Feb 11 2015

Ornamental fish hatchery and farm in Sindh, Pakistan

Credit: Kanwal Odhejo (Pakistan)

 

Ornamental fish farm in Pakistan

 

The inserted photo shows a private ornamental fish hatchery and farm in Sindh which was established about 20 years ago. The breeding and farming of ornamental carp (Koi carp) for local market is the main species produced in this operation.

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=12404

Feb 07 2015

Catla catla, produced in Nepal and sold in India

Credit: Bishnu khanal (Nepal)

 

Catla from Nepal to India

 

 

 

 

About 70% of fish consumed in Nepal is imported from India. However, some fish exports take place from Nepal to India. The inserted picture shows a queue of motorbikes that belong to fish retailors in the rural part of Nepal on their way to nearby market in India.  Because of the popularity of “Catla catla” in India, fish retailers in Nepal take catla from Nepal to India where they can get good prices which leads to better farm gate price for catla producers in Nepal.

 

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=12398

Feb 05 2015

Displaying live lobster on ice – controversial issue

I should admit that when I filmed this short video, I was thinking as a consumer who sees the best possible quality and freshness of a lobster when bought alive. In fact, most lobster consumers do not buy lobsters that are not alive and kicking. There are locations where the sale of a dead lobster to be eaten is illegal (e.g. Massachusetts). In regard to fish mongers, they promote their live lobsters and in return they get premium prices.

When I ran a quick search on displaying live lobsters on ice, I found considerable views which are in opposition to such practice.

In 2006, an Italian restaurant in Vicenza, Italy was fined the equivalent of $855 for displaying live lobster on ice. The charge was cruelty to animals, since the display was found a form of abuse because the crustaceans suffer from slow death of suffocation.

Under pressure from animal rights animal worshippers, one of the leading companies in natural and organic food have stopped selling live lobsters.

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=12393

Feb 05 2015

California spiny lobster displayed live at “Tuna Harbor Dockside Market”, San Diego, USA – (Video)

This short video was filmed at “Tuna Harbor Dockside Market”, San Diego, USA during the Saturday fish market held on 27 December 2014. Based on a quick tour in the market, and compared to whole fish display, this lobster is the most expensive item in all displays as the price during the day of the visit was US$26/lb. Showing potential customers that the animal was still alive seemed important in promoting the sale of this expensive product. According to the information provided by Sea Grant, traps are used to collect these lobsters during the period from October – March every year.

 Characteristics: The California spiny lobster, (Panulirus interruptus) is one of the largest spiny lobster species, and typically grows to a length of 30 centimeters. Males can weigh up to 12 kilograms and Adults can grow to be more than 2 feet long. Spiny lobsters may live to be about 25 to 50 years old.

Like all spiny lobsters, the California spiny lobster has two large, spiny antennae, but no large claws on its legs. It is characterized by a reddish-brown color with stripes along the legs. The interrupted grooves across the tail are characteristic for the species. California spiny lobsters are nocturnal, hiding in crevices during the day, with only the tips of their long antennae showing, as a means of avoiding predators.

Distribution and habitats: The California spiny lobster, Panulirus interruptus, is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean from Monterey Bay, California to the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico. The majority of the population is found between Point Conception, California and Magdalena Bay, Baja California. The California spiny lobster is found in parts of the Gulf of California, and along the Pacific coast of the length of the Baja California peninsula, extending as far north as San Luis Obispo Bay, California. Although adult lobsters can be found in shallow water, they usually live on rocky substrates from the intertidal zone at depths of 65 meters or more. The juveniles generally inhabit rocky habitats at a depth of 0–4 m with dense plant cover, especially the surf grass.

As stimulated by changes in water temperature, spiny lobsters may carry out an annual offshore-onshore migration, in which they enter shallower water in spring and summer whereas plentiful supply of food exist, while head out to deeper water in fall and winter probably to avoid the effects of winter storms.

Food habits: Because the California spiny lobsters are nocturnal, their feeding activity begins at night when the animals leave their dens to search for their food. Adult lobsters are omnivorous and sometimes carnivorous. They consume algae and a wide variety of marine invertebrates such as sea urchins, snails, mussels, worms, and clams as well as fishes, and injured or newly molted lobsters. Their feeding upon sea urchins is important for maintaining healthy seabed communities.

Reproduction and life history: Females of California spiny lobsters reach sexual maturity at an age of 5–9 years while males are sexually mature after 3–6 years. The spawning takes place from May to August. After mating, the fertilized eggs are carried on the female’s pleopods until they hatch, with between 120,000 and 680,000 eggs carried by a single female. The eggs begin coral red, but darken as they develop to a deep maroon. The eggs become ready to hatch after 10 weeks.

The fertilized eggs hatch into tiny, transparent larvae “Phyllosoma”  which are drifted in the ocean and have to undergo 12 molts that take about 7 months ending by the juvenile stage “Puerulus” that settle to the sea floor. The settled “puerulus” which looks like a miniature adult starts to grow if the habitat is suitable till reaching the adult size.

Lobster’s predators: Lobsters are vulnerable to predation. The natural predators of the California spiny lobster include bony fish such as the California sheep head, giant sea bass, California moray eels, cabezon, horn shark, leopard shark, rock fishes, octopuses and sea otters. California spiny lobster can defend itself against its natural predators through producing a loud noise using its antennae. Also, if a predator is very close, the lobsters will flex their muscular tail in order to escape the predator.

References: Wikipedia, Freebase, Blue Ocean Institute, California Seafood Council, PBS Foundation, All Kayal Fishing.com

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=12390

Feb 02 2015

Catch of “Sabalo” in Pilemayo River (Bolivia)

Photo credit: Rory Felix Mamani (Bolivia)

Review: Rory Felix Mamani and Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the website)

 

Bolivia River fishery

 

 

The inserted picture shows the fishing of “sábalo” which takes place in “Pilemayo River” near the indigenous community “Weenhayek”.

The Pilcomayo River is considered an important fish source for artisanal fisheries in Bolivia. The sabalo (Prochilodus lineatus) is a key fish species in the fish catch providing important economic revenues and food resources for several riverine communities including the “Weenhayek”.

The “Weenhayek” people are experts at catching fish of different species. Traditionally, as the fishing season starts, entire families leave their homes and camp on the banks of the Pilcomayo River, where part of the fish is sold to middlemen to be sold in the cities and the rest is for home consumption. Traps and seins are common fishing gears.

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=12295

Feb 02 2015

Piégeage poisson-chat africain dans une zone rurale au Gabon (en français)

Charles Ibinga Maganga (Gabon)

Harvest African catfish in a rural area in Gabon

Cette image montre la récolte de poisson-chat africain (Clarias gariepinus), récoltés par les femmes dans la vallée du Ntem à Minvoul (ville rurale, au nord du Gabon). Ces silures (poissons-chats) sont péchés avec des pièges à poissons (panier conique fait à l’aide des roseaux pour les eaux peu profondes) lors des périodes de remontée d’eau, en début des saisons de pluies.

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=12293

Feb 02 2015

Trapping African catfish in a rural area in Gabon

Charles Ibinga Maganga (Gabon)

Harvest African catfish in a rural area in Gabon

 

This picture shows the harvest of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus by women in the Team Valley Minvoul (rural town in northern Gabon). These catfish are caught with fish traps (conical basket made with reeds for shallow water) during periods of upwelling in the early rainy season.

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=12290

Feb 02 2015

Cage culture of tilapia in Lao PDR

 

Cage culture of tilapia in Laos (2) Cage culture of tilapia in Laos (01)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo credit: MK19 – Fisheries and Aquaculture Production in Reservoirs in Lao PDR

Review: Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the website)

 

Tilapia is among the few species farmed in cages in Laos. In the present, there are already large-scale cage farms with relatively considerable investment which are in operation. The technology developed in Thailand has crossed boarders and led to the intensification of all-male tilapia production in Laos. The cage farms vary in construction and in size. Frames could be made of locally available materials such as bamboo or could be steel-framed net cages. Cage sizes also vary from 10 to 50 m3. There are fish hatcheries in Laos which supply tilapia fingerlings required for cages where they are grown to market size. Most of the cages are restricted to Nam Ngum reservoir, the smaller Nam Souan and Nam Houm reservoirs, the mainstream Mekong and some major tributaries.

It is believed that the imported feed for caged tilapia could be produced locally, as 80–85% of ingredients are available locally; rice bran, broken rice, maize and cassava limited the imported ingredients mainly to soybean and fish meal.

The results obtained from cage culture of tilapia encouraged the growth of cage aquaculture especially after attracting landless farmers.

It may worth mentioning that tilapia was first introduced from Japan in 1960s, while subsequent introductions came from Thailand and Vietnam.

One of the two photos as the caption reads: one of many tilapia farms on the Nam Ngum River. There are 60 cages at this farm which produces over 300 tons of fish per year. The second photo shows tilapia in cages run by a woman –which is quite normal-. This particular cage farm is located at Ban Keung; the tilapia specimen shown is 1.5 kg with of about 5-months old.

 

References:

MK19 – Fisheries and Aquaculture Production in Reservoirs in Lao PDR

Feeds and Feeding for Inland Aquaculture in Mekong Region Countries Editors: Peter Edwards and Geoff L. Allan

FAO, 2006. FISHERY COUNTRY PROFILE, FID/CP/LAO

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=12285

Jan 31 2015

Cuttlefish – Part two: (Feeding – reproduction – Utilization) – Video

This video was filmed in the Sea World (San Diego, USA) by the founder of this channel during January 2015.

Review: Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the video channel)

Source: www.fishconsult.org

 

Introduction:Cuttlefish are small to medium sized marine animals that belong to the class Cephalopoda, which also includes squids, and octopodes. Despite their name, cuttlefish are not fish but they are molluscs.

There are more than 100 species of cuttlefish which significantly vary in size from the small ones of about 15 cm in length to the Australian giant cuttlefish which can grow to up to about 50 cm in length (excluding its tentacles) and about 10 kg in weight.

Based on research findings, cuttlefish have one of the largest brain-to-body size ratios of all invertebrates indicating that cuttlefish are among the most intelligent invertebrates.

 

Feeding: Cuttlefish are active predators which swim at night and hunt for food that are primarily small crustaceans such as shrimp and crabs. They also eat small fish and even other cuttlefish. They use their camouflage to hunt for food. Also, through shooting out a jet of water, cuttlefish would uncover shrimp and crab which could bury in the sand.  They also shoot the two long feeding tentacles to seize its prey and with the pad covered in suckers, the prey animals are moved towards the cuttlefish peak. They can use their beaks located in the middle of their arms to break the shells of their food.

On the other hand, the cuttlefish being relatively of small size, they are subject to many marine predators including dolphins, sharks, fish, seals, seabirds, and other cuttlefish.

 

Reproduction: On the average, cuttlefish hatchlings reach sexual maturity at 14 to 18 months of age. During the mating season, male cuttlefish change their body colors and may become engaged in special displays to attract a female. However, fighting over females is common in cuttlefish. The winner male cuttlefish mate with the females and transfer a sperm mass to the female’s mantle. Few hours later, the female cuttlefish lays around 200 small eggs that are fertilized by the stored sperm. According to studies, it is Interesting to know that in case when a female cuttlefish mates with several males, she stores the sperm individually before deciding which mated male will be the father of the progeny. Researchers suggest that this manner is a means of selection in cuttlefish populations.

The laid eggs ae attached onto objects on the seafloor such as shells, rocks and seaweeds. The female stays with the eggs until they hatch, but both patents (male and female) die shortly afterward.

Utilization:Cuttlefish are either fish are either fished commercially, or caught as bycatch. They may be used for food in the Mediterranean, East Asia, and elsewhere and considered a popular food. Depending on consumer preference and food habits, cuttlefish is prepared in different forms and dishes including dried, shredded, grilled, breaded, deep-fried and others.

Cuttlebones from dead cuttlefish that are found washed ashore, are sold as a dietary calcium/mineral for domestic/caged birds.

Away from food or supplement purposes, Jeweler and silversmiths traditionally use cuttlebones as molds for casting small items.

 

References: A-Z Animals, ARKIVE, BBC Nature, Encyclopedia.com, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Wikipedia

 

Note: Part one on cuttlefish covers: Distribution, description, ink, changing color and swimming

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=12283

Jan 31 2015

Cuttlefish – Part one: (Distribution – Description – Ink – Changing color – Swimming) – Video

 

This video was filmed in the Sea World (San Diego, USA) by the founder of this channel during January 2015.

Review: Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the video channel)

 

Introduction:Cuttlefish are small to medium sized marine animals that belong to the class Cephalopoda, which also includes squids, and octopodes. Despite their name, cuttlefish are not fish but they are molluscs.

There are more than 100 species of cuttlefish which significantly vary in size from the small ones of about 15 cm in length to the Australian giant cuttlefish which can grow to up to about 50 cm in length (excluding its tentacles) and about 10 kg in weight.

Based on research findings, cuttlefish have one of the largest brain-to-body size ratios of all invertebrates indicating that cuttlefish are among the most intelligent invertebrates.

 

Distribution and habitats:The family Sepiidae, which contains all cuttlefish, is found in shallow temperate and tropical waters. The wild cuttlefish are totally absent from the Americas except in aquariums and at research facilities. They are present along the coasts of East and South Asia, Western Europe, the Mediterranean, and all coasts of Africa and Australia. Even though they may go to depths of about 600 m, they are mostly shallow-water animals.

 

Description: The cuttlefish generally range in size from 15 to 25 cm (with some exceptions). They possess a unique internal structure known as a cuttlebone, which is porous and is made of aragonite. The cuttlebone which is filled with gas aids the buoyancy of cuttlefish. The cuttlefish have ten tentacles, out of which 2 are longer and used in grasping and securing their prey. Tentacles have suckers that extend over most of the length of their arms and along the distal portion of their tentacles.

Compared the cephalopods in general, cuttlefish have the best eyes, which are highly complex. They can see light that is invisible to humans. The shape of cuttlefish pupils helps control the intensity of light entering the eye.

The blood of a cuttlefish is an unusual shade of green-blue because it uses the copper-containing protein haemocyanin to carry oxygen. Their blood must flow more rapidly than that of most other animals because haemocyanin carries substantially less oxygen than the vertebrate’s hemoglobin.

Cuttlefish and ink:The cuttlefish dark-brown ink was once an important dye and used extensively for writing and drawing, and drawing, and can be used to treat medical conditions and as a food coloring. Today, artificial dyes have mostly replaced natural sepia.

Cuttlefish eject their ink into the water in a form of protective dark brown ‘cloud’ to help evade and fool incoming predators and/or allows them to hide or escape.

This ink which is composed mostly of melanin is stored inside an ink sac. It has been estimated that a single cuttlefish can cloud up to 20 cubic meters of water with ink.

Cuttlefish and changing color:Cuttlefish have remarkable ability to instantly change their skin color and color pattern. This ability make the animals blend with their surroundings not only for camouflage but also for communication such as during mating. The pigment cells (chromatophores) are responsible for releasing the pigment into the outer layer of animal’s skin.

The pigmented chromatophores with its variety of colors (e.g. yellow, red, orange, brown, black, blue and green) can -when used in combinations- are responsible for the numerous colors which cuttlefish can display. It is claimed that cuttlefish are the fastest color changers in the whole animal kingdom.

Swimming: Cuttlefish use their fins that surround their body for swimming. When quick movement is needed, they can rapidly expel water and move quickly by jet-propulsion. The bony structure “cuttlebone” is used to regulate buoyancy using chambers that may be filled with gas and/or water depending on where the cuttlefish is in the water column.

 

References: A-Z Animals, ARKIVE, BBC Nature, Encyclopedia.com, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Wikipedia

 

Note: Part two on cuttlefish covers feeding, reproduction and utilization

 

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=12281

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