition in Relation to Som ... e Physical and Chemical Factors, Lake Kuriftu, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Biomass of phytoplankters in relation to the physical and chemical conditions of the water column in Lake Kuriftu was studied from August 2005 to April 2006. The sampling stations of the present study were selected from contrasting segments of Lake Kuriftu as impacted at shore and non-impacted at the center. Secchi depth was estimated with a standard Secchi disc of 20 cm diameter while pH was measured in situ by a portable digital pH meter and temperature was determined with a digital oxygen meter. Nitrate-N was determined by the Zinc Reduction Procedure while phosphate and silica were measured calorimetrically by the Ascorbic Acid and Molybdosilicate methods. Phytoplankters samples were examined with an inverted microscope and identification to genus or species level was made on the basis of the various taxonomic literatures available on phytoplankters. The concentration of Chlorophyll a was calculated by using absorbance measurements made at 665 and 750 nm to calculate the biomass. All the physical, chemical and biological parameters measured varied spatially and temporally. The Lake’s transparency (ZSD) was always less than 0.6 m with smaller values coincident with periods of rainfall and negatively correlated (r=-0.36) with phytoplankters biomass. The chemistry of the lake was basically similar to the dilute East African lake waters, with maximum pH and total alkalinity values of 8.8 and 3.1 mEq/l, respectively. The inorganic nutrients, which were of moderately high levels varied temporally as a function of hydrological, hydrographic and biological conditions of the lake. The phytoplankters community which was consistently dominated by cyanobacteria exhibited low species diversity. Phytoplankters biomass measured as chlorophyll a varied from 18.35 to 45.18 mg Chl a m-3 at the near-shore station and from 17.24 to 55.6 mg Chl a m-3 at the central station. The variations of the parameters indicates how one is influenced by the other and influences the others in a given ecosystems.
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Research Article
Nov 25, 2013
Mouldy Groundnut Cake and Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate in Practical Diet for African Ca ... tfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)
The study was designed to detect fungi and quantify aflatoxins B1 and B2 microbial load levels and toxin binding efficacy of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS) on growth and nutrient utilization of Clarias gariepinus African catfish fingerlings diet formulated with mouldy groundnut cake (MGNC). MGC containing 185.00 ± 7.07 µg/kg and 137.50 ± 10.00 µg/kg of aflatoxins B1 and B2 was incorporated into practical diets. Three practical isoproteinous diets were formulated. Diet 1 contained Groundnut Cake (GNC) with 0.20 ± 0.14 cfu microbial load but no apparent mould contamination. Diet 2 contained MGC 4.38 ± 0.40, 1.99 ± 0.01 µg/kg of aflatoxins B1 , B2 and 2.20 ± 0.14 cfu microbial load. Diet 3 contained MGC, HSCAS; 3.49 ± 0.20, 1.34 ± 0.01 µg/kg and 1.35 ± 0.20 cfu of aflatoxins B1 , B2 and microbial load, respectively. The diets were fed twice daily to Clarias gariepinus fingerlings mean body weight 1.68 ± 0.01g in triplicate of 20 fish each for 12 weeks. Six fungi; Aspergillus parasiticus, A. flavus, A. niger, A. tamarii, Penicillium citriinum and P. oxalicum were isolated from MGNC diet. Addition of HSCAS reduced fungi present in diet 3 to A. flavus, A. tamarii and P. oxalicum. Also aflatoxins B1 , B2 and microbial load in the diet and carcass of Clarias gariepinus were reduced with HSCAS inclusion in diet 3. Feeding African catfish fingerlings with mould contaminated diet (2) significantly (P<0.05) reduced growth performance and feed utilization but had no significant (P>0.05) effect on survival of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings. The results of this study show that the inclusion of HSCAS reduced the number of fungi, microbial load and aflatoxins B1 and B2 in the carcass and diet of African catfish formulated with mouldy GNC. But was not effective in alleviating the growth depression induced by mould contamination of the diet. Hence the need for identification of toxins present in mould contaminated feedstuffs in order to design effective toxins management strategies.
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Research Article
Oct 31, 2013
Phosphorus and Nitrogen Budgets for Inland, Saline Water Shrimp Ponds in Alabama
Phosphorus and nitrogen budgets were prepared for ponds at an inland low-salinity shrimp farm in the Black land Prairie region of Alabama. The study was conducted during the first crop in three newly constructed ponds that had never before contained water. The main input of phosphorus and nitrogen was feed and averaged 47 kg/ha and 208.5 kg/ha, respectively. These inputs respectively accounted for 98.9% and 95.5% of total input for phosphorus and nitrogen; other inputs of phosphorus and nitrogen were post larvae, well water, rainfall and runoff, that combined, averaged 0.5 kg/ha and 9.8 kg/ha, respectively. The major output of phosphorus and nitrogen was shrimp harvest that averaged 5.2 kg/ha for phosphorus and 45.7 kg/ha for nitrogen. Only 10.9% of phosphorus and 21% of nitrogen applied in feed were incorporated into shrimp. Other losses of phosphorus and nitrogen were water outflows (seepage and harvest effluent) that accounted for 3.2 kg/ha for phosphorus and 7.8 kg/ha for nitrogen. The difference between the inputs and outputs of phosphorus is thought to represent adsorption by bottom soils. For nitrogen, the discrepancy between input and output apparently was caused by accumulation of organic nitrogen in bottom soil, denitrification and NH3 volatilization.
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Editorial
Oct 07, 2013
Microfloral Diversity in Fish: An Editorial
It is well-known that the digestive tract structure in different fish species is distinct. The differences are highly prominent in the various stages of fish development. Hence the digestive tract structure is the first factor that affects and influences the formation of gastrointestinal bacteria communities. The formation of the regular microflora is indeed a complex process that takes place in the digestive tract of fish larvae and fry and it depends on fish spawn (lay and deposit large quantities of eggs in water) food and the microflora of the surrounding water. Lot of investigation has been carried on in order to study the formation of the microflora in the digestive tract of carp from the larval stage to adult fish and it has been ascertained that the formation of bacterioflora in the digestive tract of fish is a gradual process. The most dominant genera residing in the digestive tract of fish are Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, Clostridium and Bacteroides.
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Research Article
Sep 26, 2013
Semen of Beluga, Huso huso: Ionic Content and Osmolality of Seminal Plasma and Their Physiological ... Correlation with Sperm Motility Indices
The ionic contents and osmolality of seminal plasma of beluga spermatozoa to determine and their physiological relationship with sperm motility characteristics (total duration of sperm motility and percentage of motile cell) were studied. The results obtained show that Na+ (82.54 ± 5.46 mM L-1), Cl- (15.95 ± 0.72 mM L-1) and K+ (3.57 ± 0.15 mM L-1) were predominant ions in the seminal plasma. The osmolality of seminal plasma ranged from 57 to 93 mOsm kg-1. Significant positive correlations were observed between osmolality vs. Na+ (p<0.01) and Cl- (P<0.05) and Na+ vs. Cl- (P<0.05). No significant correlations were found between sperm motility and others composition of the seminal plasma. Probably, the Na+ and Cl- are the main electrolytes playing a key role in maintaining the osmolality of the seminal plasma and the viability of the spermatozoa in vivo. However analysis of ionic contents of the seminal plasma revealed some species-specific characteristics especially for K+ which is important because of its inhibitory effect on sperm motility. Results of the present study provide new data on beluga spermatozoa quality and can be utilized for successful reproduction management and cryopreservation protocols of this endangered species
