Insulin-like growth factor II, a marker gene for determining the optimum dietary protein level in clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris.

In vivo study was conducted to determine the role of insulin-like growth factors (IGF-II) related to dietary protein utilization. For this early juvenile stage of marine false clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris, 300 numbers of 20-day-old larvae (initial body weight of 18.2±0.027 mg/fish) were used as an experimental animal. Animals were fed for 12 weeks with different dietary protein levels (35, 40, 45, 50, and 55%), using Spirulina maxima as a major protein source. Proximate compositions and amino acid profile of the formulated diet were analyzed by the standard methods. Eventually, significant (P<0.05) mean, body weight gain, absolute growth rate, specific growth rate, and feed conversion ratio were obtained in the fishes fed with 50% of dietary protein, whereas, poor growth performance was noticed in 35% of the dietary protein level fed juveniles. The growth-responsible gene IGF-II expression studies showed the significant upregulation in the growth of the juveniles at 2.05±0.11 for 40%, 3.13±0.20 for 45%, 4.97±0.13 for 50%, and 4.33± 0.24 for 55%, which were higher than the control group 35%. The study concluded that 50% of dietary protein level is optimal for better growth indices in clownfish; A. ocellaris juveniles and IGF-II can be used as a potential marker gene to assess the growth indices in A. ocellaris.

A new snake eel species of the genus Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the southeast coast of India, Bay of Bengal, with the taxonomic account of Ophichthus chilkensis.

A new species of the ophichthid eel of the family Ophichthidae is described based on five specimens collected from the Mudasalodai fish landing center, off Cuddalore coast, southeast coast of India, Bay of Bengal. Ophichthus naevius sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by having a unique color pattern: dorsal body with numerous dense dark spots or patches, ventral body pale yellowish green, dorsal-fin origin just before pectoral-fin tip, vertebral formula: 12-14/52-53/134-138, and teeth on jaw uniserial and pointed. The study also reports the range extension and molecular evidence of Ophichthus chilkensis from South India. Molecular analyses were performed for both species, and their phylogenetic relationship suggests that the new species exhibits 10.2% genetic divergence with its congener Ophichthus sangjuensis, followed by Ophichthus brevicaudatus (10.4%), and Ophichthus sp. 1 (11.8%) also forms the closest clade in both Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood (ML) tree. Similarly, according to the topology of the ML tree, the species O. chilkensis forms a clade with Ophichthus sp. 5, Ophichthus remiger, Ophichthus frontalis, Ophichthus sp. 6, and Ophichthus rex, suggesting that it would be the genetically closest congener.

Microplastics Contamination in the Edible Fish Mozambique Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) from the Selvampathy Wetland of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

The present study investigated the microplastics (MPs) contamination in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, gills and muscle of the Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus sampled from the Selvampathy Lake of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. MPs abundance was found in 10 to 28, 8 to 27, and 4 to 12 particles and their size ranged between 4.4 and 210, 4.6 to 180, and 4.5 to 194 µm in the GI tract, gills and muscle, respectively. MPs were dominantly shaped as fibres (95%) and fragments (5%) with the following colour pattern of blue > black > pink > transparent > and others. Extracted MPs polymer nature were polyethylene (54%), polyamide (38%) and polypropylene (8%). The present study reveals that the edible fish O. mossambicus had MPs that can be transferred to consumers. Moreover, urban discharges, including domestic wastes, agricultural and rainwater runoff, might be possible MPs sources to the studied wetland.

A new species of the conger eel genus Macrocephenchelys from deep waters of the Arabian Sea.

A new species of the genus Macrocephenchelys is described herein based on a single specimen collected from the deep-sea trawl landing at Kalamukku fish landing centre, Kerala coast, Arabian Sea. The new species is distinguished by having a dorsal-fin origin behind the middle of pectoral fin, a larger head, shorter trunk, larger gill opening, dorsal surface of body with dark-brown colour and ventral surface of head and belly with numerous patches of melanophores before anus, vertebrae 14-30-151. The new species shares most of the characteristics with Macrocephenchelys brevirostris but differs from it by having a more anterior dorsal-fin origin (vs. over the tip or slightly behind the pectoral-fin tip), larger head [15.3% total length (TL) vs. 10.5%-13.9% TL, 53.2% pre-anal length (PAL) vs. 35.8%-47.6% PAL], shorter trunk length (13.6% TL vs. 14.4%-20.6% TL, 47.3% PAL vs. 52.4%-66.2% PAL); further it shows 7.9%-8.1% genetic divergence from the sequences of M. brevirostris.

Ariosoma indicum sp. nov., a new species of congrid eel (Anguilliformes: Congridae: Bathymyrinae) from the Indian waters.

Ariosoma indicum sp. nov. is described herein based on 12 specimens [(335-433 mm total length (TL)] collected off the Arabian Sea of southwest coast of India and 7 specimens from Digha Mohana, off the Bay of Bengal of northeast coast of India. The new species is distinguished from congeners in having the following combination of the characters: anus positioned anterior to middle of total length, pre-anal length 40.0%-43.1% of TL; short wedge-shaped pointed vomerine teeth patch, three or four rows in anterior portion, tapering posteriorly with four uniserial teeth; supraorbital canal with four or five pores; pre-dorsal vertebrae 9-10; pre-anal vertebrae 49-53; total vertebrae 141-146; body greenish-brown in colour; extremities of the lower jaw with minute dark pigmentation patches before the rictus, bicoloured pectoral fin. A. indicum shares few characters with the Indian water species, Ariosoma gnanadossi, but readily differs from the latter in having more pre-anal vertebrae (49-53 vs. 47 in A. gnanadossi); fewer lateral-line pores (130-137 vs. 145); shorter tail (54.9%-57.9% TL vs. 60.1% TL); smaller eye (15.1%-17.7% HL vs. 19.2% HL); smaller interorbital width (11.8%-15.7% HL vs. 18.2% HL); longer upper jaw (26.9%-30.2% HL vs. 19.2% HL). In addition, molecular analysis using partial mitochondrial COI gene suggests that A. indicum is genetically closer to Ariosoma maurostigma and Ariosoma melanospilos with a divergence of 15.0% and 15.8%, respectively, and forms a well-supported monophyletic clade.

A new species of the congrid eel genus Ariosoma (Anguilliformes: Congridae) from the south-west coast of India.

A new congrid eel species, Ariosoma maurostigma sp. nov., is described on the basis of 24 specimens collected from the deep-sea trawl by-catch, Kalamukku Fishing Harbour, off Kerala, Arabian Sea. The new species differs from all other congeners in having the following combination of characters: dark mark or spot on the posterodorsal margin of the eyes; dorsal surface of head with two faint darkish bands across the anterior and posterior margin of the eye; origin of the dorsal fin before the pectoral-fin base; short vomerine teeth patch, ST pores 3, 1 median pore and 1 lateral pore on each side just behind the median pore; preanal vertebrae 47-51; precaudal vertebrae 54-57; total vertebrae 136-142; total pores 129-134. The phylogenetic analysis reveals that the new species is closely related to Ariosoma melanospilos and Ariosoma anale, with divergences of 13.8% and 14.9%, respectively.

Notes on some Indo-Pacific Caridean shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Palaemonidae and Gnathophyllidae) particularly from India.

Although among the less conspicuous members of the tropical shallow reef fauna, the caridean shrimps are not less abundant. Much scope for further study on the marine carideans of Indian waters still exists and many species must certainly remain to be discovered. Although, the recent checklist on prawn fauna of Indian waters reports 285 species of caridean shrimps (including fresh water forms) (Radhakrishnan et al, 2012). With this, the present study also contributes another report on the documentation of six species of caridean shrimps from the Gulf of Mannar and Lakshadweep waters of Indian peninsula. Out of six species Ancylomenes magnificus (Bruce), Periclimenes soror Nobili, Stegopontonia commensalis Nobili, Gnathophyllum americanum Guerin Meneville and Gnathophylloides mineri Schmitt are new to the Indian fauna. In the present paper, detailed notes on species description, color pattern, distribution, habitat and hosts were discussed.