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Systematic study of fishes
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INTRODUCTION
Fishes have great significance in the life of mankind,
being an important natural source of protein and providing
certain other useful products as well as economic sustenance
to many nations. The gradual erosion of commercial fish
stocks due to over exploitation and alteration of the habitat is
one reason why the science fish biology came into existence
(Royce, 1972).
It is a well known fact that the knowledge on fish biology
particularly on morphometry, length-weight relationship,
condition factor, reproduction, food and feeding habit, etc. is
of utmost important not only to fill up the lacuna of our
present day academic knowledge but also in the utility of the
knowledge in increasing the technological efficiencies of the
fishery entrepreneurs for evolving judicious pisciculture
management. For developing fishery, it is necessary to
understand their population dynamic show fast they grow and
reproduce, the size and age at which they spawn; their
mortality rates and its causes, on what they prey upon along
with other biological processes.
There are many isolated disciplines in fish biology, of
which the study of morphology is inseparably related to study
of the mode of life of the organism. In fact, the size and shape
are fundamental to the analysis of variation in living
organisms (Grant and Spain, 1977) and morphological
variations even in the same species most often related to the
varied environmental factors.
Fishes are the first vertebrates with jaws. They are cold-
blooded animals that breath by means of gills, live in water
and move with the help of fins. There are about 36,000
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species, which represent the 40% of the total vertebrates
present. Fishes have evolved during Ordovician period and
widely distributed during Devonian period, which is known as
‘Golden age of fishes’. The study of fishes is known as
Ichthyology. Fishes differ from each other in size, shape,
habits and habitats.
In this chapter description of important morphological
characters of some teleost fishes have been given to lay a basis
for the studies of succeeding chapters of this thesis.
Information on the external morphology of fishes can be
found in many standard references, including Strauss and
Bond (l990), Page and Burr (l99l), Bond (l996), Moyle and Cech
(l996) and Paxton and Eschmeyer (1998).
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MATERIALS AND METHODS
Fish samples of Mastacembelus armatus, Wallago attu
and Clarias batrachus were collected from Kaigaon Toka,
Aurangabad District (M.S.) India. Identification of fishes was
done upto species level at fish landing center to get its natural
colour, pattern of scales, fins, mouth pattern, identification
marks like black spot, bloach on operculum, paired and
unpaired fins and body parts with help of standard literature
by Datta Munshi and Shrivastava (1988); Hamilton (1822);
Talwar and Jhingran (1991); Francis Day vol I and II (1989);
Jayaram (1981 and 1999); Menon (1987); Yazdani (1985);
Menon (1999); Jyoti and Arti Sharma (2006) Dahanukar et al.,
(2011). These fish samples were brought to Fishery Research
laboratory, Department of Zoology, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
Marathwada University, Aurangabad for further identification.
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Mastacembelus armatus
Mastacembelus armatus belongs to Phylum- Chordata,
Sub- Phylum- Vertebrata, Class- Pisces, Sub- Class-
Actinopterygii, Order- Synbranchiformes, Family-
Mastacembelidae, Genus- Mastacembelus, Species- armatus.
The diagnostic characters of Mastacembelus armatus are
gape of the mouth extends beyond the nostrils, dorsal and
anal fins are confluent with the caudal fin, body is dull brown
with 1-3, darker longitudinal zigzag lines, more or less
connected to form a reticulated pattern, more or less distinct
and restricted to the dorsal two thirds of the body.
Body is elongated, cylindrical and eel like. Snout is long,
tri lobed with fleshy appendage. Cleft mouth, the mouth is
narrow. The preorbital is with a spine which points backwards
and reaches 1/3 distance of the orbit. Angle of the preopercle
is with 2-3 conspicuous denticulations. The dorsal spines
commence over the middle of the pectoral fin. They increase in
size from anterior to posterior direction, but last one is the
longest. Origin of the soft part of the dorsal fin is behind the
origin of anal fin. The anal has 3 spines. Pectoral fins are
small and the ventral fins are absent. Scales are very minute
and are similar on head and body
Fin formula is D.34-37/74-90; P.23-25; A.3/75-80; C.20
(confluent with dorsal and anal).
Commonly called as Spiny eel in English, Vaam in
Marathi, Boam in Bengali, Bummi in Oriya, Baam in Hindi,
and Bamli in Bihari.
High economic value, it is highly esteemed as food.
Available abundantly in the fish market after winter months.
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Kingdom Animalia (Linnaeus, 1758)
Order Synbranchiformes
Phylum Chordata (Bateson, 1885)
Family Mastacembelidae (Spiny -Eel)
Sub-Phylum Vertebrata (Cuvier, 1812 )
Genus Mastacembelus (Lacepede, 1800)
Class Pisces Species armatus (Lacepede, 1800)
Sub- Class Actinopterygii (Ray finned fishes)
Scientific name
Mastacembelus armatus (Lacepede, 1800)
Name Common / English:- Chooti Baam/ Maebeled spiny Eel
New name:- -
Status Common, Yadav (2006).
First-Record
1800, Macrognathus armatus lacepede Hist. Nat. Pelas., 2:283,286.
Habit Carnivorous
Diagnostic characters
Dorsal and anal fins are confluent with the caudal. Gape of mouth extending below posterior nostrils or beyond, (Dutta Munshi and Srivastava, 1988).
Fin formula D.34-37/74-90; P.23-25; A.3/75-80; C.20 (confluent with dorsal and anal); (Datta Munshi and Srivastava, 1988).
Distribution
India: - In the freshwater rivers, ponds, lakes and channels of these regions (Dutta Munshi and Srivastava, 1988).
Abroad- Freshwater and brackish water of Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri lanka, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Turikin, Hainan, Island, S China, Malaya Java, Sumatra, Siam (Dutta Munshi and Srivastava, 1988).
Category Food fish
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Wallago attu
Wallago attu belongs to Phylum- Chordata, Sub-
Phylum- Vertebrata, Class- Pisces, Sub- Class- Actinopterygii,
Order- Siluriformes, Family- Siluridae, Genus- Wallago,
Species- attu.
Body elongated, compressed, abdomen elongated, dorsal
profile nearly straight. Head large, depressed; snout spatulate,
lips thin, mouth sub-terminal, gap wide, reaching beyond
anterior border of eye, lower jaw slightly longer than the upper
width of head approximately equal to the length behind the
middle of the orbit. Barbels two pair, maxillary and
mandibular, maxillary is about twice as long as head and
extend beyond the origin of anal fin. The mandibular pair is as
long as snout. Fins are red, dorsal short, spineless inserted
above infront of nearly as long as pectoral. Pectoral spine
moderately strong and finally serrated on its internal origin.
Anal fin is long and is not confluent to the caudal fin. Caudal
fin deeply forked. Lateral line complete, well marked and
simple. Colour white with grey on upper side and yellowish
along the black becoming lighter below.
Fin formula is D.5; P.15-16(1/14-15); V, 9-10; A.86-
88(4/82-84); C.17, Barbels are two pairs.
Commonly known as Freshwater shark, Boal in English,
Ballu in Marathi and Hindi, Koyali, Boyali in Bengali, Boallee,
Ballai in Oriya.
It is of much economic value, considered as fresh water
shark.
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Kingdom Animalia (Linnaeus,
1758) Order
Siluriformes (cat
fish)
Phylum
Chordata (Bateson,
1885) Family
Siluridae (sheat
fishes)
Sub-Phylum Vertebrata (Cuvier,
1812 ) Genus
Wallago (Bleeker
1851)
Class Pisces Species attu (Bloch &
Schneider, 1801)
Sub- Class Actinopterygii (Ray
finned fishes)
Scientific
name
Wallago attu
(Bloch &
Schneider, 1801)
Name
Common / English:-
Baluu, padan/
Freshwater shark
New
name:- -
Status LR (Lower risk) (IUCN).
First-Record 1801, Silurus attu Schneider, Syst. Ichth. Bloch., 378,
pl.75
Habit Carnivorous
Diagnostic
characters
Gape of mouth very wide, Extending beyond eyes
posteriorly (Jayaram, 1999).
Fin formula
D.5; P.15-16(1/14-15); V, 9-10; A.86-88(4/82-84); C.17,
Barbels are two pairs, (Datta Munshi and Srivastava,
1988).
Distribution
India: - Freshwater of east Punjab, U.P. Bihar, Darjeeling
district in west Bengal, Assam and Orrisa, (Kapoor, Dayal
and Ponniah 2002).
Abroad- Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, Java
and Sumatra (Kapoor, Dayal and Ponniah 2002).
Category Food fish
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Clarias batrachus
Clarias batrachus belongs to Phylum- Chordata, Sub-
Phylum- Vertebrata, Class- Pisces, Sub- Class- Actinopterygii,
Order- Siluriformes, Family- Claridae, Genus- Clarias,
Species- batrachus.
The greatest width of head equals its length. Head is
covered with fine granules superiorly. Two depressions are
present on the head, one behind the eyes another near the
nape. Upper jaw is the longer. Barbels four pairs, the
maxillary reach the base or middle of the pectoral fin.
Vomerine teeth are villiform and arranged in an uninterrupted
hand. Pectoral spine is finely serrated. Dorsal fin is very long,
it originates a little behind the occipital process and ends a bit
anterior to the base of the caudal fin. The caudal fin is free.
The entire fin is covered with thick skin. Body is brownish-
black.
Fin formula is D.65-72; P.9 (1/8); V.6 (1/5) A.47-55;
C.17
Commonly known as Walking catfish in English, Magur
in Marathi, Magri, Magur in Hindi, Mah-gur in Bengali,
Magurah in Oriya.
Economic value is high. It has medicinal values and
cultural values to the rural people of India.
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Kingdom Animalia (Linnaeus,
1758) Order Siluriformes
Phylum
Chordata (Bateson,
1885) Family
Claridae (Air Breathing
Cat fishes)
Sub-Phylum Vertebrata (Cuvier,
1812 ) Genus
Clarias (Linnaeus,
1758)
Class Pisces Species batrachus (Linnaeus,
1758)
Sub- Class Actinopterygii (Ray
finned fishes)
Scientific
name
Clarias batrachus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Name
Common / English:-
Magur/ Walking Cat
fish
New name :- -
Status Common, Yadav (2005).
First-
Record 1758, Silurus batrachus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 1:305
Habit Carnivorous
Diagnostic
characters
Distance from dorsal fin base to base of occipital process 4.5
to 6.0 times in head length measured along upper median line
from tip of snout to base of occipital process, (Jayaram, 1999).
Fin formula D.65-72; P.9 (1/8); V.6 (1/5) A.47-55; C.17; (Gupta and
Gupta, 2004).
Distribution
India: - Freshwater of the plains of India. (Kapoor, Dayal and
Ponniah, 2002).
Abroad- Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri – Lanka, Thailand,
Myanmar, Nepal, Indonesia, Philippines (Kapoor, Dayal and
Ponniah, 2002).
Category Commercial and Food fish