Captive Breeding of a Recently Described Endemic Barbin
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Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 Captive breeding of a recently described endemic barbin, Neolissochilus tamiraparaniensis (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) from Kalakad Mudanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India. Chinniyan Vijayakumar1*, Lucas Agnes flora2, Jonnada A.V.Prasada Rao3, and Muthukumarasamy Arunachalam4 1Department of Zoology, St. Andrew's College, Gorakhpur- 273 001, Uttar Pradesh, India 2Department of Zoology, St. Joseph’s College for Women, Civil Lines, Gorakhpur – 273009, Uttar Pradesh, India. 3Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, DDU Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. 4Department of Animal Science, School of Biological Science, Central University of Kerala, Tejaswini Hills, Periye- 671316, Kasaragod District, Kerala, India. Corresponding author: *E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT Nilgiri rainbow trout (Gopalakrishnan et Neolissochilus tamiraparaniensis is al.,1999). described very recently from a east flowing The captive breeding study of an river, Tamiraparani River basin, from the endemic fish species, Neolissochilus Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve of the tamiraparaniensis is first of its kind. In Agasthyamalai Biosphere of peninsular India. southern India, carps naturally spawn during This big sized barbin attains 40 cm in length the south-west monsoon (July – August) and and 1.5 kg in weight which showed its spawning was induced by manipulation of distribution so far from the Tamiraparani River water levels. Ovulation can be induced during and its tributaries. This endemic species is non- spawning season not only by attempted for induced to spawning by a environmental manipulation but also by intramuscular injection of hormone ovaprim, hormonal stimulation. Like members of the HCG and Pituitary separately. Spawning was family Cyprinidae, final maturation and complete in 10 - 11.5hr after hormone injection. ovulation normally do not occur under captive The maximum eggs number and fertilization conditions in the wild carp, N. rate (84.67 %) were shown in Ovaprim injected tamiraparaniensis. The most advanced method fishes. of ovulation stimulation is used more and more frequently in fish hatcheries, replacing the Keyword: Captive breeding, fertilization rate, traditional hypophysation treatment. hatching rate, human chorionic gonadotropin Neolissochilus tamiraparaniensis is a hormone, Neolissochilus tamiraparaniensis , recently described barbin from the ovaprim, pituitary gland extract, ovulation rate. Tamiraparani River basin of southern Western Ghat regions of Tamil Nadu (Arunachalam et INTRODUCTION al., 2017). Viable populations of this species are in the up streams of Manimuthar River, Captive propagation and restocking Tamiraparani main stream at Inchikuzhi and in programmes for threatened fishes have been Gadana River tributaries of the basin. All the up started or proposed in several countries streams are in the Protected Areas of Kalakad (Budihna and Ocvirk, 1990). Recently, Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. Currently, the up however, several captive propagation and streams of Tamiraparani iRiver and two reintroduction are successful for, Zacco tributaries under Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger pachycephalus (Wang et al., 1995), Mahseer, Reserve are well protected and can be a fish Tor khudree (Kulkarni and Ogale, 1978, 1979; sanctuary under this Protected Area Tor putitora (Hamilton) (Shrestha, 1998; (Arunachalam, 1998). This herbivorous fish is characterized by its rapid growth, larger size Volume IX Issue IX SEPTEMBER 2020 Page No : 35 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 and tasty flesh. The maximum size (38.4cm) is from the net, sometimes even by cutting the noted. (personal observation Arunachalam). meshes of nets, to avoid injury to the fish. Then The male has attractive (golden yellowish) they were placed in flow-through concrete tank colour than female. of 10 m 6 m 1.5 m size for acclimatization for each species. The tank was covered with net MATERIALS AND METHODS of 90% light occluding monofilament mesh. Live specimens were collected from up Stock maintenance streams of Tamiraparani River and their After acclimatization, both male and tributaries such as Manimuthar and Gadana (5 female fishes were released into the earthen km from Sri Paramakalyani Centre for pond (size 15.5 m 10 m 2.5 m) for six Environmental Sciences of Manonmaniam months, after that they were segregated based Sundaranar University, senior author’s doctoral on the identification character. study) below the Gadana Reservoir and were Bloodstocks management and selection transported to the laboratory of the Centre for Initially brood fishes were kept in a Environmental Science and also in the areas of earthen pool having water area of 15.5 m 10 breeding ponds by the Government Fisheries m 2.5 m. At the advent of breeding season, Farm. Fishes were stocked in cement tanks of the brood fishes were checked by observing 10 m 6 m 1.5 m size for acclimatization, gonadal condition (Linhart et. al., 1995) and using river water from Gadana Reservoir. manipulated for better management aspects. To During the period of acclimatization (20 days), provide plentiful sustained supply of plankton supplementary feed was given as daily ration and benthic organisms, brood ponds were and it was placed in the tank at the rate of 5% fertilized at recommended dose using inorganic body weight of the fish. The body of adult N. and organic fertilizers. Three weeks prior to tamiraparaniensis is shiny yellowish with spawning externally matured female and male distinct pale-yellow fins; and the body of fishes were segregated and kept in a small juvenile is silvery white in colour. Present round earthen pond (10 10 2 m3 size). The distribution of N. tamiraparaniensis is known pelleted feed was administered twice daily at only from Tamiraparani River basin, South the rate of 5% body weight of the total biomass Tamil Nadu, India. Viable populations exist in during the experimental period. Pampar, Kallar and Iluppaiyar streams of Fertilization of the pond was carried Gadana River. It is also found in Manimuthar out two times (1st week and 4th week) during River of Tamiraparani basin (Arunachalam, the experimental period. After segregating, the 2000). male and female fishes were transferred into Reproductive characters of N. cement tanks of 10 m 6 m 1.5 m size each tamiraparaniensis were studied by for conducting the induced breeding Arunachalam and Sankaranarayanan (1998) experiments. Females and males were finally and showed that the peaks occur during the post selected examining their stage of ripeness monsoon seasons [after south–west monsoon among the collected brood and transferred into (July–August) and north–east monsoon rectangular breeding hapa (2 m 1 m 0.75 m (October – November)] and they also found out size) suspended into the chosen back pool along the sexual characters in mature males, horny the course of the river. Ripe females were tubercles present in the snout of males during recognized by palpating the female’s abdomen breeding seasons. Adult males have 40–78 which is bulging and soft to touch and swollen. tubercles which are present below the orbit up The genital papilla is slightly reddish and blunt to the tip snout region. with a reddish dot. Males, on the other hand Collection of fishes have deep-pit-like vent and more slender body The number of fishes collected was and ooze out milt when it is gently pressed. twenty five females and 33 males. Fishes were Induced breeding collected from (size 12 to 23 cm) Gadana River The segregated fishes were fed with and from Pabanasam upstream in Tamiraparani artificial diets contain optimal protein on daily River, by using wide mesh gillnet and cast net ration basis (at 5% body weight) until the brood during February to March (Plate a). These nets stock reached an age of one year. Sexual are usually spread at dusk in the study area near maturity of fish was determined by visual the inflowing streams and are inspected every examination of the gonad i.e. whether or not the hour. These were gently and carefully removed Volume IX Issue IX SEPTEMBER 2020 Page No : 36 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 fish oozed milt or hand ripe eggs during the Experimental design spawning period (May – Jul.) (Oct. – Dec.). The breeding design is shown in Table One day before each experiment, required 1. The hapa for N. tamiraparaniensis was made fishes were transferred to cement tank in female out of fine meshed marlin cloth which allows to male ratio of 1:2. flowing of water through it. The width lid net The substratum has mixed gravel bed hapa was fixed at the back pools along the with vegetations in tanks and hapa to induce length of the river and small smooth river breeding. In addition, spawning substrates like, pebbles (size 24 cm in diameter) and gravels slabs of black plexiglas, section of PVC pipe, were spread on bottom of the hapa (2 m x 1 m cobbles, and vegetations were provided as x 0.75 m). Aquatic macrophytes like Hydrilla cover objects. Three types of natural and verticiellata, Eichhornia crassipes and fibre synthetic hormones (pituitary extract, human mesh were introduced into the hapa (1 m x 0.5 chorionic gonadotropin, ovaprim) were used for m x 0.25 m). induce spawning. For hypophysation, acetone Breeding dried carp pituitaries were obtained from a Immediately after administering the commercial fish farm, Dindugal, Tamil Nadu. hormone injections, the breeding pairs were Ovaprim was purchased from Glaxo India transferred to the breeding hapa/tank for Limited, Chennai and HCG are obtained from spawning (Plate 1). Sex ratios and substrates Agarivet farm Care Glaxo India Ltd., Mumbai. mentioned in experimental design were Pituitary extracts were injected in two tabulated (Table 1). Courtship behaviour like instalments for females with an interval of 6 hr pair swimming smoothly, chasing of females by between the injections and one dose for males the male and jumping little up the surface of the whereas the other two hormones (HCG and water were observed before spawning. As per ovaprim) were injected in a single dose to both expectation hormone induced breeders the sexes (Table 1).