Barbus Callensis Research Articles

Metallic Contamination of the Muscles of Three Fish Species from the Moulouya River (Lower Moulouya, Eastern Morocco)

This study introduces a spatiotemporal evaluation of the metallic contamination with three trace metals (mercury, lead, and cadmium) in the muscles of three fish species (Lepomis macrochirus, Barbus callensis, and Barbus nasus), of which the samples were taken from three stations in the Moulouya River: the confluence of the Moulouya River and the Sebra River (station 1), the neighbourhood of the farms in the region of Aklim downstream from confluence of Lakhmis river (station 2), and the level of ancient bridge of Ras El Ma-Moulouya (station 3), during the period from July 2017 to May 2018. The results have allowed us to highlight rather high contents of lead and mercury in the fish muscles, mainly in station 1, which receives domestic and industrial discharges. The contents of cadmium in all fish species in different stations are very low. Moreover, all concentrations assessed in different fish species do not exceed the maximum limit recommended by European Community (EC) Commission Regulation No. 1881/2006.

Induction of EROD and BFCOD activities in tissues of barbel (Barbus callensis) from a water reservoir in Algeria

EROD and BFCOD activities were measured in liver and gills of barbel (Barbus callensis, a native North African species) captured at Beni Haroun lake, the most important water reservoir in Algeria. This lake receives wastewater from different origins. Thus, we assessed the level of pollution through the induction of detoxification activities in tissues of barbel, evaluating simultaneously the suitability of this species to be used as a sentinel. Fish were collected between March 2015 and January 2016 at three locations taking into account the pollution sources and accessibility. In liver, EROD and BFCOD showed the highest induction in October specially in the location of the dam that received pollutants. In gills, only EROD, but not BFCOD, activity was detected. Maximal EROD induction was noted in samples from January. Fish cell lines (RTG-2 and PLHC-1) were exposed to sediments extracts collected at Beni Haroun lake and enzyme activities (EROD and BFCOD, respectively) were measured. Sediment extracts did not induce BFCOD activity. The EROD induction observed in RTG-2 cells was in line with the results observed in fish tissues. Our results suggest that the lake is at risk from pollution and that Barbus callensis is a good sentinel species.

Polluted water exacerbates Barbus callensis oocyte oxidative status

Abstract The deleterious effects of environmental pollutants on cellular components and tissues damage in fish have been studied extensively. However, there is no data about the oxidative status of fish oocytes once released into water. This study aimed to investigate the effects of polluted (Soummam River) and unpolluted (Agrioun River) fresh water on the oxidative biomarkers of Barbus callensis (=Lucibarbus callensis) (Val.) oocytes. The experimental design consisted of collecting fish oocytes from polluted and unpolluted rivers and then activating these oocytes separately in water collected from each site. Four groups were considered: oocytes from the Agrioun River activated in Agrioun fresh water (A-oocytes/A-fresh water); oocytes from the Agrioun River activated in Soummam fresh water (A-oocytes/S-fresh water); oocytes from the Soummam River activated in Agrioun fresh water (S-oocytes/A-fresh water); and oocytes from the Soummam River activated in Soummam fresh water (S-oocytes/S-fresh water). Oxidative stress biomarkers were evaluated by measuring total antioxidant status (TAS), catalase (CAT) activity, and cell-free hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations. The results showed that the oxidative status of fish oocytes was significantly affected by the quality of fresh water. Unpolluted fresh water improved the antioxidant activity of the fish oocytes. The results of this study suggest that once oocytes are released into polluted water, antioxidant protection is affected with subsequent cellular oxidative damage and potential reproduction impairment.

Recovery, viscoelastic and functional properties of Barbel skin gelatine: Investigation of anti-DPP-IV and anti-prolyl endopeptidase activities of generated gelatine polypeptides

The characteristics and functional properties of gelatine from freshwater fish skin (Barbus callensis) were investigated. The gelatine extraction efficiency was improved by an acid-swelling process in the presence of barbel crude acid protease extract. Barbel skin gelatine (BSG) contained 92.15% protein, 0.31% lipid and 0.72% ash. The amino acid profile of BSG showed a high percentage of imino acids. The electrophoretic profile showed that BSG is mainly composed of α- and β-components. BSG showed an excellent solubility and possessed interfacial properties, which were governed by the protein concentration. Biological activities of the hydrolysates obtained after digestion of BSG with several commercial proteases were evaluated. The results suggested that these hydrolysates are a good source of natural inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase-IV and prolyl endopeptidase and could potentially be used as dietary ingredients in the management of type 2-diabetes and/or neuropathological disorders.

Isolation and characterisation of carotenoproteins from deep-water pink shrimp processing waste

The effect of barbel (Barbus callensis) trypsin on the recovery and characteristics of carotenoprotein from pink shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) waste was studied. The recovery of carotenoproteins was maximized by the hydrolysis of shrimp waste using 1.0trypsinU/g of shrimp waste for 1h at 25°C. Freeze dried partially purified carotenoproteins recovered contained 71.09±0.19% protein, 16.47±0.68% lipid, 7.78±0.12% ash, 1.79±0.04% chitin, 87.42±2.54μg total astaxanthin/g of sample. Protein–pigment splitting, for astaxanthin recuperation, was carried out using barbel and bovine trypsins and the mixture of the two enzymes; then the protein was separated from the pigment by ultrafiltration. The hydrolysate obtained by treatment with the mixture of the two enzymes presented the best levels (p<0.05) of xanthophylls (80.15μg/g) and total protein (7.42mg/g), respectively. Splitting the protein–pigment complex allows studies on pigment absorption, stability and application.

Impact de Ligula intestinalis (L.1758) (Cestode) sur la croissance de Barbus setivimensis (Cyprinidae) dans un système lacustre Algérien

The Algerian freshwater fish fauna is mainly represented by the Cyprinidae family, in particular, the genus Barbus. This is represented only by natural populations of the subgenus Barbus. The systematic, based mainly on the methods of biometrics, is quite different from one author to another. However, two nominal species are usually cited: Barbus callensis (Valenciennes, 1842), which is limited to the region of El Kala (eastern Algeria) and Barbus setivimensis (Valenciennes, 1842) in other parts of the North. During the ecological study of this fauna, many individuals were found infested with the tapeworm Ligula intestinalis (Linné, 1758), which led us to study the effect of this parasite on B. setivimensis using the ecological parasites’ index (prevalence, abundance and parasite intensity) and to focus on the impact of the parasite on the growth of fish. Tapeworm L. intestinalis presents a wide geographical distribution and a complex lifecycle to multiple hosts: the cycle starts in the body of birds. The life expectancy in the major host is a maximum of 5 days, but in this time, they will lay a multitude of eggs. These eggs are passed into water via the faeces of the bird. Once in the aquatic medium, they hatch and are eaten by a wide range of copepod zooplankton (first intermediate host). The cycle continues when fish (second intermediate host) ingests the copepod. The worm then burrows through the gut wall and continues to develop in the fish's body cavity. The cycle is then complete when the bird (final host) eats the tapeworm-hosting fish. We studied the effects of diet, the hosting period, the habitat on the prevalence, abundance and intensity of the parasitic larvae plerocercoid L. intestinalis and the parasiting effect on the Cyprinids fishs of the genus Barbus in the Keddara dam (Boumerdes, Algeria) during one year. Although L. intestinalis was recorded in several host fish, the available data on the parameters of parasitism are limited and no studies are reported on B. setivimensis. In this study, a total of 613 individuals were sampled and checked on the presence of L. intestinalis plerocercoid stages. Only 64 were infested. The value of the prevalence was 10.44% and the average intensity was 1.89 parasites (average two parasites per infested fish). The infection rate is high during the autumn and low during the spring season. The latter corresponds with the breeding period.

Characterisation of trypsin purified from the viscera of Tunisian barbel (Barbus callensis) and its application for recovery of carotenoproteins from shrimp wastes

Trypsin was purified from the viscera of barbel by precipitation using ammonium sulphate (0–80%), Sephadex G-100, and Mono Q-Sepharose ion exchange chromatography. The trypsin was purified 27-fold, with 79U/mg specific activity and 31% recovery. The enzyme had a molecular weight of 24kDa; purified trypsin appeared as a single band on native-PAGE. The optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity were pH 10.0 and 55°C with BAPNA used as a substrate. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the first 12 amino acids of the purified trypsin was IVGGYECTPYSQ. The Michaelis–Menten constant (Km) and catalytic constant (kcat) values of the enzyme were 0.018mM and 1.21s−1, respectively. The study also investigated the effects of purified trypsin on the recovery of carotenoproteins from shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) shells through hydrolysis using 1.0U barbel trypsin/g shrimp shells for 1h at 30°C. The freeze-dried carotenoproteins recovered contained 71.09% protein, 16.47% lipid, 7.78% ash, and 1.79% chitin.

The status of fish biodiversity in Ichkeul Lagoon, Tunisia

In Ichkeul Lagoon there are 24 fish species belonging to 15 families. These fish were obtained from the commercial fishing fleet and from scientific collections made during experimental, fishery independent sampling. Most species are of marine origins and enter the Lagoon to feed. Among residential forms, there are two species of freshwater fishes (Barbus callensis and Aphanius fasciatus). However, future plans to modify the water flow constitute problems for the Parc National de líIchkeul. Disturbance in the hydrological regime will inevitably have some repercussions on the fish biology and their population dynamics. The closing of the lock, installed on the Oued Tinja, may compromise the entering of migratory fish which will result in a total halt to fishing activity.

Ecological and genetic differentiation of Barbus callensis populations in Tunisia

Enzyme electrophoresis on horizontal starch gel was carried out on 356 barbel individuals. The sampling comprised 278 individuals of the species Barbus callensis from 10 rivers in Tunisia. The other individuals belonged to reference species (outgroups) from France and Morocco. An ecological study was also carried out on Tunisian rivers. The results show a clear differentiation of the two samples from northwestern Tunisia, which was only partly correlated with ecological characteristics of the rivers they inhabit. There is no genetic cline, but rather a discontinuity between populations in the northwestern‐most watershed and all the other Tunisian populations. This differentiation probably has a paleohistoric origin not only related to adaptation to ecological conditions but also to difficulties in colonizing the watersheds. The results do not indicate clearly a colonization direction for the genus Barbus in North Africa. Analysis of the Algerian populations would appear to be indispensable. Lastly, in contrast with the usual taxonomy, Morocco and Tunisia are populated by two closely related species, but B. callensis should remain the name of the Tunisian species, which was the first to be described in the small El Kebir basin, a river that flows from Tunisia to Algeria.

Salinity tolerance of the barbel, Barbus callensis Valenciennes, 1842 (Pisces, Cyprinidae) and its ecological significance

The lethal salinity limits (LC50 and mean survival times) of two populations of barbel, Barbus callensis, were determined. Conditions in Lake Ichkeul, Tunisia, are lethal for the fish in summer; this explains their seasonal migrations into Oued Sejnane and the other tributaries. Tolerance increased between 1984 and 1985 from LC50 = 15.6 to LC50 = 17.2 in a population from Oued Mejerdah; this may be connected with the dissolution of rock salt in the new Sidi Salem reservoir.

Fish production in Oued Sebaou, a seasonal river in North Algeria

Fish were sampled by electrofishing at three contiguous sites 26 km from the source of Oued Sebaou, a seasonal river in North Algeria. River discharge ranges from 300 m3s−1 in the peak of the rainy season to 0.1 m3s−1 at the end of the dry season. Extensive gravel extraction from the river bed takes place during the dry season.Two species were recorded at each site: Barbus callensis, which is heavily fished locally, and Anguilla anguilla. The three sample maximum likelihood Zippin method was used to estimate mean density and standing crops, which were: barbel, 452 fish ha−1, 5.33 kg ha−1; eels, 149 fish ha−1, 3.04 kg ha−1. Estimated average biomass and production were: barbel, 2.31 kg ha−1, 4.27 kg ha−1 year−1; eels, 1.51 kg ha−1, 2.60 kg ha−1 year−1.

Studies on the Fauna of an Algerian Hot Spring

ABSTRACT Many exaggerated statements have been made, and too often uncritically repeated, concerning the temperatures at which animals and plants have been found in hot springs. To throw light on this subject, the author undertook two expeditions—in the summer of 1937 and the winter of 1938–9—to study the hot springs at Hammam Meskoutine, Algeria.