Strategies to control invasion of Sailfin Armoured Catfish, Pterygoplichthys spp. in wastewater-fed aquaculture bheries of East Kolkata Wetland, India with suggestion of a modified barrier based on the biological and behavioural characteristics

Sailfin armoured catfish (Pterygoplichthys spp.), an alien invasive species of family Loricariidae has invaded extensively in wastewater-fed large aquaculture ponds (locally called ‘bheries’) of East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW), West Bengal, India. As there is no viable controlling method at present, commonly these fishes are removed by different physical methods and discarded. In the present study, we investigated the effectiveness and suitability of different in-practice Pterygoplichthys spp. control methods, based on on-field sampling, biological and behavioural study of the fish and also response analysis of the stakeholder’s of EKW. The results indicate that in-practice eradication efforts, like ‘repeated seine netting’ with or without removal of Eichhornia sheath of the pond periphery and ‘dewatering of pond’ aiming to reduce or eradicate Pterygoplichthys spp., are not fully effective, because of the capture avoidance ability and burrowing habit of these fishes. We found deep and branching burrows of Pterygoplichthys spp. in aquaculture ponds of EKW, with maximum burrow depth of 58 cm, and water in that burrows even after 12 days of dewatering. Hence, it is suggested stakeholders to keep dewatered pond exposed to sunlight for at least four weeks or above to ensure complete water-out from the burrows in which Pterygoplichthys spp. take shelter or lay their eggs. ‘Multilayer bamboo fencing’ or ‘combination of bamboo fencing and net barrier’ use by the stakeholders of EKW to prevent intrusion or re-intrusion of Pterygoplichthys spp. were found only partially effective, because of the capability of these fishes to damage net-blocking through their hard dorsal and pectoral spines or entry through the holes dug across the barrier in beneath or banks of the sewage intake channel. Based on learning on the biological and behavioural characteristics of Pterygoplichthys spp., we then suggested a modified version of barrier to the stakeholder’s of EKW, incorporating a sewage feeder pipeline, a concrete collection chamber with size separation arrangement made of hard materials like wire mesh and a dam of specific dimensions across the channel, for effective prevention of intrusion of these fishes in their aquaculture bheries

Traditions & Customs of Ancient Indian Culture and Their Role in COVID 19 Pandemic Prevention and Control

The truth of COVID 19 Pandemic is that it has already changed the demography of many countries, still changing the Climate & Environment and will continue to change the Global Economy for quite some time. The simple good personal hygiene and physical distancing measures were identified as one of the most effective protections against COVID 19. The Indian way of living has many scientific principles inherited in it to combat infectious diseases. We follow the Sanatan Sanskriti concepts traditionally, sometimes not even realizing the rationale behind it. This article tries to explore the correlation between the preventive measures and our traditional Sanatan practices. The pandemic has shaken the globe and time has come to rethink and move back to basics of our ancient traditions for a sustainable future. There is a need to promote our cultural practices and avoid running behind the ultra-modern ways of living so that the world learns to combat and live with the COVID 19

Genetic diversity and genome-scale population structure of wild Indian major carp, Labeo catla (Hamilton, 1822), revealed by genotyping-by-sequencing

Labeo catla (catla) is the second most commercially important and widely cultured Indian major carp (IMC). It is indigenous to the Indo-Gangetic riverine system of India and the rivers of Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, and Pakistan. Despite the availability of substantial genomic resources in this important species, detailed information on the genome-scale population structure using SNP markers is yet to be reported. In the present study, the identification of genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and population genomics of catla was undertaken by re-sequencing six catla populations of riverine origin from distinct geographical regions. DNA isolated from 100 samples was used to perform genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). A published catla genome with 95% genome coverage was used as the reference for mapping reads using BWA software. From a total of 472 million paired-end (150 × 2 bp) raw reads generated in this study, we identified 10,485 high-quality polymorphic SNPs using the STACKS pipeline. Expected heterozygosity (He) across the populations ranged from 0.162 to 0.20, whereas observed heterozygosity (Ho) ranged between 0.053 and 0.06. The nucleotide diversity (π) was the lowest (0.168) in the Ganga population. The within-population variation was found to be higher (95.32%) than the among-population (4.68%) variation. However, genetic differentiation was observed to be low to moderate, with Fst values ranging from 0.020 to 0.084, and the highest between Brahmani and Krishna populations. Bayesian and multivariate techniques were used to further evaluate the population structure and supposed ancestry in the studied populations using the structure and discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC), respectively. Both analyses revealed the existence of two separate genomic clusters. The maximum number of private alleles was observed in the Ganga population. The findings of this study will contribute to a deeper understanding of the population structure and genetic diversity of wild populations of catla for future research in fish population genomics

The complete mitochondrial genome of Labeo catla (Hamilton, 1822) using long read sequencing

Labeo catla is a widely cultured species in monoculture and polyculture systems of the Indian subcontinent. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of catla was reconstructed from Oxford Nanopore sequence data. The mitochondrial genome is 16,600 bp in length (accession no. is MN830943) which is larger than the previously reported catla mitogenomes. Like other vertebrate mitochondrial genomes, it has 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs and a putative control region. Most of the mitogenes are encoded on H-strand. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Labeo catla is more closely related to Labeo rohita than other labeo species. The catla mtgenome reported here will facilitate population genetics, phylogenetics and molecular taxonomy of Indian major carps

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Not AvailableBackground Carp fish, rohu (Labeo rohita Ham.) is important freshwater aquaculture species of South-East Asia having seasonal reproductive rhythm. There is no holistic study at transcriptome level revealing key candidate genes involved in such circannual rhythm regulated by biological clock genes (BCGs). Seasonality manifestation has two contrasting phases of reproduction, i.e., post-spawning resting and initiation of gonadal activity appropriate for revealing the associated candidate genes. It can be deciphered by RNA sequencing of tissues involved in BPGL (Brain-Pituitary-Gonad-Liver) axis controlling seasonality. How far such BCGs of this fish are evolutionarily conserved across different phyla is unknown. Such study can be of further use to enhance fish productivity as seasonality restricts seed production beyond monsoon season. Result A total of ~ 150 Gb of transcriptomic data of four tissues viz., BPGL were generated using Illumina TruSeq. De-novo assembled BPGL tissues revealed 75,554 differentially expressed transcripts, 115,534 SSRs, 65,584 SNPs, 514 pathways, 5379 transcription factors, 187 mature miRNA which regulates candidate genes represented by 1576 differentially expressed transcripts are available in the form of web-genomic resources. Findings were validated by qPCR. This is the first report in carp fish having 32 BCGs, found widely conserved in fish, amphibian, reptile, birds, prototheria, marsupials and placental mammals. This is due to universal mechanism of rhythmicity in response to environment and earth rotation having adaptive and reproductive significance. Conclusion This study elucidates evolutionary conserved mechanism of photo-periodism sensing, neuroendocrine secretion, metabolism and yolk synthesis in liver, gonadal maturation, muscular growth with sensory and auditory perception in this fish. Study reveals fish as a good model for research on biological clock besides its relevance in reproductive efficiency enhancement.Not Availabl

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Not Available: Although feed cost is the greatest concern in aquaculture, the inclusion of carbohydrates in the fish diet, and their assimilation, are still not well understood in aquaculture species. We identified molecular events that occur due to the inclusion of high carbohydrate levels in the diets of genetically improved ‘Jayanti rohu’ Labeo rohita. To reveal transcriptional changes in the liver of rohu, a feeding experiment was conducted with three doses of gelatinized starch (20% (control), 40%, and 60%). Transcriptome sequencing revealed totals of 15,232 (4464 up- and 4343 down-regulated) and 15,360 (4478 up- and 4171 down-regulated) differentially expressed genes. Up-regulated transcripts associated with glucose metabolisms, such as hexokinase, PHK, glycogen synthase and PGK, were found in fish fed diets with high starch levels. Interestingly, a de novo lipogenesis mechanism was found to be enriched in the livers of treated fish due to up-regulated transcripts such as FAS, ACCα, and PPARγ. The insulin signaling pathways with enriched PPAR and mTOR were identified by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) as a result of high carbohydrates. This work revealed for the first time the atypical regulation transcripts associated with glucose metabolism and lipogenesis in the livers of Jayanti rohu due to the inclusion of high carbohydrate levels in the diet. This study also encourages the exploration of early nutritional programming for enhancing glucose efficiency in carp species, for sustainable and cost-effective aquaculture production.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableAlthough feed cost is the greatest concern in aquaculture, the inclusion of carbohydrates in the fish diet, and their assimilation, are still not well understood in aquaculture species. We identified molecular events that occur due to the inclusion of high carbohydrate levels in the diets of genetically improved ‘Jayanti rohu’ Labeo rohita. To reveal transcriptional changes in the liver of rohu, a feeding experiment was conducted with three doses of gelatinized starch (20% (control), 40%, and 60%). Transcriptome sequencing revealed totals of 15,232 (4464 up- and 4343 down-regulated) and 15,360 (4478 up- and 4171 down-regulated) di erentially expressed genes. Up-regulated transcripts associated with glucose metabolisms, such as hexokinase, PHK, glycogen synthase and PGK, were found in fish fed diets with high starch levels. Interestingly, a de novo lipogenesis mechanism was found to be enriched in the livers of treated fish due to up-regulated transcripts such as FAS, ACC , and PPAR . The insulin signaling pathways with enriched PPAR and mTOR were identified by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) as a result of high carbohydrates. This work revealed for the first time the atypical regulation transcripts associated with glucose metabolism and lipogenesis in the livers of Jayanti rohu due to the inclusion of high carbohydrate levels in the diet. This study also encourages the exploration of early nutritional programming for enhancing glucose e ciency in carp species, for sustainable and cost-e ective aquaculture production.Not Availabl

Abstracts of National Conference on Research and Developments in Material Processing, Modelling and Characterization 2020

This book presents the abstracts of the papers presented to the Online National Conference on Research and Developments in Material Processing, Modelling and Characterization 2020 (RDMPMC-2020) held on 26th and 27th August 2020 organized by the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Science in Association with the Department of Production and Industrial Engineering, National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India. Conference Title: National Conference on Research and Developments in Material Processing, Modelling and Characterization 2020Conference Acronym: RDMPMC-2020Conference Date: 26–27 August 2020Conference Location: Online (Virtual Mode)Conference Organizer: Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, National Institute of Technology JamshedpurCo-organizer: Department of Production and Industrial Engineering, National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, IndiaConference Sponsor: TEQIP-