Coping with excess salt in their growth environments: osmoregulation and other survival strategies deployed by the mangroves

Mangroves are defined as a collection of woody plants and the associated fauna and flora that use a coastal depositional environment. Here the specific effects of salinity changes in mangroves have been examinated.

Faecal indicator organisms in frozen prawn products. Pt. 2. Survival of the organisms during freezing and frozen storage

The rate of survival of different types of faecal indicator organisms like Escherichia coli, enterococci etc. during freezing and frozen storage has been studied. Peeled and deveined prawns inoculated with a mixed culture of the above organisms were subjected to freezing and storage at -10̊F and examined for over four months.

Impact of stocking density on growth and survival rate of mud crab (Scylla serrata Froskal)

A 10-weeks culture trial of mud crab, Scylla serrata in brackish water earthen pond was conducted in different stocking densities. The aim of the experiment was to identify a suitable stocking density for optimum production. There were three treatment as 5000 crab lings/ha, 10000 crab lings/ha and 15000 crab lings/ha of each with three replications. The initial mean weight of crab lings were same (5.5 ± 0.13 g). The experimental month was June '95 to August '95. The size of each pond was 500 m². To maintain good water quality water was exchanged in every spring tide. The salinity during the experiment were 2-18ppt. Prepared feed of about 32% protein consisting fish meal, MOC rice bran and wheat flour was used at 5% of their body weight. In terms of production, survival rate, growth and carapace width, the stocking density having 10000/ha showed the best (P

Survival of antibiotic resistant Pseudomonas strains in different types of water

A study was conducted to investigate the survival of five Pseudomonas strains resistant to antibiotics in different types of water. The selected Pseudomonas strains were designated as strain P1 (CT-29), strain P2 (CT-25), strain P3 (CT-36), strain P4 (CT-20) and strain P5 (CT-27) which were only recovered from farmed fishes. Six types of water viz., distilled water, saline water, tap water, deionized water, pond water and river water were used. Among these experimental waters, river water was found to be the most suitable for long-term survival of these strains. Deionized water did not support survival of all these Pseudomonas strains. Pond water, tap water and distilled water were moderately suitable for strain P1 and strain P4. Saline water was also found to be highly suitable for long-term survival in case of the strain P3 and moderately suitable for normal survival of strain P2 and strain P5.

Effects of some selective supplemental feeds on the survival and growth of catfish (Clarias batrachus Lin.) fry

Feeding experiments were conducted for 21 days to study the effect of live food (Tubifex sp.) and three prepared supplemental feeds on the growth and survival of 13 day old magur (C. batrachus) fry. It was observed that the growth of fry varied significantly (p<0.05) with different diets. The best growth was shown by the fry fed with Tubifex sp. followed by those fed with the diet containing yeast (30%), milk powder (30%) and chicken eggs (30%). The poorest growth rate was given by the fry fed on yeast (45%) and fish meal (45%). There was no significant difference in survival rates and condition factors among the fry fed with live food and prepared feeds.

Effects of testosterone propionate on growth, survival and sex-ratio of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus Burchell)

For studying the effects of different levels of testosterone propionate on growth, survival and sex-ratio, five different doses such as 125, 100, 75, 50, 25 mg hormone per kg feed were administered to 5-day old Clarias gariepinus fry through diet for a period of 40 days. The growth performance in terms of weight and length gain of the fry receiving 100 and 75 mg hormone per kg feed were significantly higher than those receiving 50, 25 and 0 (untreated control) mg hormone per kg feed. The groups of fry treated with higher doses of hormone showed lower survival compared to those with lower doses of hormone. The frequency of male fish in the entire hormone treated groups except the 125mg/kg group, was significantly higher than that of the expected frequency of male fish in a normal population. The highest frequency of male fish, 92.08%, was obtained with the diet containing 50 mg hormone/kg diet however, the highest levels of hormone (125mg/kg diet) resulted in relatively lower frequency of male fish.

Survival of antibiotic resistant Aeromonas strains in different water conditions

Studies were conducted to find out the survival of three antibiotic resistant Aeromonas strains in different types of water. The selected Aeromonas strains were A. hydrophila (local), A. sobria (local) and A. hydrophila (Thai), which were only recovered from farmed fishes. Seven types of water were used. Among these experimental water, lake water, distilled water and fish farm pond water had supported the long time survival of A. hydrophila. In contrast, private fish farm pond water was the most favorable for A. sobria. Deionized water was found not to support the survival of any species but Masjid pond water and FRI pond water were found to be moderately suitable for all the species. However, the survival pattern of Thai strain of A. hydrophila was found to have similarity with the survival of the local strain of A. hydrophila.

Growth and survival of Clarias batrachus (Lin.) larvae fed on formulated diets

An experiment was conducted for a period of 28 days using 7-day old C. batrachus larvae of initial total length (±S.D.) of 7.4 ± 0.49 mm and weight (±S.D.) of 2.8 ± 0.75 mg. Five test diets viz. diets I, II, III, IV and V were prepared. Diet I was formulated using 30% fish meal (FM), 20% soybean meal (SM) and 20% Baker's yeast (BY), diet III using 15% FM, 20% SM, 15% cotton seed meal and 30% BY and diet IV using 20% FM, 30% BY and 30% powdered milk. The remaining two diets (diets II and V) were prepared using minced clam meat (96%) and BY (90%) respectively as the sole source of protein. Three replications were used for each treatment. The larvae fed on diet II exhibited significantly (P<0.05) better length gain and specific growth rate (SGR) than those of the larvae fed on diet III and there was no significant difference among the length gain and SGR of the larvae fed on diet I,II,IV and V. The larvae fed on diet II also showed significantly better weight gain and survival than those of the larvae fed on other diets. There was no significant difference between the condition factor of the larvae fed on diet II and IV. However, the larvae fed on diet II showed better condition factor than those of the larvae fed on other diets.

Effect of submerged aquatic vegetation on growth and survival of Penaeus monodon (Fab.)

An experiment was conducted in brackish water ponds with transplanted aquatic weed (Najas sp.) to study the effect of submerged aquatic vegetation on culture of Penaeus monodon. Out of six ponds three were without any aquatic vegetation (T1) while in other three ponds weeds were planted covering 40% of the pond bottom (T2). Hatchery produced post larva of P. monodon (0.006 g) were stocked in all ponds at a density of 40,000/ha. Shrimps were fed twice daily with commercial and formulated feed prepared from locally available ingredients. After 105 days of rearing shrimp of highest average weight (63.18g) was obtained from T2 with a survival rate of 25.90% and the total production was obtained at 654.54 kg/ha. The average weight, survival and total production of shrimp in T1 were 35.0 g, 28.76% and 405.63 kg/ha, respectively.

Effects of supplementary feeds on growth and survival of freshwater giant prawn (Macrobrachium resenbergii [i.e. rosenbergii] deMan)

Highest growth of prawn was obtained with Feed B (743 kg/ha) with highest survival rate (60.88%) followed by Feed A where production and survival rate was 659 kg/ha and 53.50%, respectively. Feed A contained 30% dry ground cow viscera, 40% oil cake, 20% rice-bran and 10% heat bran. Feed conversion ratios were found to be 7.60:1 for Feed A and 6.46:1 for Feed B, which indicated that Feed B was more efficiently utilized by the prawn than Feed A. Statistical analysis revealed that the differences in production of prawns among the treatments were highly significant (P< 0.01).

Effect of different feeds on growth, survival and production of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus Burchell)

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of different feeds on growth survival and production of African catfish (C. gariepinus) in six cemented tanks (3m² each) over a period of 120 days. Three different feeds namely Feed A (Saudi-Bangla fish feed, 33.43% protein), Feed B (formulated feed, 40.12% protein) and Feed C (chicken raw intestine, 59.58% protein) were applied to treatments I, II and III respectively. Each of the tanks was stocked with 24 fry with mean initial body weight of 2.56±0.06 g. Feeds were supplied to the fish ad-libitum daily in two instalments. Significantly highest weight gain was obtained in treatment III, however, survival rate was low compared to other treatments. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) values ranged from 2.52-6.4. Survival rate of fish varied between 83 and 96%. Treatment II yielded the highest (5000 kg/ha/120 days) production with the highest survival rate of fish. On the basis of survival rate and production, it is suggested that the formulated feed (Feed B) is suitable for the culture of C. gariepinus in cemented tanks.

Effect of Lates calcarifer seed stocking on the survival and production of Indian major carps reared in a freshwater coastal pond in Konkan region

The experiment indicated feasibility of culturing Indian major carps seed with Lates calcarifer, if the size of Indian major carps is larger. In the present investigation the average growths of Catla catla, Labeo rohita and Cirrhinus mrigala are recorded as 1193, 1120 and 821 g, respectively, during the year 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000 in 7.5 months. Complete harvesting of L. calcarifer is essential before stocking of new seed. The average growth of L. calcarifer was recorded as about 670 g during the above period. About 5000 numbers of Indian major carps fry per hectare can be stocked under the present culture system