Iranian Journal of Ichthyology
Volume:7 Issue: 4, Dec 2020

Globally animal models play very important role in the progress of life science in a wide range of biological experimentations. Suitability of different animal model relies on its similarity in genetic makeup, resemble physiological response on diseases of multiple etiology and different drugs, easy maintenance of model animal. Among the fishes, zebrafish and some other species like killifish and cave fish has been found to have great potential and being experimented as an alternative model animal for experimentation of some specific human diseases. Metadata analysis with relevant keywords revealed >8000 research publications on fish model in last 12 years. In India, zebrafish, Danio rerio (Hamilton, 1822), is widely distributed. However, very less attention has so far been paid to understand the importance of the species in biological experimentation except few scattered reports. Besides zebrafish, use of African killifish and cave fish has also been outlined. The present paper synthesized the current knowledge of research and discussed the status and potentials of fish as a model in modern biological experimentation in various medical disorders and recommends their utilization for drug discovery and critical human disease modelling.

This study was conducted to determine the reproductive biology of Nematalosa nasus for a period of 18 months from September 2016 to April 2018 in the coastal waters of the Persian Gulf. In total, 618 specimens (331 males and 287 females) were collected as bycatch in the shrimp bottom trawl net. Fork length ranges from 95-160mm (mean 135±0.7mm) and 95 to 169mm (mean 139±0.8mm) in males and females, respectively. The overall sex ratio showed that the males were dominating (1.15:1). Also, the size-specific sex ratio showed that the number of males was more dominant in fork length classes less than 135mm, and females generally dominated at lengths greater than 150 mm. Monthly variations in the Gonad Somatic Index (GSI) and morphological maturity stages of ovary indicated that Bloch's gizzard shad had a long spawning season with two distinct peaks in autumn and winter (from September to February). The smallest females mature Bloch's gizzard shad were found in the size classes 120-124mm of fork length and the Lm50% was estimated at 150mm.

Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to portray the cellular constituents lining the olfactory epithelium of teri barb, Puntius terio (Hamilton, 1822) (Cyprinidae: Smiliogastrinae). The olfactory organ holded 16 pairs of lamellae emitted from central raphe, consummate an oviform rosette. The multilamellar olfactory rosette was distinctively placed on the ground of nasal cavity and differentiated by specialized sensory and non-sensory territory. Sensory epithelium covered apical part and linguiform process of lamella while rest part is disguised by non-sensory epithelium. The sensory epithelium had two specific forms: ciliated receptor cells and microvillous receptor cells categorized by staining magnitude, texture and surface morphology. In divergence, the nonsensory epithelium was made up of stratified epithelial cells with microridges, cluster of ciliated nonsensory cells and secretory mucous cells. Basal cells were buried in the mucosa, presumed to be the progenitor of sensory or other supporting cells. Functional implication of cellular components on the olfactory lining was argued with feeding habits and behaviour of fish interested.

Since the taxonomic work of A. Druzhinin in 1973, the number of valid fish species in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden remained almost unchanged, mainly due to lack of firmness and consistency in the conduct of scientific research. In order to confirm the scientific nomenclature of local fish, we conducted field follow-ups at landing and marketing sites throughout the Hadhramout coast, the Gulf of Aden. A review of all the previous studies and publications shows that some fish species have not been reported from the Gulf of Aden Gulf. Among these species, we collected three syngnathiform fishes including Trachyrhamphus bicoarctatus (Bleeker, 1857) and Hippocampus kelloggi Jordan & Snyder, 1901 from the family Syngnathidae, and Aeoliscus punctulatus (Bianconi, 1854) from the family Centriscidae. Here, we describe the detailed characteristics of these fishes, which are new records for the coast of Hadhramout, Gulf of Aden

An understanding of the stock is a basic requirement for the management of the fishery resources. The endangered mahseer, Tor putitora (Hamilton, 1822) is a commercially important fish distributed extensively in the foothills of Himalayas. Box plots and multivariate statistical tools like Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) were used to delineate the stocks of T. putitora from two Indian rivers, Yamuna and Satluj using 6 meristic and 24 morphometric characteristics. A comparison of the morphometric and meristic characters using box plots revealed variations in eye diameter (ED), length of rostral barbel (LRB), standard length (SL), pre-anal distance (PAD), distance between pectoral and pelvic fin (DPP), distance between pelvic and anal fin (DPA), length of dorsal fin (LDF), length of pectoral fin (LpecF), length of pelvic fin (LpecF) and length of caudal fin (LCF) for distinguishing populations from these two rivers. Upon PCA, the first three principal components accounted for 69.66% of total variance in head parameters whereas for total length, the first 5 principal components accounted for 73.23% of total variance. For meristic characters, the first two PCs explained 75.65% of the total variance. The step-wise DFA retained only one function for morphometric as well as meristic characters explaining 100% of the variance. The Wilks’ lambda tests for morphometric and meristic data indicated differences between the populations of T. putitora from both the rivers.

This study aimed to assess the temporal variation in fish assemblage in Chabahar Bay mangrove habitat. Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) sampling method was applied to record the fish presence. Fishes were sampled monthly from June 2017 to April 2018 at daylight time (9:00 to 14:00) during high tide. Water temperature, turbidity, and salinity were recorded at the time of sampling. During the study, a total of 17 species belonging to 12 families were identified. Ambassis gymnocephalus was found as the dominant fish throughout the year except in November and December. The most abundant fish fauna in numbers was characterized by the following five species: Ambassis gymnocephalus (53.38%), Sardinella sp. (17.13%), Terapon jarbua (4.79%), Rhabdosargus sarba (3.25%) and Acanthopagrus berda (2.9%). ANOSIM showed that significant differences in the assemblage structure occurred among months (R=0.613, P< 0.001), and the CLUSTER analysis, together with the SIMPROF test showed that December is significantly different in term of fish assemblage. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) on species-environment correlations revealed that temperature and turbidity were the main parameters influencing fish occurrence in the mangrove habitat of Chabahar Bay. The overall diversity (Shannon–Wiener, Simpson’s Index of Diversity, and Pielou’s evenness), as well as functional diversity indexes (FRic and FDis), was higher in autumn and spring pointing out that the diversity is higher when the temperature had the closest value to averaged value

: Length‐weight relationships (LWR) for seven species from the Karun River system in Iran were provided. These species include Alburnus doriae, Alburnus sellal, Barbus karunensis, Capoeta coadi, Squalius berak, Turcinoemacheilus saadii and Rhinogobius lindberg. Fishes were collected in November and December 2018 and LWR is based on total length and weight of 2867 specimens calculated by equation W= aLb . The b value ranged from 2.92 to 3.25 and r2 from 0.94 to 0.99. The length and weight range is presented for each species collected in the Karun River Basin.

In the present study a single individual (64 mm SL) of Seamoths Eurypegasus draconis Linnaeus, 1766 was recorded from the Kasimedu fisheries harbour, Chennai coast. This is the first record of the species from mainland of India Chennai, Tamil Nadu coast and third record from Indian waters. After three decades the species were documented in the Indian coast. A systematic account of the species and distributions are provided. The species has been compared with earlier studies and similar species of E. papilio