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

Systematic study of fishes

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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