Fishes biowealth & their management against diseases

Umapati Sahay*^a & Meena Sinha^b
aDept. of Zoology, Ranchi University, Ranchi
^bDept. of Zoology, K.B.Women College, Hazaribagh
Received 11th May, 2010; Revised 19th August, 2010

Abstract : Though the association of fish has been attributed to an incarnation of Lord Brahma. Also Varun rides a fish & Goddess Varahi in Budhism carries a fish in the right hand. The importance of fish was amply pronounced throughout the world when astronomers placed the twelveth  division on the Zodiac under the charge of fish in western hemisphere as Pisces in Indian astronomy. Yet fishes are one of the important components of fresh water/ marine ecosystems throughout the world. Fishes has been used as food is depicted in the excavations of Mohenjodero & Harappa of Indus valley (2500 to 1500 BC). Fishes are rich source of food & help million of human beings who suffer due to hunger & malnutrition & thus provide a means to tide over the nutritional deficiency. They provide protein 13-20%, fat, VitA & D & phosphorus. Fish provide fish meal, fish manure, fish oil, cod liver oil (used in rickets & tuberculosis, also applied on wounds & burns), fish glue & Isinglass, fish leather and has been used as biological control (using larvivorus fishes)) yet many of these die due to various types of infections. The infections may be due to fungus, bacteria, viruses, Protozoa, crustaceans molluscan larvae. However, the parasites of internal organs include nematodes, trematodes, cestodes, acanthocaphalans.
Unfortunately the diseases caused by Caryophyllaeids (single segmented monozoic tapeworms) in India has never been seriously taken up although they cause various types of damages like –
1.    Mechanical obstruction of the intestinal tract
2.    production of lesions
3.    other pathological conditions of the intestinal tract
4.    changes in the blood parameters &
5.    general physiological imbalance.
It is interesting to note that Caryophyllaeids are unique three soft bodied cetodes which have a single set of reproductive organs within a nonsegmented body and utilize aquatic oligochaetes (annelida) as intermediate hosts.
In this paper the authors have dealt with the diseases caused by the Caryophyllaeids & suggested measures to control the infection through pond management & suitable treatments.

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