Small Fish Research Articles

Nutrition of the Baikal seal and its role in the trophic structure of the Baikal ecosystem

The purpose of the work was to give as complete an overview as possible of the currently available publications related to the nutrition of the Baikal seal (Pusa sibirica).More than 50 sources devoted to the stated topic served as materials for writing the review.The results of the analysis of published sources showed that the Baikal seal feeds mainly on 4–6 species of small pelagic fish throughout the year, and the main food is two species of golomyankas of the Comephoridae family. The hypothesis according to which the well-being of the species is largely determined by the use of the pelagic crustacean Macrochectopus branickii for food does not stand up to criticism and is unlikely to reflect the real picture. The distribution of the Baikal omul is such that it does not exclude, but does not in any way contribute to the fact that the seal consumes it in significant quantities. However, the consumption of salmonids as food has become more frequent in recent years (the reasons for this cannot be established), but even now these fish constitute <3% of the biomass of fish consumed by the entire population of the Baikal seal per year. All adaptive morphophysiological, anatomical and behavioral features of the species clearly indicate that the seal has developed a food strategy aimed at the effective production and utilization of the above-mentioned fish species.Conclusion: the basis of the diet of the Baikal seal is made up of small non-commercial pelagic fish species, therefore, even with a large population, seals cannot be the reason for the reduction in commercial omul stocks.The practical significance of the work lies in the fact that its conclusions must be taken into account when developing rules and strategies for exploiting the Baikal seal population.

The evaluation of anaesthetic efficacy of Coriandrum sativum essential oils in three-spotted tilapia (Oreochromis andersonii): a study of fish size and water temperature

The present study aimed to determine the anaesthetic effectiveness, safety, and applicable concentrations of coriander (Coriandrum sativum) essential oils (CEO) for three-spotted tilapia (Oreochromis andersonii). For this purpose, CEO concentrations of 400, 500, and 600 µL/L were tested at two temperatures, 20.90 ± 1.19 °C and 30.60 ± 0.92 °C, on three different sizes (small, medium, and large) of the fish in duplicate glass aquaria with 200 mg/L of tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) served as the control. The sedative efficacy during simulated transportation experiments was also carried out. The results demonstrated that the induction and recovery time in O. andersonii anaesthetised with CEO were significantly influenced by concentration, water temperature, and fish size (P < 0.05). A concentration of 600 µL/L of CEO was found to be highly effective in inducing deep anesthesia and promoting rapid recovery in small and medium-sized fish at both water temperatures (20 and 30 °C). Based on this study, 100 µL/L of CEO is recommended for short-term transportation lasting up to 4 h, while 50 µL/L is advised for longer-distance transport. Although coriander essential oil shows anaesthetic effectiveness in three-spotted tilapia, further research is needed to fully understand the efficacy and safety of CEO across different fish species.

Sardines in hot water: Unravelling plastic fibre ingestion and feeding behaviour effects

Small pelagics are small fish species often schooling that mainly feed on planktonic organisms and are foraging species of larger animals. These species have experienced important declines in their wild populations during the last decades. For instance, the decrease of the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) body condition has had a detrimental impact on its landings, leaving their commercial fishing unprofitable in some Mediterranean areas. The causes for this decline are not clearly established but seems to be mainly related to changes with planktonic communities inducing a switch in their foraging behaviour from particulate-feeding to filter-feeding. Moreover, it has been highlighted that sardines ingest plastic fibres throughout their natural spatial distribution, suggesting this additional pollution as a possible new threat affecting their populations’ health. In this study we developped an experimental setup allowing us to maintain wild fish in captive controlled conditions in order to test the possible factors affecting plastic fibres ingestion in sardines. We demonstrate that sardines ingest fibres from water, and the amount of fibres ingested is highly impacted by their feeding behaviour. Sardines feeding by filtration ingest less food but more plastic fibres (mean = 4.95 fibres/ind; SD = 3.43), compared to sardines that feed by particulate-feeding (mean = 0.6 fibres/ind; SD = 1.04). Moreover, a decrease in sardine body condition factor was detected for filter-feeding individuals, mostly linked to the lower amount of food they ingested rather than to the fibre ingestion itself. Nonetheless, higher water temperature seems to accelerate the pattern of fibre expulsion in filter-feeding sardines. Alltogether, it is suggested that plastic fibres pollution and phytoplanctonic changes under global change, might synergistically act at disturbing the health of this species in wild populations.

The Impact on People who Trade on the Fish Species ‘Limnothrissa miodon’ - Kapenta for their Livelihood: Practical Perceptions of Traders of Siavonga

Lake Kariba is the world’s largest man-made lake and reservoir by volume. It lies 1300km upstream from the Indian Ocean, along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Lake Kariba was filled between 1958 and 1963 following the completion of the Kariba dam at its north eastern end flooding the Kariba Gorge on the Zambezi River. Culturally controversial, the local people believed that the construction of the dam would anger the Zambezi river god Nyami-nyami, who rise up and cause the dam would wall to collapse destroying the bridge as well as resulting in floods of catastrophic proportions. It is believed that the Nyami-nyami lives under a rock close to the Kariba dam wall. The rock is called ‘Kariwa’ meaning trap as the local people believed if you canoed past its location you would be sucked down in whirlpool never to be seen again. This where the name Kariba originates from, laced with the local mythology. In the late 1960s a type of fish Limnothrissa miodon locally known as Kapenta was introduced in Lake Kariba from lake Tanganyika. Kapenta is a small sardine fish which supports a large and viable fishery for Zimbabwe and Zambia. Kapenta, a type of fish also known as fresh water sardine has several chemical compositions that help reduce the risk of various diseases including prostate cancer. A recent chemical composition analysis of Kapenta by the National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC) shows a great variation in the nutrient composition for the dry and fresh Kapenta. NFNC principal nutritionist Mr. Musonda Mofu says dry Kapenta contains 209 calories of food energy compared with 85 calories of food energy in fresh Kapenta. In addition dry Kapenta contains 63 grammes of protein and only 16 grams of protein in fresh Kapenta. The paper reflects on the declining population of this small nutrient rich fish due to over-harvesting, climatic changes with increasing temperatures and with the decreasing levels of water storage. A cumulative study on the pattern of nurturing the fish for economic and social flexibility is the main concern of this paper.

Investigating the impact of cross-shelf transport and local retention in the Black Sea Rim Current system on small pelagic fishes

Advection of pelagic fish larvae through ocean currents is a source of dispersal that is known to structure marine populations by directly impacting population success and persistence. To be able to understand fish population dynamics and manage existing fisheries it is therefore of importance to assess the extent of exchange between populations and determine the factors that drive it, which is still a challenge in fisheries research today. In this study, the output of a high-resolution basin-scale circulation model is used to calculate the dispersal probability from spawning areas and the remaining Black Sea for a range of commercially important fish such as anchovy, sprat, turbot, red mullet, and bluefish under different environmental conditions. The common trait of many commercially important species in the Black Sea is that they have pelagic larval stages of different time scales which are simulated by tracking virtual drifters in the simulated surface circulation of the Black Sea. Simulation results show that the dynamic current structure of the Black Sea causes low local retention of larvae. During spring and summer lower offshore transport and higher local retention is observed than in fall and winter, which is directly related to the Rim Current strength. The lowest offshore transport is observed on the northern northwestern shelf, the main spawning area for pelagic fish with still 24-32% of larvae transported offshore. Simulations show that pelagic fish species such as anchovy and sprat adopted different reproductive strategies through their species-specific traits. For the summer spawning species anchovy, timing, and location of spawning together with its short pelagic larval stage is shown to enhance retention on the northwestern shelf. Sprat with its long pelagic larval stage and winter spawning is more adapted to high offshore transport, making it unlikely that sprat is recruited to the same area as where it is spawned. This modeling framework provides a basis for investigating recruitment variability of pelagic fish species in the Black Sea specifically considering the impact of climate variability and provides a useful guide to the potential connectivity of marine populations or the spread of invasive pests in the Black Sea.

Distinct food-web transfers of 137Cs to fish in river and lake ecosystems: A case study focusing on masu salmon in the Fukushima evacuation zone

This study was conducted to elucidate the spatial and size variations, and food-web transfer of 137Cs in freshwater fish in the upper reaches of the Ukedo River system, a highly contaminated river system flowing through the Fukushima evacuation zone. Fish collection and environmental surveys were conducted in the summer of 2020 at five forest rivers and at the Ogaki Dam reservoir (an artificial lake) with different air dose rates (mean 0.20–3.32 μSv/h). From the river sites, two salmonid species (masu salmon and white-spotted charr) were sampled, with masu salmon generally exhibiting higher 137Cs concentrations, ranging widely (10.6 Bq/kg-wet to 13.0 kBq/kg-wet) depending on the fish size (size effect) and site. The 137Cs concentrations in masu salmon were explained by the air dose rates, 137Cs concentrations in water, sediments (excluding the lake site), and primary producers, with site-specific variations. In the rivers, masu salmon (fluvial type with parr marks) mainly fed on terrestrial insects with higher 137Cs concentrations compared with those of aquatic insects, indicating that 137Cs was transferred mainly to fish through the allochthonous forest food-web during summer. In the lake, masu salmon (lake-run type with larger size and silvery body coloration) mainly preyed on smaller fish with lower 137Cs concentrations, demonstrating that 137Cs is transferred to fish through the autochthonous lake food-web with biomagnification. Differences in 137Cs concentrations among masu salmon (mean 441 Bq/kg-wet) and other fish species (mean 74.8 Bq/kg-wet to 2.35 kBq/kg-wet) were also found in the lake. The distinct 137Cs transfers to river and lake fish were supported by stable isotope analysis: δ15N and δ13C values enriched stepwisely through the food-webs were, respectively, higher and lower in the lake. Our results obtained using multiple approaches clearly revealed the distinct food-web transfer of 137Cs in river and lake ecosystems. These findings can contribute to prediction of radioactive contamination in freshwater fish in the Fukushima evacuation zone.

Small Fish, Big Problems: Life History, Conservation, and the Future of the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow

The Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Hybognathus amarus is a small‐bodied minnow emblematic of a reproductive guild endemic to rivers of the North American Great Plains. This species has been lost from over 90% of its historical range. The species was federally listed as endangered in 1994 and intensive conservation efforts over the past three decades have averted its extinction in the wild. This article synthesizes the life history of the species, causes of decline and existing threats, and prospects for recovery considering ongoing conservation efforts. Restoring multiple self‐sustaining populations remains questionable given large‐scale, irreversible changes to the Rio Grande basin, though the resiliency of the species and established conservation programs hold at least some potential for advancing recovery beyond simply preventing extinction.

Notes on the natural history and identity of the pelagic sea snake Hydrophis platurus (Serpentes: Elapidae) from Golfo Dulce, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Introduction: The pelagic sea snake Hydrophis platurus has the broadest distributional range of all the snakes and is the only sea snake of tropical waters off the west coast of the Americas. Within the variation in the color pattern of this species, completely yellow specimens were considered very rare or occasional. However, a yellow pattern dominates a population established in the interior of the Golfo Dulce in the Southern Pacific of Costa Rica. Objective: We studied the abundance, activity patterns, morphometry, and feeding behavior of the yellow H. platurus within the Golfo Dulce. Methods: Between February 2009 and July 2018, we conducted surveys for sea snakes from a boat within the perimeter of the Golfo Dulce. Results: Adults from the gulf population are smaller than the bicolor oceanic population, with females having larger bodies. Sea snakes within the gulf float and move with surface currents without being linked to drift lines and debris. These snakes are mainly found in clean, calm waters with little turbulence. They feed on a wide diversity of small fish, which they capture using passive stalking predatory behaviors floating on the surface. Prey are quickly captured and swallowed alive. This species has an almost total absence of predation, a pattern that extends to this yellow population. Conclusions: The characteristics of the gulf and the direction and strength of the surface currents at its entrance might restrict the transit of this yellow population to the outside and the entry of the bicolored snakes of the oceanic population. We do not consider making taxonomic changes in this Golfo Dulce population prudent. This yellow population is relatively common within the basin. However, the high tourist traffic and other activities are risk factors for its conservation. Protection policies must be created to preserve and protect this small population of yellow sea snakes unique within this species' distribution range.

Juveniles of a biparental cichlid fish compensate lack of parental protection by improved shoaling performance

Parental brood care greatly affects offspring’s fitness, but the specific effects of care on the collective behaviour of independent offspring are less well understood. It has been suggested that the loss of care induces increased sibling cooperation to compensate parental contributions. However, the empirical evidence is ambiguous. Here, we examined how the loss of early parental care affects the collective behaviour, i.e. shoaling performance of independent juveniles in a genetically heterogeneous lab-population of the biparental cichlid fish Pelvicachromis pulcher. Applying a split-clutch design, we reared in- and outbred offspring with or without parents. In the experiment, we examined shoal density (inter-individual distance) in relation to body size of the shoaling fish. Dense shoaling reduces predation risk and small fish may benefit strongest because they are particularly vulnerable to predation by gape-limited predators. Juveniles reared without parents formed denser shoals and they adjusted shoaling behaviour depending on own body size compared to juveniles reared with parents; especially smaller fish formed dense shoals. Inbreeding did not significantly affect shoaling performance. This indicates that juveniles compensate missing parental care by adjusting their shoaling behaviour depending on own vulnerability. Our study contributes to the understanding of the co-evolution of brood care and sibling cooperation.

Gastronomic ethnobiology of smelt, Osmerus eperlanus (L., 1758), a culturally significant but vanishing food item in Sweden

European smelt, Osmeras eperlanus L., was popular as food in central Sweden a century ago. During spring spawning, this fish could easily be caught in large quantities in rivers and streams with nets and wooden traps. While it is still appreciated as a delicious spring primer in several countries around the Baltic Sea, in Sweden its consumption is negligible. The fish has vanished from markets and restaurant menus, and it is fished only locally in Central Sweden. In Stockholm, smelt was fished commercially until 2016.Smelt is a small fish yet loaded with cultural symbolism, and it has attracted the attention of authors, designers, and visual artists for centuries. Attempts to relaunch smelt as a local speciality have had only marginal impact. It is far from endangered in Swedish waters, but as human food, this fish has gone from highly popular to neglected and ultimately ignored. This article discusses the significance of smelt as food and cultural symbol in historical times, causes and consequences of changing habits, and their influence on the consumption of smelt, the loss of knowledge regarding fish preparation, and the place of fish today in Swedish food traditions versus modern food preferences.

Lernaea cf. cyprinacea infection in agile frog (Rana dalmatina) tadpoles in Hungary.

The ectoparasitic copepod Lernaea cyprinacea (anchor worm) has more than 100 host species among teleost fishes and affects cyprinids both in fish farms and natural waters. In addition, while L. cyprinacea infection in amphibians has been recorded in Asia, North and South America, there is no data available in the literature on their presence in Europe. In this study, we first reported L. cf. cyprinacea parasitising an anuran tadpole in Europe. Specimens of L. cf. cyprinacea were observed attached to a tadpole of the agile frog (Rana dalmatina), which was caught during fishing of crucian carp fingerlings (Carassius carassius) from a small fish pond in Hungary during the summer of 2012. The infected tadpole was collected from a rearing pond, where juvenile crucian carps were kept. The tadpole was inspected in the laboratory, and digital photos were taken. The parasites were found attached to the body-tail junction and to the leg of the tadpole (at Gosner stage 41). The parasite species was identified as L. cf. cyprinacea based on morphological traits.

A multidecadal study of the Malabar upwelling system influencing Indian Mackerel landings along the coasts of Karnataka and Kerala, south-east Arabian Sea

Indian Mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) is an essential small pelagic fishery resource, contributing to nearly 30 % of India's total marine fish landing. However, this species' life cycle and stock status are poorly understood and data deficient. Ocean mesoscale events are also known to influence their landing, besides the environmental factors like- salinity, chlorophyll, and sea surface temperature, affecting these small pelagic fishes' availability, migration, feeding, and reproductive activity. The Malabar upwelling region (southwest coast of India) is a significant upwelling system where upwelling occurs during the monsoon months. The nutrient-rich water increases the productivity of surface water, leading to plankton abundance. This productivity sustains a fishery for several commercially important fishes, mainly small pelagics such as sardines, mackerels, and anchovies, supporting India's most significant coastal pelagic fishery. For understanding the relationship between the target fish and the oceanographic events, in the present study, Pearson's correlation has been estimated between Indian Mackerel landing, rainfall, Sea water temperature at 0, 10, 20, 30, 45, and 50 m depths, mixed layer depth (MLD), their anomalies and occurrences of potential fishing zone (PFZ) lines along the Malabar upwelling region and corresponding coasts of Karnataka and Kerala. Mackerel landing time series showed a significant autocorrelation in four-quarter lag, correlation with rainfall anomaly in one-quarter lag, with PFZ line and MLD in three-quarter lag, and with SWT@50 (Seawater temperature@50 m depth) and SST anomaly in two-quarter lag both in Karnataka and Kerala. Upwelling events, as indicated by the presence of PFZ lines, were found to significantly impact the landings of Indian mackerel along the Karnataka and Kerala coasts. Polynomial equations were used to model the relationship between mackerel landings and these environmental factors, effectively capturing the influence of these parameters on mackerel catch trends.

Local size structure and distribution of demersal fish in relation to sea pens and other benthic habitats in a deep-sea soft-bottom environment

Many fish species undergo ontogenetic habitat shifts as they grow to fulfill new biological, ecological and environmental requirements. While relationships between fishes and large hard-substrate cold-water corals (CWC) (e.g., Desmophyllum pertusum reefs) have frequently been studied, there are relatively fewer studies examining the relationships of fish with habitats specifically provided by smaller corals (e.g., sea pens) in soft-bottom environments. Despite this knowledge gap around soft-bottom corals, growing evidence of their importance has nonetheless justified their inclusion as conservation targets in numerous Marine Protected Areas (MPA), including the Canadian Laurentian Channel MPA. Here, we performed ROV and near-seabed drift-camera system surveys within the Laurentian Channel MPA in 2017 and 2018 to assess the influence of fish body size and habitat type on fish small-scale distribution in a low-relief deep-sea soft-sediment environment. We compared the local size structure of the four most abundant deep-sea demersal fish taxa of the channel (Redfish (Sebastes spp.), Witch Flounder (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus), Marlin-Spike Grenadier (Nezumia bairdii) and Longfin Hake (Phycis chesteri)) across one barren and five structural benthic habitats defined by the presence of nine dominant epibenthic invertebrates (actiniarians and CWCs). We used generalized additive models to identify biotic (benthic habitats) and abiotic (depth, bottom types) covariates of size for each taxon. We observed 15,381 fish within the 43.6-ha study area, of which 7,511 fish were measured. Juveniles represented 99% of all fish measured, with a notable increase in average fish size in 2018. While we did not find any associations between benthic habitats and fish life stages, the analysis revealed a significant increase in fish size within sea pen habitats for all four taxa. Conversely, we found a taxon-specific influence of bottom type on fish size for all taxa. In addition, Redfish and Longfin Hake size was positively correlated with depth. For deep-sea demersal fish taxa of the MPA, our results suggest that 1) sea pens provide nursery habitat for early-life stages, 2) fish undergo ontogenetic shifts in micro-habitat use and specialization, and 3) fish-habitat associations appear to be facultative rather than obligate. Through the use of in-situ video data, this study provided evidence that small and large fish do not use the same micro-habitats, and that sea pens contribute significantly to fish habitat despite providing less habitat heterogeneity than reef-forming scleractinians or large gorgonians. These results contribute to empirical understanding of fish-habitat relationships at different fish life stages and may inform fisheries management, as well as monitoring efforts in the MPA and other protected deep-sea environments.

Placing (the absences of) West African sardinellas in Senegal on the animal geographies map

ABSTRACT Starting from the vantage point that animal geographies remain primarily concerned with present animals, what might we learn from an attentiveness to the absence(s) of animals in the context of human-nonhuman relations as approached by the subdiscipline? This prompt is addressed in this commentary by placing (the absences of) West African sardinellas – small pelagic fish – in Senegal on the animal geographies map. Focusing on a derivative of sardinellas, keccax (artisanally smoked and dried fish), and its traces in fish-processing infrastructures in one fishing town on the Senegalese seaboard, the following remarks address twofold absences of the fish: sardinellas’ absence in the animal geographies literature; and sardinellas’ absence in certain locales in Senegal at the current moment. Against these absences, I argue that animal geographies would significantly benefit, both empirically and theoretically, from more deliberate inquiries into how humans experience animals as absent, across their life and death cycle. Such an attentiveness to animal absences, their diverse and always situated manifestations, and the ways they are being experienced by humans entangled in transforming more-than-human political economies, affords inquiring into ways of remaining ‘afloat’ in such post-colonial geographies of protracted extractivism as the one presented in this intervention.

Nutrient Status of Some Food Fishes with Respect to Their Proximate Composition: A Review

The nutritional awareness is a vital issue in most of the developing countries. Consumption of imbalance nutrients is globally responsible for the malnutrition, a curse for the people who belongs to below poverty line. Fish is a vital source of protein and many other essential nutrients for the human health. More than one billion of people around the world include fish food in their regular diet. Many of the developing countries like India are resided by poor villagers who gladly consume the small fish species which are of low cost and easily available in the water lands. The nutrient status the small food fishes are of greater interest to the researchers in the field of biochemistry in terms of their socio-economic impact and sustainable human food chain. Advanced researches on the biochemical constituents of different fishes are signified and essential to the human health as well as medicinal practitioners to formulate newer medicines for the prevention of many life risk diseases of the community. This review article is an attempt to review the current scientific literatures on the nutrient status with respect to their proximate composition of different fish species across the globe. The significance of such study on Food-to-food fortification (FtFF) on the basis of proximate composition of fish along with challenges and future perspectives are also highlighted.

Real-time detection of dead fish for unmanned aquaculture by yolov8-based UAV

As the importance of aquaculture increases, the scale and benefits of aquaculture are continuously emphasized. To achieve stable, efficient and high-precision detection instead of manual labor, we have adopted a UAV combined with artificial intelligence approach by improving the YOLOv8 model, and realizes the real-time detection of dead fish in the aquaculture by transmitting the frames captured by the UAV back to the server for computation in real time. The experimental results show that the improved model achieves an accuracy of 95.6 %, a recall of 95.2 %, a mAP 50 of 98.1 %, and a MAP50–95 of 67.5 % on the dataset constructed in this paper, which are 5.4 %, 22.8 %, 12.6 %, and 10.52 % higher than the original model, respectively. As a result, the accuracy of recognizing small dead fish targets in the view of UAV aerial photography has been greatly improved, and can be applied to the detection under different water surface shooting conditions. In addition, the UAV detection method proposed in this study can be combined with other schemes and applied to unmanned management of aquaculture and fisheries to detect problems in aquaculture in a timely and accurate manner.

Ретроспективный сравнительный анализ эффективности хондропротективной терапии пациентов с хронической болью в нижней части спины

INTRODUCTION. The choice of optimal therapy for chronic lower back pain includes: influence on all links of the pain vicious circle, has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, chondroprotective effect. AIM. A retrospective comparative analysis of outpatient records of patients with chronic lower back pain with a course of therapy with drugs containing chondroitin sulfate – Chondroguard, and bioactive concentrate of small marine fish – Alflutop. MATERIAL AND METHODS. Outpatient records of patients who took Chondroguard and Alflutop in the period from January 2022 to April 2024 were included. Data from 60 patients (medium age 51.5±9.7 years). Patients were retrospectively divided into two groups depending on the strategy of pain management. The main group (n=30; medium age 51.0±9.8 years), who received Chondroguard intramuscularly (I/ m) every other day No. 25 according to the scheme: the first 3 injections (1st, 3rd, 5th day) - 1 ml (100 mg), with good tolerability from the 4th injection (7 day) – 2 ml (200 mg); and the Comparison group (n=30; medium age 49.3±9.9 years), received Alflutop 2 ml, 1 time a day, every other day, a short course of 10 days. The dynamics of the condition was assessed on days 10, 20, 50. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. By day 50 in the Main group, there was a decrease in pain by an average of 86.6% according to the numerical rating scale and an improvement in the functional status according to the Oswestry scale of 95.5%, in the comparison group there was a decrease in pain by an average of 77.2%, an improvement in the functional status according to Oswestry scale of 86.7%. By day 50, the severity of pain syndrome in the Main group decreased by 91.2%, in the Comparison group – by 33.9%; indicators of the functional status of Oswestry scale in the Main group improved by 97.3%, in the Comparison group – by 84.8%. In the Main group, the need for multiple nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the 10th day of therapy decreased to 1 tablet per day in 76.7%, in the Comparison group – in 16.7%. In the main group, after a course of therapy for 21.3±2.2 months. they did not consult a doctor in the comparison group after 5.3±1.1 months. A second course of therapy was conducted. CONCLUSION. In the Main group, the effects of therapy can be regarded as long-term, since the effects of highly purified chondroitin sulfate on the pathogenetic mechanisms of the formation of chronic lower back pain remain. KEYWORDS: pain syndrome, lower back pain, chondroitin sulfate, Chondroguard

Metabolic disrupting chemicals in the intestine: the need for biologically relevant models: Zebrafish: what can we learn from this small environment-sensitive fish?

Although the concept of endocrine disruptors first appeared almost 30 years ago, the relatively recent involvement of these substances in the etiology of metabolic pathologies (obesity, diabetes, hepatic steatosis, etc.) has given rise to the concept of Metabolic Disrupting Chemicals (MDCs). Organs such as the liver and adipose tissue have been well studied in the context of metabolic disruption by these substances. The intestine, however, has been relatively unexplored despite its close link with these organs. In vivo models are useful for the study of the effects of MDCs in the intestine and, in addition, allow investigations into interactions with the rest of the organism. In the latter respect, the zebrafish is an animal model which is used increasingly for the characterization of endocrine disruptors and its use as a model for assessing effects on the intestine will, no doubt, expand. This review aims to highlight the importance of the intestine in metabolism and present the zebrafish as a relevant alternative model for investigating the effect of pollutants in the intestine by focusing, in particular, on cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A), one of the major molecular players in endogenous and MDCs metabolism in the gut.

Catch and characteristics of Decapterus sp. fishing areas in The Southern Waters of East Java - Bali

Abstract One of the essential potential resources of small pelagic fish to the livelihood of fishermen is Decapterus sp. The purpose of this study was to examine the catch and features of the Decapterus sp fishing region in Indian Ocean waters from East Java to Bali. The fisheries data for Decapterus sp during 2019 - 2021 were provided by Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Republic of Indonesia. The chl-a, and SST data were downloaded from Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (https://marine.copernicus.eu/). The fisheries and environmental data were then grouped by season. The results showed that the highest catch per unit efforts (CPUE) value occurred during transition 2 season with value of 2.89 followed by west season with value of 2.65. The smallest value of CPUE occurred during transition 1 (1.98). In general, most of Decapterus sp were caught in SST range between 27 – 29°C and chl-a range between 0.1 – 0.3 mg/m3. These results can be used as a basis for management of Decapterus sp especially in southern waters of East Java - Bali.

Small Pelagics in West Africa face the multiple challenges of food security, wealth creation and regional governance

The aim of this article is to present the multidimensional challenges associated with the exploitation of small pelagic fish in the West Africa region. The method involved collecting statistical data on the production and trade of these fish from research centres located in countries along the West African coastline. Field surveys were also conducted with experts and key stakeholders in fisheries to gather qualitative information on fisheries resource governance and working conditions within the value chain. These empirical data are enriched by a narrative review of scientific literature. Our results show an average annual production of small pelagic fish estimated at 1.3 million tonnes. Although this performance has improved over the past decade, primarily due to increased catches in Mauritania, it remains insufficient to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population. Indeed, per capita consumption of small pelagic fish has decreased by two kilograms over the past decade, currently standing at five kilograms per individual per year. The trade deficit in pelagic fish is increasing. This situation is set to worsen in the coming years due to various factors such as the current state of overexploitation of pelagic stocks, degradation of marine ecosystems, and climate change. Additionally, the emergence of fishmeal and fish oil industries, as well as the lack of adequate port infrastructure, hampers the value addition of the small pelagic fish value chain for human consumption. On the governance front, several challenges remain. Current public policies are often directive and ineffective, particularly concerning artisanal fisheries. The management of migrant fishers also remains problematic, exacerbating the pressure on already vulnerable stocks. Despite the establishment of regional institutions, interviews with experts highlight a lack of integration and synergy in fisheries resource governance. In a context where issues of food security and climate change are becoming increasingly urgent, it is imperative to design and implement robust regional strategies to address these critical challenges.Haut du formulaire Bas du formulaire