Lionfish Research Articles

Chromosome-level haplotype-resolved genome assembly for Takifugu ocellatus using PacBio and Hi-C technologies

Takifugu species serve as a model system for evolutionary studies due to their compact genomes and diverse phenotypes. The ocellated puffer (Takifugu ocellatus), characterized by special colouration, is a scarce anadromous species in the genus Takifugu. As an ornamental and tasty fish species, T. ocellatus has moderate economic value. However, the available genomic resources for this pufferfish are still limited. Here, a chromosome-level reference genome, as well as two haploid genomes, was constructed by PacBio HiFi long sequencing and Hi-C technologies. The total length of the reference genome was 375.62 Mb with a contig N50 of 11.55 Mb. The assembled sequences were anchored to 22 chromosomes with an integration efficiency of 93.78%. Furthermore, 28,808 protein-coding genes were predicted. The haplotype-resolved reference genome of T. ocellatus provides a crucial resource for investigating the explosive speciation of the Takifugu genus, such as elucidating evolutionary histories, determining the genetic basis of trait evolution, and supporting future conservation efforts.

Novel and known myxobolids (Cnidaria, Myxozoa) infecting Chondrostoma angorense (Cypriniformes: Leuciscidae) in Turkey.

Turkey has more than 200 endemic freshwater fish species, one of which is the Ankara nase, Chondrostoma angorense Elvira, 1987 (Cypriniformes: Leuciscidae), a food fish in northern Turkey. Like most endemic fish species in Turkey, its myxosporean parasite fauna (Cnidaria: Myxosporea) are not yet described. We surveyed twenty C. angorense from Lâdik Lake in northern Turkey, and identified two myxosporean parasites from gills of these fish: Myxobolus arrabonensis Cech, Borzák, Molnár, Székely, 2015, and a co-infection of a novel species, Myxobolus polati sp. nov. We characterized both infections based on myxospore morphology, morphometry, tissue tropism, small subunit ribosomal DNA sequence and phylogenetic analysis. Plasmodia of both species were observed in gills, but had distinct tropism: M. arrabonensis is an intrafilamental vascular type, and M. polati sp. nov. is an intralamellar vascular type. We identified M. arrabonensis on the basis of myxospore characters and 100% similarity to the type DNA sequence from the closely-related host C. nasus. The small subunit ribosomal DNA sequence of M. polati sp. nov. (1946 base pairs; GenBank Accession number MH392318) had a maximum similarity of 98% with any Myxobolus sp. from other Eurasian cypriniforms. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that M. polati sp. nov. is most closely related to gill-infecting Myxobolus diversicapsularis from Rutilus rutilus (L.). The present study is the first record of myxosporean species infecting C. angorense comprising a novel species, M. polati sp. nov. and a known species M. arrabonensis.

Investigation of Anisakis larvae in different products of ready-to-eat fish meat and imported frozen fish in Turkey

Globalization opens new market areas and affects food consumption habits, resulting in rapid and remarkable cultural change. Food habits such as consumption of raw fish meat have become popular, resulting in increased risk of emerging infectious diseases. Anisakis simplex sensu stricto (s.s) and A. pegreffii are the most common and important fish-borne zoonotic nematodes responsible for human anisakiasis, which occurs through the consumption of raw or undercooked fish as well as cooked fish due to their heat-stable allergens. Here, we investigated the prevalence, intensity, and abundance of Anisakis larvae in imported fish and ready-to-eat local fish products in Turkey. A total of 205 ready-to-eat fish products, 100 imported frozen Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fillets, and 100 imported frozen whole Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) were sampled from supermarkets, sushi restaurants, and fish markets. All samples were individually examined using a pepsin digestion technique. In total, 602 Anisakis type I larvae were recovered from 98/100 mackerel. No larvae were found in ready-to-eat products or frozen Atlantic salmon fillets. Overall, 8.8% of the larvae were found in the muscle tissue. The overall mean intensity and abundance of infection in mackerel were 6.14 and 6.02, respectively. The larvae were molecularly identified and their phylogenetic relationships with the relevant Anisakis sequences in GenBank were investigated. For this purpose, a subsample of randomly selected 100 Anisakis larvae were analyzed with PCR-RFLP of the ITS region. The larvae were identified as A. simplex (s.s.) (n = 87) and hybrids (n = 13). ITS and cox2 gene regions of all hybrids and randomly selected 50 A. simplex (s.s.) larvae were sequenced for species confirmation and phylogenetic analyses. No intraspecific nucleotide variation was found among the ITS sequences of either species. Seven and three haplotypes, respectively, were identified for A. simplex (s.s.) and hybrid species according to DNA polymorphism of the cox2 gene. Hybrids in our study clustered within the common A. simplex (s.s.) clade in the cox2 phylogenetic tree indicating the dominance of A. simplex (s.s) in the catching area of Atlantic mackerel. Consequently, our study indicates high occurrence of A. simplex (s.s.) larvae with an overall 98.0% prevalence in imported Atlantic mackerel, and highlights the importance of these fish as potential reservoirs for human allergic anisakiasis in Turkey and possibly in other countries.

Little spatial and temporal segregation between coexisting lionfishes (Pterois miles and Pterois radiata) in the Red Sea

Spatial and temporal niche partitioning are common strategies to reduce competition between closely related species. While spatial partitioning is widely studied, temporal partitioning, especially in marine environments, is much less documented. The lionfish Pterois miles is common in the Red Sea and have recently established populations within the Mediterranean Sea. However, to date, the sympatric and closely related Pterois radiata has yet to become established outside its native range. In this study, we focus on describing spatio-temporal patterns of activity in P. miles and P. radiata within their native range. This may help understand their coexistence mechanisms and whether the presence of one species can influence the probability of the other species to become established. We used visual surveys across day and night to assess activity patterns and the tendency of the species to co-occur. We found that while P. miles is a flexible crepuscular, P. radiata is strictly nocturnal. However, we detected only slight spatio-temporal segregation between the species. Hence, the coexistence of these two species may not be related to habitat or temporal partitioning. However, we do find a more generalist behavior of P. miles in terms of activity duration, which adds to its known broad diet and habitat use patterns, and may jointly explain its introduction success.

Quality Evaluation of Nutritious Fish Crackers Developed from Three Carp Fish Species

Aims: A large number of food industries are focusing their interests recently on the commercial production of fish crackers for their nutritional values and health benefits. The goal of this study was to develop a set of formulae for the preparation of nutritious and tasty fish crackers using three low-value carp fish species namely mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio var. specularis), Mrigal (Cirrhinus cirrhosis) and Pangasius (Pangasius hypothalamus). 
 Methodology: Six different fish crackers were developed and their proximate analysis, linear expansion, oil absorption, texture hardness, color components were analyzed as per standard established methods. Sensory attributes were carried out by 60 naïve panelists to evaluate their consumers’ acceptance. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS for Windows (Version 25). 
 Results: The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Duncan’s multiple range test (DMRT) of all parameters showed significant differences (at P< 0.05) among the prepared fish crackers with significantly better results (at P< 0.05) for Sample 3. The moisture, ash, protein, fat and carbohydrate content of the fish crackers ranged from 2.42±0.05–3.18 ± 0.07%, 1.53±0.66–2.87±0.05%, 12.55±0.11–17.82±0.09%, 19.71±0.14–24.26±0.17% and 28.76±0.12–47.56±1.07%, respectively. The linear expansion, oil absorption and texture hardness of the fish crackers varied from 40.86±0.55–60.99±0.65%, 0.98±0.14–7.12±0.21% and 1208.30±109.08–2011.64±98.06 N/cm2, respectively. The range of Hunter lab color components e.g. lightness (L*), redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) of the fish crackers were 41.96±0.68­–69.15±0.08, 0.89±0.11–9.09±0.08 and 7.51±0.03–30.88±0.06, respectively. For all of the above-mentioned parameters, significantly better results (at P< 0.05) were observed in Sample 3 than the other samples. The 9-point Hedonic scale rating of the fish crackers rated by 200 naïve panelists revealed a significant difference (at P< 0.05) for Sample 3 than the others crackers in terms of appearance (8.30±0.79), taste (8.53±0.78), crispiness (7.63±0.85), aroma (7.91±1.09) and overall acceptability (8.64±0.72).
 Conclusion: Significantly better results (at P< 0.05) were observed for Sample 3, whereas the results of other samples were also acceptable. Findings of this investigation can also be helpful for the commercial production of value-added, nutritious fish crackers from low-value carp fishes like Cyprinus carpio var. specularis, Cirrhinus cirrhosis and Pangasius hypothalamus.

Lionfish coming soon on the menu in the Mediterranean.

Lionfish coming soon on the menu in the Mediterranean.

Age, growth parameters and food composition of Invasive Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans L., 1758) in İskenderun Bay

Age, growth parameters and food of Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) Red lionfish were studied. A total of 254 lion fishes (P. volitans and Pterois miles) were collected from commercial drift net, angling fisheries and diving with hand net southern coast of the Iskenderun Bay between March 2018 and March 2019. 29.53% of sample was P. volitans. Age was determined by reading whole sagittal otoliths. Fish ranged from 14.2 to 35.3 cm in total length, which corresponded to fish between 1 to 7 years old. The sex ratio (1:1.07) was biased toward males (P<0.05). The length–weight relationships were W=0,0042×L3.3514 (R²=0,92) and W=0,0108×L3.0423 (R²=0,94) for females and males, respectively. Growth parameters were estimated using the standard von Bertalanffy growth model (K=0.1507, 64, L∞=47.58 cm and to =-2.0506 for combined sexes. The diet was composed of fishes and crustaceans.

Antioxidant and chelating activities from Lion fish (Pterois volitans L.) muscle protein hydrolysates produced by in vitro digestion using pepsin and pancreatin.

The aim of the present research was to determine the antioxidant, and Cu2+ and Fe2+ chelating activities, amino acid content and estimated molecular weight of proteins and peptides from lion fish muscle-derived hydrolysates obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis with pepsin and pancreatin. The fillets were freeze-dried and hydrolysis was performed, taking aliquots at different times. The degree of hydrolysis, antioxidant activity against ABTS+ and DPPH, Cu2+ and Fe2+ chelating activity, as well as molecular weight estimated by SDS-PAGE and amino acid content by HPLC was determined. The highest degree of hydrolysis (DH) was at 180 min (37.75%). SDS-PAGE showed proteins with an estimated molecular weight of 45,259 and 42,487 Da, which could be associated with myofibrillar proteins. The progressive degradation of proteins by enzymes was also observed, detecting polypeptides with a EMW of 5,988 and 4,954 Da in the most representative hydrolysates. The H40 hydrolysate exhibited the highest ABTS and DPPH radical depuration activity, with values of 107.31 mM/mg protein and 54.27%, respectively. The iron and copper chelating activity was related to DH, since the highest values of iron and copper chelating activity were obtained in hydrolysates H120 and H140, with 90.83% chelation of Cu2+ and 56.33% chelation of Fe2+, respectively with no significant differences compared to subsequent times. In addition, the antioxidant and chelating activities were possibly related to Trp, Cys, Lys, Pro and Arg content. Lion fish muscle hydrolysates could be a potential source of functional ingredients due to their in vitro antioxidant and chelating activity.

Overfishing: pressure on our oceans

An increased demand for fish, combined with ever-growing global populations our oceans cannot keep up with the rate at which we are fishing our seas. As coastal fisheries declined, fishing started to expand into using open oceans as a resource leading to an 80% decline in bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in just 5 years. Though overfishing for specific species can be beneficial, and even more surprisingly it’s encouraged. Off the coast of America, a new threat has been growing in recent years, the red lion fish (Pterois volitans). This species originally native to coral reefs in the South Pacific has recently found a new home the Atlantic Ocean. Target fishing the Lionfish will not only help reduce population size, minimize the chances of the Lion fish causing greater ecological damage on the Atlantic Ocean. Is moving public perception and demand towards invasive the next steps in protecting our fisheries?&#x0D; Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.6(3): 397-404, December 2019

Investigation of Seasonal and Cooking Effects on the Bioaccessibility of Elements in Most Consumed Fish in Turkey

Investigation of Seasonal and Cooking Effects on the Bioaccessibility of Elements in Most Consumed Fish in Turkey

Can you spot the duplicates? Critics say these photos of lionfish point to fraud

Can you spot the duplicates? Critics say these photos of lionfish point to fraud

Echolocating porpoises fine-tune clicks to their surroundings

Disarray is everywhere, from the dense rainforest canopy to your messy teenager's chaotic bedroom. But, clutter introduces an additional level of complication for creatures that depend on echolocation to negotiate their environment. Objects that are of no interest to the echolocating animals throw up confounding echoes, so how do harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) adjust their echolocation clicks in different surroundings when assailed with a range of distracting reverberations?Fortunately, when the question occurred to Michael Ladegaard and Peter Madsen from Aarhus University, Denmark, Fjord&Bælt (a research and experience centre in Denmark) was preparing to relocate its resident harbour porpoises – Freja and Sif – for 2 weeks from their spacious net pen in the Kerteminde Fjord to a 10 m long temporary oval pool on land while their fjord home was renovated. Realising that the opportunity would allow them to compare directly the echolocation clicks produced by the porpoises in the relatively natural pen with those emitted in the more confined pool, Ladegaard and Madsen began training the mammals to echolocate blindfolded toward an aluminium cylinder, rewarding the mammals with a tasty fish each time they reached the cylinder after an 8 m approach.The duo recorded over 161,000 clicks produced by the porpoises as they advanced toward the cylinder with a SoundTrap digital audio workstation concealed within the aluminium cylinder and a hydrophone mounted on each porpoise's body. Analysing the pressure profile of the sound wave arriving at the SoundTrap, the duo eventually selected 869 clicks that had been produced when the animals were head-on to the aluminium cylinder, before calculating the distance to the porpoise. Plotting the delay between clicks (the interclick interval) against the porpoise's distance from the cylinder, Ladegaard and Madsen realised that the porpoises were clicking faster in the pool (approximately once every 35 ms), in contrast to every 60 ms in the more spacious sea enclosure. And when they compared the volume (sound level) of the clicks in the two locations, the porpoises were clicking more softly in the enclosed pool than in the open water sea pen.The porpoises were fine-tuning their clicks depending on the environment in which they found themselves, clicking more slowly in the spacious sea pen – to allow sufficient time for extraneous echoes generated by more distant objects to return to them – in contrast to their brief sojourn in the more restricted pool, where distracting echoes returned more swiftly, allowing them to click faster. In addition, the porpoises turned down the volume in the enclosed pool, to reduce the impact of reverberations from the pool sides. ‘For 60 years, researchers have mainly focused on how toothed whales adjust to a target of interest, but here we show that they need to negotiate an actively generated auditory scene consisting of much more than that single target and, therefore, also adjust their sampling to those “extraneous” echo generators’, says Madsen.

New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (November 2018)

In the present article, new records are given for 18 species (6 native, 9 alien and 3 cryptogenic), belonging to 5 Phyla (i.e. Chlorophyta, Cnidaria, Annelida, Mollusca and Chordata), from 8 Mediterranean countries: Spain : A large population of Polycerella emertoni reported from the Ebro Delta, the presence of Spinimuricea klavereni is confirmed for the first time in the Catalan coast; Italy : the new record of Cryptonome turcica extends its distribution to the western Mediterranean Sea, the findings of Mawia benovici constitute the southernmost record of this species in the Adriatic Sea; Slovenia : second record of the alien seaslug Cuthona perca in the Mediterranean Sea; Montenegro : Styela plicata communities were recorded in Boka Kotorska Bay; Albania : the native great torpedo ray T etronarce nobiliana recorded for the first time in Albanian waters; Greece : first record of Lagocephalus sceleratus in the Greek side of the Adriatic, the records of Cassiopea andromeda and Pterois miles are first records of these species from the Ionian Sea, the colonial ascidians Aplidium coeruleum and Didemnum protectum are recorded for the first time in the Eastern Mediterranean, an extremely abundant population of Melibe viridis is found in Messolonghi lagoon, the record of Synchiropus sechellensis is the range expansion of this species in Greek Seas, Acetabularia caliculus is recorded for the first time from Greece; Cyprus : first records of Callionymus filamentosus and Haminoea cyanomarginata from the island; Turkey : the presence of Berthellina citrina in the Mediterranean is confirmed.

Fatty Acids Profile, Atherogenic, Thrombogenic, and Polyene Lipid Indices in Golden Grey Mullet (Liza aurata) and Gold Band Goatfish (Upeneus moluccensis) from Mediterranean Sea

ABSTRACTThe aim of this work was to study the seasonal variations of the proximate compositions, fatty acids contents, and related lipid indices (atherogenic index [AI], thrombogenic index [TI], and polyene index [PI]) of golden grey mullet (Liza aurata) and gold band goatfish (Upeneus moluccensis) caught from the northeastern Mediterranean Sea. Proximate compositions and fatty acid contents of both fish species showed statistically significant seasonal variations (p < 0.05). The lipid contents were highest in autumn and lowest in winter in golden grey mullet and gold band goatfish. The main saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0), palmiteoleic acid (C16:1n-7), oleic acid (18:1n-9c), arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n-3), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n-3). The total polyunsaturated fatty acids in gold band goatfish did not show any differences among the seasons, whereas that in golden grey mullet was highest in winter. Levels of EPA, DHA, and n-3/n-6 ratios, as well as AI, TI, and PI, were significantly changed among seasons. The results show that golden grey mullet and gold band goatfish, which are among the important fish in Turkey and of commercial value, are a good source for human consumption in terms of their nutritional quality.

The Chemical Composition of the Lionfish (Pterois miles, Bennett 1828), the New Invasive Species of the Mediterranean Sea

In this study, the proximate composition of muscle tissue was investigated in lion fish (P. miles), which has a high invasion potency in the Mediterranean. At the same time, the potentials of accumulation of essential and toxic metals in brain, gill, muscle and liver tissues have been examined. The study was carried out with 4 lion fish individuals (1st individual 278 g, 28 cm, 2nd individual 55 g, 19 cm, 3rd individual 68 g, 20 cm, 4th individual 92 g, 22 cm) caught from the Yeşilovacık Bay in 2016. Water, crude protein, total lipid, total mineral substance (TMS) percentages were found to be 75.68-77.62%, 20.05-21.08%, 1.11-1.84%, 1.22-1.54 in P. miles, respectively. The percentage of fatty acids in lionfish ranged from 34.26% to 37.57% saturated fatty acids (SFAs), from 24.99% to 27.99 % monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and from 20.49% to 49.31% polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Dominant fatty acids are palmitic acid and stearic acid from SFAs, palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, cetoleic acid from MUFAs, EPA and DHA from PUFAs. The accumulation levels of heavy metals in the tissues were found as Fe&amp;gt; Zn&amp;gt; As&amp;gt; Cu&amp;gt; Cr&amp;gt; Pb, respectively. The accumulation levels of each metal in the tissues were determined as follows: liver&amp;gt;gill&amp;gt;brain&amp;gt;muscle (29.19-384.43 μg g-1dw) for Fe, gill&amp;gt;brain&amp;gt;liver&amp;gt;muscle (16.08-56.68 μg g-1dw) for Zn, muscle&amp;gt;brain&amp;gt;gill&amp;gt;liver (2.69-7.88 μg g-1dw) for As, liver&amp;gt; brain&amp;gt;gill&amp;gt;muscle (0.74-7.05 μg g-1dw) for Cu, brain&amp;gt;gill&amp;gt;muscle&amp;gt;liver (0.35-2.67 μg g-1dw) for Cr, brain&amp;gt;gill&amp;gt;muscle&amp;gt;liver (0.26-2.11 μg g-1dw) for Pb. As a result; while lionfish muscle tissue contains high levels of protein, unsaturated fatty acids, minerals and trace elements, it has been determined that levels of heavy metals in this consumable tissue are not at levels that could threaten human health.

Isolation and Identification of Streptococcus parauberis From Freshwater Fish in Turkey

Streptococcus parauberis is an alpha-hemolytic gram positive coccoid bacterium belonging to the Streptococcaceae family. This bacterium cause streptococcosis is a major disease in cultured fish due to the intensification of aquaculture and causes significant economic losses in fish farm industry. In our study, we isolated a total of 37 lactic acid bacteria from wild fish ( Sander lucioperca , Carassius gibelio , Cyprinus carpio ) of Lake Eğirdir and cultured fish ( Oncorhynchus mykiss , Walbaum) of farm in Turkey. For the isolation of bacteria phenotypic and biochemical characteristics of the 37 isolates obtained from the colonies grown on MRS, TSA and M17 agar characterized by determining colony morphology, cell morphology, motility, gram staining and the production of cytochrome oxidase and catalase. Further biochemical characteristics were determined using conventional tests according to Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology. From the isolated lactic acid bacteria 25 of were identified as S. parauberis , 2 of as Vagococcus sp., 2 of as Lactococcus garvieae and 5 of as Lactococcus lactis by culture-based, biochemical test and 16Sr RNA gene sequencing techniques but 3 of them couldn’t (F65, F49 and F50) identified. In this study, the main objective of us is to identify S. parauberis with conventional and 16Sr RNA gene sequencing techniques from wild fish in Lake Eğirdir and in cultured fish in fish farm of Egirdir-Turkey.

DENSIDAD Y ESTRUCTURA DE TALLAS DEL PEZ LEÓN PTEROIS VOLITANS (SCORPAENIDAE) EN EL CARIBE OCCIDENTAL INSULAR COLOMBIANO

The problems produced by invading species have been recognized in the last years, considering the situation the second cause of biodiversity lost, after habitat degradation. The lion fish (Pterois volitans), a species native to the Western Pacific, was first detected in southern Florida in 1985. Since 2000 the species began dispersing, extending first to the east coast of the United States, Bermuda, and Bahamas, and, after 2007, it has expanded to the Caribbean, appearing in Colombian oceanic and continental localities in 2008 and 2009, respectively. San Andrés natural conditions ease deeper understanding of several aspects of the invasion and constitutes a natural experiment to study the process and behavior of the colonization. Estimations of its abundance, density and size structure in the island environment of the Colombian Caribbean should allow making valid approximations to mitigating strategies. 1200 m2 distributed in three stations (Bajo Bonito, Villa Erika, and West Point) were studied in the island. A density of 379.03 ind/ha (± 220) and a total population of 109.6826 x 104 individuals with a mean size of 29.03 (± 2.47) cm were found

Identification of bacterial pathogens and determination of their antibacterial resistance profiles in some cultured fish in Turkey

Abstract Introduction: In the present study, some of the commercial fish farms located in the Black Sea region of Turkey, were screened for bacteria between 2012 and 2014. Material and Methods: The bacterial agents isolated from fish were identified by classical biochemical tests and the rapid diagnostic tests (API 20 E and API 20 Strep). All strains were further identified by sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes. The strains were also investigated for resistance to different antimicrobials by the disc diffusion method. Antibiotic resistance genes, including tetracycline (B), β-lactam (ampC, blaTEM, blaPSE ), florfenicol (floR), erythromycine (ereA, ereB), sulphonamide (sulI, sulII), and trimethoprim (dhfr1) genes, were determined by the PCR method. Results: Vibrio anguillarum, Vibrio fluvialis, Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida, Pseudomonas luteola, Lactococcus garvieae, Streptococcus iniae, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Yersinia ruckeri were isolated from marine and freshwater cultured fish. According to the results of disc diffusion, all isolates were sensitive to florfenicol, trimethoprim+sulfamethoxazole, oxitetracycline, and enrofloxacin, and resistant to lincomycin, penicillin G, and amoxicillin. Also, sulI, sulII, and floR resistance genes were detected in the bacteria. Conclusion: The results of the study open up the opportunity to perform further investigations which could determine the possible role of ARGs in fish pathogens.

Induced breeding of Vietnames koi (Anabas testudineus) using pituitary gland (PG) and ovaprim at Tasty Fish and Feeds Industries Limited, Melandah, Jamalpur

The research work was conducted for induced breeding of Vietnames Koi (Anabas testudineus) using carpPG extract and Ovaprim hormone at Tasty Fish and Feeds Industries Limited, Melandah, Jamalpur during March to May, 2015. Brood fishes were reared for 4-5 months in the brood rearing pond by providing farm-made artificial feed (containing 32% protein) for maturation before onset of breeding season. Two different hormones i.e., PG-PG (both for male and female), and PG-Ovaprim (PG for male and Ovaprim for female) were used as inducing agents for the purpose of induction of breeding A. testudineus. The broods were induced with PG-PG hormone at the doses of 2 mg PG/Kg body weight of male and 7 mg PG/Kg body weight of female and PG-Ovaprim hormone were used at the doses of 2 mg PG/Kg body weight of male and 7 ml Ovaprim/Kg body weight of female and designated as treatments T1 and T2, respectively. Ovulation rates (100%) were similar in both the treatments, whereas, fertilization, hatching, and survival rates were 78.11±3.24%, 70.22±3.40%, and 51.22±3.96% in T1 and 71.00±3.97%, 60.89±4.20%, and 48.89±4.41% in T2, respectively. Although comparatively better breeding performance was found for carp PG extract but these values were not significantly higher compared to Ovaprim. Therefore, comparing the breeding performance and considering the cost-benefit analysis it is suggested that Ovaprim could be used as an alternative of carp PG extract for the induced breeding of Vietnames koi.Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. December 2015, 1(3): 607-611

Reef fish community in presence of the lionfish (Pterois volitans) in Santa Marta, Colombian Caribbean

ABSTRACT Objective. Fish species community structure and benthic organisms coverage were studied in five localities in Santa Marta where the lionfish is present. Materials and methods. Abundance of fish species, including lion fish, was established using 30 m random visual censuses and video transects; trophic guilds were established according to available references. On the other hand benthic coverage was evaluated using the software Coral Point Count (CPCe) 4.0. Results. Families with higher species numbers were Serranidae, Labridae, and Pomacentridae. Lionfish abundances were low (2.6±2.1 ind/120 m2), but in any case Pterois volitans was observed as the eleventh more abundant species, surpassing species of commercial value such as Cephalopholis cruentata. Species that were found in larger numbers (&gt;100, Thalassoma bifasciatum, Haemulon aurolineatum, Canthigaster rostrata, Abudefduf saxatilis, Chromis cyanea, and Stegastes partitus) were mainly invertebrate eaters, planctivores, and territorial herbivores. Coral coverage showed higher coral percentages in Chengue (69.9%) and Cinto (27.4%), larger sponge percentages in Morro (32.7%); Isla Aguja and Remanso showed the larger figures for abiotic substrate (41.6 and 37%, respectively); corals, sponges, and gorgonians were the components best explaining fish community, but not for the lion fish, which inhabit all studied reef formations. Conclusions. Lion fish is ranked between the 20 more abundant species, with none commercially important species larger, hence no species may qualify as a natural control. Lion fish has as well become a relatively abundant species in Santa Marta reefs, independent of benthic coverage.