Studies on the electrophoretic patterns of fish muscle myogens

Electrophoretic patterns of the muscle myogens of prawns and some common Indian food fishes of marine and fresh water origin were obtained on polyacrylamide gel. It was observed that the characteristic band pattern which was species specific and was not altered by storage of fish in ice could be employed as a means of identification of fish species.

Fat and water distribution patterns in the flesh of the common cat-fish Wallago attu (Bl. & Schn.)

The quantitative distributional pattern of fat and water has been studied in the flesh of the various zones corresponding to the dorsal and ventral regions of the body of a common cat-fish, Wallago attu. The ventral aspect of the body showed more accumulation of fat than the dorsal aspect. The fat content in the ventral region also exhibited an increase from the anterior to the posterior zones. In the dorsal region, however, the back portion of the body, behind the dorsal fin, generally possessed low fat content. On an average, the highest fat accumulation was observed in the caudal peduncle region. The distribution of water followed an almost opposite pattern of distribution, indicating an inverse relationship with fat.

Temporal behaviour of marine landing in Karnataka 2. Seasonal patterns

Seasonal patterns of 21 fisheries in Karnataka (after isolation from time-series components) are presented. Depending on the pattern of seasonal fluctuation in landings, 19 fisheries have been grouped into five patterns, A, B, C, D and E. Ribbon fishes and 'other clupeids' did not exhibit any significant seasonal pattern. Pattern A with highest landings in the 4th quarter (October to December), followed by the 1, 2 and 3 quarters, is the most common in 10 species/groups (comprising 78% of the total landings). Harmonic analysis has been carried out using the seasonal indices.

Temporal behaviour of marine landings along coastal Karnataka 3. Cyclical patterns

Marine landing data for Karnataka during 1956-1978 were subjected to time series analysis and cyclical periodicities isolated in the case of seven fisheries namely, ribbon fish (five year cycle); Caranx spp., Leiognathus spp, and mackerel (six year cycle each); the combined landings of Hemirhamphus spp. and Belone spp.,'Lesser Sardines' and 'Other Clupeids' (seven year cycle each). 'Total' demonstrated an eight-year cyclical periodicity.

Distributional patterns of brachyuran larvae in Manora Channel (Karachi, Pakistan) collected during 1995

This study gives an account of distributional patterns of Brachyuran larvae in the Manora Channel from January to November 1995. The planktonic sampling was carried out during day time from surface and sub-surface waters of station I and II (certain sites) at shallow depths (15'-20') using Bongo net of 300 micron mesh size. In all 19527 larvae were obtained through fourteen sampling. These brachyuran larvae belonged to nine families and twenty four species: Ebalia sagittifera, Philyra sp., Philyra scabriuscula (Leucosiidae), Schizophyris aspera (Majidae), Charybdis annulata, Charybdis sp. (Portunidae), Xanthid sp A., B. and C. (Xanthidae), Pilumnus karachiensis, Pilumnus sp. (Pilumnidae), Menippe rumphii (Oziidae), Pinnotheres sp. A, and B. (Pinnotheridae), Nasima dotilliforme, Serenella indica, Macrophthalmus (Mareotis) depressus, Macrophthalmus sp., Dotilla blanfordi, Ocypodid sp. A., B. and C. (Ocypodidae), Metopograpsus thukuhar and Clistocoeloma lanatum (Grapsidae). This study is based on identification, occurrence, distributional patterns along Manora Channel and percentage composition of brachyuran larvae in the area, collected during 1995.

Monthly patterns in physico-chemical conditions and fish catch in the immediate vicinity of the Bujagali hydropower construction site 29th September - 28th October 2007

The specific objectives were to: WATER QUALITY 1. To measure the water physical variables as indicators of environmental conditions in the upstream and downstream transects of Kalange (1) and Buyala (2), respectively, 2. To determine the concentrations of total suspended solids as a major constituent likely to be released into the waters at any time during the construction activities, by comparing the concentrations at the two transects. FISH CATCH 1. To follow up trends in fish catch as construction activity progresses, and to precision of the estimate; 2. To estimate the prevailing fish catch rates, total fish catches and the total value of the fish catch to the local fishers at the two transects.

Comparative electrophoretic patterns of lactase dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase in five Lake Victoria cichlid species

Biochemical techniques designed to compare species on the basis of protein differences were started by NUTTALL (1904) who used immunological methods to compare the serum of humans with that of other primates. Since then more refined techniques have led to better results at the protein level in taxonomy, The analyses of proteins are considered to be the simplest indirect approach to understanding the structure and function of the genetic material, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Interest in these analyses arises because of the close relationship between protein structure and gene structure. Thus by comparing the properties of homologous proteins from different taxa one is in essence comparins their genes (GORMAN er al., 1971). It is now an established fact that genetic information coded in molecules of DNA is translated through a series of reactions in the structure of proteins which form the principal morphological units of the animal body at the molecular level of organization (SIBLEY, 1952). A convenient method of comparing molecular differences between species is to measure the electrophoretic mobility of proteins in a starch gel medium (ASPINWALL and TSUYUKI, 1968) or acrylamide gel (RAYMOND and WEINTRAUB, 1959; BOUCK and BALL, 1968). Proteins with enzymatic properties can be compared on the basis of catalytic activity in the presence or absence of inhibitors (KAPLAN et al., 1959); BAILEY et al., t 1970). A combination of gel electrophoresis and histochemical enzyme detection techniques (HUNTER and MARKERT, 1957) makes it possible to combine electrophoretic mobility anti catalytic activity comparison, Enzyme patterns exhibited in starch gel or acrylamide gel have been used to classify different species. BOUCK and BALL (1968)working with lactate dehydrogenase in species of Trout found that each Trout species had LDH pattern characterbtic of that species. ASPINIWALL and TSUYUKI (1968) used muscle protein electrophoretic patterns to identify hybrid fishes. TSUYUKI and ROBERTS (1963) and TSUYUKI et al. (1964-65) found that myogen protein patterns in fishes were species specific. The myogen patterns within one family were remarkably parallel with the existing morphometric classification and these patterns constituted a single criterion by which the fishes could be identified. The fish used in these investigations were collected from shallow waters (10 metres) of Lake Victoria in two areas, Jinja and Kisumu, using gillnets and beach-seines. The study included ten specimens of each of the following specIes: (l) Haplochromis michaeli (2) Haploehromis obems (3) Astatoreochromis ulluaudi (4) Tilapia zillii and (5) Tilapia nilotica.