Aquarium Fish Research Articles

Food, Feeding Habit and Reproductive Biology of Tire-track Spiny Eel (Mastacembelus armatus): A Review

Mastacembelus armatus which is popularly known as tire-track spiny eel or zig-zag eel is a common fish species of Indian sub-continent. It is a popular table fish due to delicious taste and high nutritional value. In Bangladesh, its demand is even higher than that of the carps. It also has good popularity as an aquarium fish and recently has been reported to be exported as indigenous ornamental fish from India to other countries. Information so far available on its food, feeding habit and reproductive biology is in a scattered manner and till date no such consolidated report on these aspects is available. The present review report aims to summarize all the available information on these aspects along with pointing out the lacunae of information further study of which will benefit its fishery and trade.

Dimethoate Induced Behavioural Changes in Juveniles of Cyprinus carpio var. communis under Temperate Conditions of Kashmir, India.

The present study was designed to investigate acute toxicity of dimethoate on juvenile Cyprinus carpio var. communis. Fishes weighing 10 ± 2 gms were selected and mortality data was statistically evaluated by Finney's Probit Method. The 96-hour LC50 value for Cyprinus carpio was found as 1.1 ppm in static bioassay system. Mean values of physicochemical parameters of aquarium waters determined during bioassay depicted slight variation indicating that the mortality in aquarium fishes occurred due to pesticide exposure and not suffocation. Lab. temperature ranged from 12 to 13°C; water temperature ranged from 11 to 12°C; dissolved oxygen ranged from 3.90 to 4.56 mg/L; pH ranged from 6.90 to 7.05; total dissolved solids ranged from 2.66 to 3.0 × 103 mg/L, while CO2 remained at a constant value of 2.0 mg/L. The fishes elicited various behavioural responses such as uncoordinated movements, convulsions, excessive mucus secretion, and imbalanced swimming which ended in a collapse to the bottom of the aquarium. Prior to death, the clinical signs like scale erosion, pale body colour, and hemorrhagic patches over the body were noticed which became more vivid up to the termination of experiments. Results of the study indicate potential toxicity of dimethoate in fingerlings of common carp for which the natural waterbodies must be continuously monitored to reduce its impact across food chains.

Genomic and Transcriptomic Approaches to Study Cancer in Small Aquarium Fish Models.

Zebrafish and medaka that develop tumors have become valuable tools for experimental cancer research. With the advent of microarrays and new sequencing technologies it has become feasible to perform whole genome, exome, and transcriptome analyses in these fish models. Analyses that compare the two fish models with each other and with data from human tumors have revealed a plethora of important insights. An unexpected high degree of comparability of molecular featuresof fish and human tumors has been detected. Furthermore,analyses of the fish model data have uncovered molecules that have not received appropriate attention in studies on their human tumor counterparts and thus have provided valuable candidates for novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Medaka as a model for studying environmentally induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of phenotypes.

Ability of environmental stressors to induce transgenerational diseases has been experimentally demonstrated in plants, worms, fish, and mammals, indicating that exposures affect not only human health but also fish and ecosystem health. Small aquarium fish have been reliable model to study genetic and epigenetic basis of development and disease. Additionally, fish can also provide better, economic opportunity to study transgenerational inheritance of adverse health and epigenetic mechanisms. Molecular mechanisms underlying germ cell development in fish are comparable to those in mammals and humans. This review will provide a short overview of long-term effects of environmental chemical contaminant exposure in various models, associated epigenetic mechanisms, and a perspective on fish as model to study environmentally induced transgenerational inheritance of altered phenotypes.

Complete sequence and characterization of the paradise fish Macropodus erythropterus (Perciformes: Macropodusinae) mitochondrial genome

Macropodus erythropterus is a small well-known aquarium fish. In the present study, the complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences of M. erythropterus were first determined. The mtDNA of M. erythropterus (GenBank accession no. KU215670) was a circular molecule of 16 495 bp in length with two ribosome RNA (rRNA) genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, an L-strand replication origin and a control region (CR). The entire mitogenome nucleotide acid was 15.71% for G, 29.66% for A, 28.37% for T and 26.26% for C with an A + T content of 58.03%. And the A + T contents of 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA and CR were 55.63%, 57.66% and 66.79%, respectively. This study provides basic molecular data for studying the conservation biology, phylogenetic and evolutionary analysis of Macropodusinae fishes.

PENGARUH PEMBERIAN IKAN HIAS JANTAN TERHADAP JUMLAH LARVA AEDES AEGYPTI TAHUN 2015

Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) becomes a public health problem In Indonesia due to high number of sufferers and its wide spread. Control methods have been carried out chemically and non-chemically. Use of mosquitofish is one of the biological controls in which certain types of fish used as natural enemies or predators of mosquito larvae. The purpose of this study is todetermine effect of male ornamental aquarium fish to the number of Aedes aegypti larvae. This is a quasi-experimental research carried out by conducting experiment on Betta crown tail fish and Pterophyllum altum eting ability to the number of Aedes aegypti larvae. Data used in this research is primary and secondary data. The primary data were obtained fromobservation during experiment of the number of Aedes aegypti larvae eaten by both types ofornamental fish, while the secondary data was data from books and journals supporting the research.Result showed that Betta crown tail fish were the most influencing fish with an average eating ability of 282 larvae per day. While average of Pterophylum Altum eating ability was 248larvae per day. Result of the research lead to suggestion on the use of Betta crown tail fish as predators of Aedes aegypti larvae in and medium size bath up and Pterophylum Altum fish for the tub large size one.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens)

The Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) is one of the popular aquarium fish. Serious attentions have been paid to the biodiversity of the fish. The mitochondrial genome of the Siamese fighting fish is reported to be 17 099 bp and includes 37 genes. The gene organization is similar to other fish mitogenomes. The control region is AT-rich and includes three tandem repeats. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that the fish is close to fish in the Macropodus genus. This mitogenome will assist in studying the mitochondrial variations and population structure in this fish and examine the evolutionary relationship among fish in the Osphronemidae family.

Clove extract: A potential source for stress free transport of fish

Ornamental aquaculture is one of the fastest growing industries that require stringent economical protocols for the effective and stress-free transportation of aquarium fishes. In the present study, the efficacy of clove extract as a low-cost and effective sedative agent for use in shipping of clownfish, Amphiprion sebae (Bleeker) is reported. The time required to induce complete anesthesia using clove extract (100mgl−1) and the subsequent recovery in A. sebae were 1245±6s and 119±4s and 4200±10s and 480±5s, respectively. The induction and recovery times varied significantly (P<0.05) as a function of extract concentrations. An inverse exponential relationship was observed between the dosage and anesthesia induction time, whereas there is a direct relationship between dosage and recovery time. The LC50 value of the extract was 50mgl−1; the optimum dosage with no mortality was found to be 17.5mgl−1. Correlation coefficient and Chi-square test analysis showed a significant association (P<0.001) between the concentration and incubation period in terms of mortality rate. Furthermore, histopathology observation of gills revealed that the extracts do not affect the gill tissue as compared to control. Having explored the positive roles of clove extract, this study recommends it as can be used as an ideal anesthetic agent for aquaculture practices especially in ornamental fish transport.

Study of Ornamental Fish in Lalitpur, Nepal

This work has been done from 2068 to 2069.The main theme of the survey was to find out the Aquarium fish interest among people, highest and lowest price of different fishes, feeding criteria, socio economic condition of aquarium fish trade. Survey points out that few shops are in Lalitpur. Gold fish varieties are famous among the people. Only artificial feed was given to the fishes. Increasing number of shops and satisfactory response regarding this business shows better socio economic condition regarding this sector.

Matrix changes due to the toxic effects of metronidazole in intestinal tissue of fish (Onchorhynchus mykiss).

Metranidazole (MTZ) is an antibiotic used for parasitic infections in a number of species. Accumulation of this drug in the environment and its interaction with fish of economic value makes this drug particularly important. In the present study, we examined the histopathological effects of MTZ on the intestinal tissue of Oncorhynchus mykiss. The fish in aquarium were exposed to MTZ at doses of 5, 10, 20 mg/L for 2, 4 and 8 days. At the end of the experiments, macroscopic pathology or death were not observed at these doses. Histochemical staining with Haematoxylene-Eosin, Periodic Acid Schiff and Gomori Trichrome showed, depending on increased dose and prolonged duration, areas of necrosis, edema, inflammation, small tears at the tips of the villi and excretion with heterogenic distribution of the Goblet cells. Moreover, changes in the connective tissue of the intestines due to toxicity of MTZ and decreases in immunostaining of matrix proteins such as laminin and collagen IV, especially in the epithelium were observed. Findings of the present study would be useful to demonstrate the adverse effects of MTZ use, emphasizing the importance of the effect on fish which could be very important public health.

European hub for invaders: Risk assessment of freshwater aquarium fishes exported from the Czech Republic

Background. The aquarium fish trade is characterized by an enormous number of species. Aquarium fish may have an impact on native biota by means of their invasiveness as well as through pathogen transfer. The Czech Republic has become a gateway for aquatic pets into the European Union. The aims of this study were to identify the most common aquarium fish species on the wholesale market, to estimate temperature suitability for seasonal (winter and summer) survival in the EU, and also to assess the invasiveness risk of the most common aquarium fishes with the strongest temperature matching. Materials and methods. Data on aquarium fish species, their origin, and availability from producers and traders based in the Czech Republic were collected based on all available sources. The target area was defined as all member states of the EU. Estimation of the temperature suitability for each species was done using Climatch 1.0 software. The Freshwater Fish Invasiveness Screening Kit (FISK) was employed for species with temperature suitability within the target area exceeding 10% in the coldest quarter of the year. Results. In total, 1118 fish species representing 51 families were identified. Thirty-three species belonging to 13 families were classified as &#8220;very common&#8221;. Three sources of origin were identified: domestic production within the EU, farm production outside the EU, and wild harvests in the region of origin. The major suppliers outside the EU are in south-east Asia. Only one common species originated from wild harvests. FISK scoring divided the 11 species evaluated as having the strongest temperature suitability in the EU (TSEU) into seven species bearing medium risk and four species representing high risk. The family Cyprinidae was the most frequently represented among all evaluated taxa (seven species), but the majority of high-risk fishes belonged to the family Poeciliidae (three species). The highest score was earned by Carassius auratus (Linnaeus, 1758). Conclusion. The risk potential of aquarium fishes most traded in the EU seems to be not alarming. Attention should be focused on the possibility of novel pathogen transfer to native aquatic biota as an important aspect of regulating the aquarium fish trade.

The effect of color, figure and pattern on impression of aquarium fish

The effect of color, figure and pattern on impression of aquarium fish

Risk assessment of the ornamental fish trade in Mexico: analysis of freshwater species and effectiveness of the FISK (Fish Invasiveness Screening Kit)

Aquarium trade has been recognized as one of the major pathways of introduction of non-native fishes into new regions. Nearly 43 million freshwater ornamental fish of different species and varieties are annually commercialized in Mexico and there is a high probability for the establishment of some of these species because of their invasive attributes and the diverse climatic zones existing in the country. Within this context, the identification of high-risk species is of paramount importance considering the potential threat to Mexico’s great biological diversity. In the present study 700 freshwater aquarium fish species commonly imported and produced in the country were filtered for synonyms/varieties, resulting in 368 species, which where submitted to revision for invasive reports using specialized invasive species databases. This allowed ranking the main invasive species and the top 30 were subjected to risk analysis using the Fish Invasiveness Screening Kit (FISK). Calibration of FISK was carried out after generating the reports. A receiver operating characteristic curve was made to determine the FISK ability to discriminate between invasive and non-invasive species in Mexico. Thereafter, Youden’s index was calculated and a threshold of 24 was obtained, representing the cut-off value for defining high-risk species. A total of 17 species out of 30 were classified under a high-risk category, among them several species of the genus Xiphophorus, Pterygoplichthys and Poecilia. Most of the species were native to Asia, Central and South America. Some of these species are already invasive in Mexico.

Monogenoidea on Exotic Indian Freshwater Fish. 3. Are Indian Guidelines for Importation of Exotic Aquarium Fish Useful and can they be Implemented; The Case of Neotropical Gussevia spiralocirra Kohn and Paperna, 1964

Gussevia spiralocirra , a Neotropical parasitic monogenoid (Platyhelminthes), has been recorded from the type host, freshwater angelfish Pterophyllum scalare (Cichlidae), collected from the post-quarantine populations in local aquarium markets of Lucknow and Itanagar, India. The finding establishes India as a geographical distribution record for G. spiralocirra , and more importantly, reveals a potentially serious breach of quarantine regulations of the country. The present communication provides a summary assessment of existing Indian guidelines for importation of exotic aquarium fish and highlights some of its major shortcomings.

생체 모방형의 아쿠아리움 관상어 로봇 개발

ABSTRACT In this paper, the designed fish robots DOMI ver1.0 is researched and development for aquarium underwater robot. The presented fish robot consists of the head, 1’st stage body, 2nd stage body and tail, which is connected two point driving joints. The model of the robot fish is analysis to maximize the momentum of the robot fish and the body of the robot is designed through the analysis of the biological fish swimming. Also, Lighthill was applied to the kinematics analysis of robot fish swimming algorithms, we are applied to the approximate method of the streamer model that utilizes techniques mimic the biological fish. The swimming robot has two operating mode such as manual and autonomous operation modes. In manual mode the fish robot is operated to using the RF transceiver, and in autonomous mode the robot is controlled by microprocessor board that is consist PSD sensor for the object recognition and avoidance. In order to the submerged and emerged, the robot has the bladder device in a head portion. The robot gravity center weight is transferred to a one-axis sliding and it is possible to the submerged and emerged of DOMI robot by the breath unit. It was verified by the performance test of this design robot DOMI ver1.0. It was confirmed that excellent performance, such as driving force, durability and water resistance through the underwater field test.Keywords:Fish Robot, Autonomous Bio-Mimetic Ornamental, Aquarium Fish Robotic, Under Water Robot, Lighthill Dynamics Analysis

Proximate composition and microbial quality of three imported aquarium fish feeds in Bangladesh

Proximate composition and microbial quality of three aquarium fish feeds commonly found in Bangladesh were collected from fish feed market of Dhaka city. Significantly higher moisture content (2.12 ± 0.06%) was found in Super NovaTM fish feed while similar moisture content was detected in other two feeds (p&lt;0.05). On the other hand ash content detected in OptimumTM and Osaka 2000TM aquarium fish feed was significantly higher than that of Super NovaTM (10.67±0.19%) (p&lt;0.05).Protein content found in OptimumTM (42.21 ± 0.12%) was significantly higher than that of Osaka 2000TM and Super NovaTM (p&lt;0.05). However, similar lipid content was found in OptimumTM (1.06 ± 0.03%) and Super NovaTM (1.13 ± 0.01%) aquarium fish feed which were significantly higher than that of Osaka 2000TM (p&lt;0.05). The Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were found in all feeds. However Vibrio sp was not found in any feed. Total bacterial count was significantly higher in Osaka 2000TM feed than that of others (P&lt;0.05). However S. aureus was significantly higher in Super NovaTM than that of others while E. coli count was significantly higher in OptimumTM fish feed than that of others (p&lt;0.05). Nutritional quality of the aquarium fish feed was qualified to some extent to meet the minimum requirement of the aquarium fish while microbial quality indicates some degrees of deterioration which may cause diseases of the aquarium fishes. Thus proper storage condition, hygienic handling and processing should be maintained to prevent the microbial contamination in aquarium fish feeds. There should be a monitoring cell from the government to assess the quality of this expensive imported feeds for aquarist.Bangladesh J. Zool. 42(2): 283-294, 2014

The welfare of ornamental fish in the home aquarium

The welfare of ornamental fish kept in aquariums or ponds has historically been taken for granted by fish keepers, the ornamental fish industry and animal welfare organisations. This is attributed to the low cost of many ornamental fish, lack of reliable information about their health care, or a perceived lack of veterinarians with skills in aquatic animal health. Moreover, it is not uncommon for our veterinary colleagues to refer potential fish clients to fish stores or pet stores, as had been done in the past with less commonly seen species like birds and ‘pocket pets’. Slowly, veterinary surgeons and veterinary organisations are increasingly becoming involved in aquatic veterinary medicine to help improve the welfare of pet fish. This article presents the current status of ornamental fish welfare, the issues and their causes, and provides further sources of information.

New causes of immunologic occupational asthma, 2012-2014.

The objective of this study was to review all new causes of well documented immunologic occupational asthma (IOA) published in the English and French medical literature between January 2012 and mid-2014. Ten case reports of new causes of IOA were reported during that period. The diagnosis was either confirmed by specific inhalation challenges (n = 5) or a combination of peak expiratory flow monitoring at and off work, confirmation of specific sensitisation, and asthma (n = 3). These involved both high (mites contaminating cured ham, various enzymes used as detergents and food additives, aquarium fish food, and orange allergens) and low-molecular-weight agents (spruce wood dust, a biocide, and an halogenated platinum compound used in cytotoxic drugs). Furthermore, eight studies reported cases of IOA with agents already known as airway sensitizers but in working environments that were unusual and reported for the first time. There are more than 400 known causes of IOA and the list grows continuously with the development of new technologies and better recognition of the diagnosis by physicians. IgE-mediated sensitization was confirmed in all new cases involving high-molecular-weight agents and in two of the three new cases involving low-molecular-weight agents. Symptoms of rhinitis were often associated with both types of agents. Physicians should stay alert and suspect occupational asthma in any adult with new-onset asthma or with newly uncontrolled asthma.

&lt;i&gt;In Silico&lt;/i&gt; Sequence Analysis, Structure Prediction and Function Annotation of Melanocortin 1 Receptor Gene (MC1R) from the Guppy &lt;i&gt;Poecilia reticulata&lt;/i&gt;

The common guppy, Poecilia reticulata is one of the most popular aquarium fish used as a model organism in toxicology, embryology and genetical studies. Vibrant colors in males are a secondary sexual character which attracts the females for mating. Pigmentation in guppy is found to be linked with melanin synthesis. Melanocortin genes are involved in the synthesis of melanin pigments. Alteration in Melanocortin 1 Receptor (MC1R) genes results in polymorphism. Analysis of the MC1R gene of Poecilia reticulata revealed a 966 bp open reading frame encoding 322 amino acids. The deduced MC1R protein sequence was predicted to possess three domains: 7TM GPCR (7 transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptor) chemoreceptor Srsx at the N-terminal, 7 TM receptor and the G-protein-coupled chemokine receptor like protein domain at the C-terminal. Predicted mutations in the MC1R protein sequence shows Indel (Insertion and deletion) and block mutations. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that MC1R of Poecilia reticulata and other fish species were separated from other vertebrates. The 3D structure of the 54-105 region of MC1R protein predicted for the first time comprised of two helices namely α1 and α2 from amino acid residues 59-69 and 86-97 respectively. The extracellular region is composed of two loops from amino acid residues 54-58 at the N-terminal and 88-105 at C-terminal. The intracellular region of the receptor contains a beta turn from the amino acid residues 71-73 which connects the α1 and α2 helices by means of a loop. Docking of α-MSH, ligand (Ca2+ ions and Cholesterol) interactions and the presence of CRAC domain (Cholesterol Recognition Amino acid Consensus sequence) within the TM region of receptor further reiterates the predicted structure has a definite functional role in pigmentation.

Liposarcoma or invasive lipomatosis in flower horn fish, hybrid cichlid: clinical, radiological, ultrasonographical and histopathological study.

Liposarcoma or invasive lipomatosis affecting three indoor aquarium fish (flower horn fish, hybrid cichlid) is characterized, by the presence of mature adipocytes of variable sizes and by an invasive behaviour, which affected internal organs and eyes of all cases. Detailed macroscopic, radiological, ultrasonographical and histopathological features are presented. All fish had bilateral exophthalmia with some masses around the eyes. Ultrasonography confirmed the presence of hyperechoic masses in the eyes. Histopathology of all cases described the presence of variable-sized adipose cells in the eyes. The suggested diagnosis is well-differentiated liposarcoma or invasive lipomatosis. This is the first report of liposarcoma or invasive lipomatosis in flower horn fish, hybrid cichlid.