Medicinal plants as immunostimulants for health management in Indian cat fish

Objective:To study the effect of three medicinal plants on growth,survival and immunoprotection in Mystus montanus fingerlings.Methods:The three experimental groups of fish were fed with a diet supplemented of Ocimum tenuiflorum,Zingiber officinale and Allium cepa(0.5 g each),and control group was fed without supplementation of herbal diet.After 45 d of feeding the experimental group fishes were injected with 0.5 mL of Aeromonas hydrophila and were supplemented with herbal diet.In the control group fishes were injected with 0.5 mL of physiological saline solution alone.Results:The blood samples were collected for haemotological analysis after 7 d of post infection.The results showed that the haematological parameters of haemoglobin,serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase,serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase,serum glucose,red blood cell and white blood cell were found to be more in challenged fish.The survival rate of pathogen challenged fish maintained on the herbal diet is better than those in the control group which is supplemented with non-herbal diet.Conclusions:These results indicated that herbal diet is useful as a growth promoter and for disease resistance of Mystus montanus against Aeromonas hydrophila infection.

Gulf of Mannar Island coral reef associated gastropods assemblages:Distribution and diversity pattern

Objective:To study the spatial and temporal variations of the distribution and diversity pattern of coral reef associated gastropods assemblages in Gulf of Mannar Island and to clarify the relationship between gastropods and surrounding coral reef ecosystem.Methods:Gastropods were collected from three islands-Hare(Picnic spot),Vaan(Church Island)and Koswari(Karsuvar Island).The samples were taxonomically identified according to external structure of typical shells and classified according to their feeding habits.Statistical tool Primer(Ver.6.1.11)was employed to find the species diversity,richness and evenness.Results:A total of forty species of gastropods from 19 families were identified.The gastropods population density varied differently at stations,479 species from Vaan islands,390 species from Koswari islands and 254 species from Hare island were recorded.The gastropods species diversity,richness and evenness indices also varied differently at stations.The highest species diversity indice was recorded at Vaan Island(2.968),while both the highest richness and evenness indices were recorded at Hare Island with 0.937 and 0.942 respectively.Conclusions:The results of present study provides useful informtation for biodiversity conservation as well as the management of coral reef habitat in India.