Self-help Group earn profit from cage farming The Times of India dated 14th August 2021

A self-help group named 'puzhayoram' in Maradu has recorded a yield of 600kg of pearl spots(Karimeen) from a 4x4m square-sized cage fish installed in Maradu-Nettoor backwaters

New record of <em>Rhizosolenia cochlea</em> (Brun, 1891) and <em>Rhizosolenia bergonii</em> (Peragallo, 1892) from the Palk Bay, southeast coast, India

2201-2206Rhizosolenia cochlea Brun 1891 and Rhizosolenia bergonii Peragallo 1892 are identified for the first time from Palk Bay, south east coast of India. The cell of R. cochlea is stout and tubular or cylindrical in shape ending with curve processes. Otaria is small and extending along the basal part of the process. R. bergonii is also cylindrical, straight and valve terminating in a short spine. Basal part of the process has no otaria and tip appears like cleft. Cell wall is thick and usually heavily silicified. Length of pervalvar axis, cell diameter and cell volume of R. cochlea varied from 445.54 – 784.93 µm, 50.83 – 73.60 µm, 2.4 × 106 to 7.5 × 106 µm3 respectively and of R. bergonii the same varied from 366.30 – 535.03 µm, 20.22 – 34.82 µm and 1.8 × 106 to 6.7 × 106 µm3. These cells are large enough to be visible clearly and identified with light microscope. Even though, 11 species of the genera, Rhizosolenia have been reported by several authors since 1956 to 2013, from this region, R. cochlea and R. bergonii are remained unidentified. These species might have migrated from offshore due to global warming and climate change, which lead frequent occurrence of cyclone in this region and /or due to anthropological activities such as offshore fishing and large scale macro algal cultivation, which might have established their population. The identifying characteristics, frequency and seasonal occurrences of both the species will be described in the present study