Fish in relation to Man and Human Welfare-

Prof. Sunil P. Trivedi, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow-226007

Email: [email protected]

Major areas of association

Experimental
Food & models
Nutrition
fish-by-products Games & Sports

Vector control Bio-indicators

Employment

1. Fish as Food: About 75% of the world fish production is used for the human consumption. Fish Consumption
is higher in developing countries and lowest in Africa. Around 60% of people of developing countries depend
on fish for their animal protein requirements.
2. Fish lipids & Human Nutrition: Fishes are low in calories and many types of fish do not contain any saturated
fat. Reduce the cholesterol level in the blood: Oil-rich fish such as mackerel, sardines, herring and sprats are
rich in unsaturated fats containing Omega-3 fatty acids which are valuable for health. Fish oils can help to
prevent cancer cells progressing to the tumor stage.
3. Fish protein contain sufficient amounts of essential amino acid similar to milk, egg and mammalian meat
protein. fish protein improves blood lipid profile in human, Salmonids and herrings are best sources of fish
proteins.
4. Fish vitamins: Fishes are excellent source of many essential minerals such as iodine, selenium, zinc, iron,
calcium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamins A and D, and several B vitamins.
5. Transgenic Fish may be better used for increasing fish production to meet the growing demand of food, for
production of pharmaceutical and other industrial products, as fish biosensors for monitoring aquatic pollution,
for isolation of genes, for researches in embryonic stem cells and in-vitro embryo production, for production of
anti-freeze protein.
6. Ornamental fishes: More than 100 varieties of indigenous ornamental fishes are available in our freshwater
ecosystem in addition to a similar number of exotic species that are bred in captivity.
 A list of India̕ s native ornamental fishes
Common name Scientific name distribution
Zebra danio Brachydanio rerio All Over India except
north hill.
Golden banded loach Botia dario Assam, Bengal, Bihar,
Orissa
Dwarf gourami Colisa lalia Throughout India.
Indian rosy barb Puntius conchonius Estern india
Jerdon carp Puntius jerdoni Western Ghats
Melon barb Puntius faciatus faciatus Western Ghats
Neon hatchet Chela cachius Assam
Black knife fish Notopterus notopterus All over India
Red gilled violet shark Labeo boga Ganga river
Pencil gold labeo Labeo nandina Assam

Common name Scientific name istribution

Tiger loach Botia birdi Punjab, North India

Twin banded loach Botia rostrata Assam

Striped loach Botia striata Tunga River, Kolhapur,

Maharashtra
Butterfly catfish Hara hara Northern India

Elongated mouth catfish Hara horai North Bengal

Dwarf anchor catfish Hara jerdoni North-eastern India

Leaf fish Nandus nandus Throughout India

Giant glass fish Parambasis thomassi Western Ghats

Peacock eel Macrognathus aral Eastern India

Red tailed eel Macrognathus jacobbi North Bengal, Orissa

Clown catfish Gagata cenia North And Northeast India

 Common name Scientific name distribution
Sidewinder loach Aborichthys bijulensis Garo hills, Meghalaya

Puma loach Acanthocobitis rubidipinnis Upper Assam

Leopard loach Acanthocobitis botia Northeastern India

Black line loach Nemachelius anguilla Western Ghats

Banded loach Shistura beavani North Bengal

Polka dotted loach Schistura corica North Bengal

Ring loach Shistura denisoni dayi Bihar

Panther loach Lepidocephalus gunthea Northern And Eastern India

Indian coolie loach Pangio pangia North-east Bengal, Eastern

Madhya Pradesh
Sun catfish Horabagrus nigricollaris Kerala

7. Employment: In India, marine fisheries sector employs around 2.9 million people of which 12.47 lakh people
are in active fishing, 14.97 lakh in secondary sector avocations and 2 lakhs in tertiary sector, around 30 per
cent are women workers of which 81 per cent are residents of fishing villages in the coastal belt.
8. Iindicators of environmental water quality because of their differential sensitivity to pollution fishes serve
as good indicators of pollution. Fish have the ability to uptake and concentrate metals directly from the
surrounding water or indirectly from other organisms such as small fish, invertebrates, and aquatic
vegetation, in addition, fish are located at the end of the aquatic food chain and may accumulate metals and
pass them to human beings, fish diversity may be a useful biological indicator of water quality and this could
be used in bio-monitoring networks and programmes to assess water quality and in mapping out fish species
hot-spot areas
9. Vector Control: larvivorous fishes are suitably adapted to feed upon mosquito larvae and are thus helpful in
controlling the population of mosquito which are vectors of many dreadful diseases, e.g. malaria, yellow
fever, filarial, dengue etc.
 Some important Larvivorous Fishes
Gambusia affinis (a cichild) An exotic fish
Lebistes reticulatus (a cichild) An exotic fish
Carassius carassius (a cyprinid An exotic fish
fish) commonly known as ‘gold
fish’
Aplocheilus lineatum An indigenous fish
Oryzias melanostigma (a An indigenous fish
minnow)
Aphanius dispar An indigenous fish
Amblypharyngodon (a cyprinid) An indigenous fish

Continue…………
Rasbora daniconius (a cyprinid) An indigenous fish
Esomus danricus (a cyprinid) An indigenous fish
Punctius sophore (a cyprinid) An indigenous fish
Colisa faciata (a anabantid) An indigenous fish
Barillius vagra (a cyprinid) An indigenous fish
Notopterus notopterus (an An indigenous fish
osteoglossis)
Oxygaster (a cyprinid) An indigenous fish

10. Fish food is rich in micro-nutrients: renewed emphasis on the production, access, distribution and utilization
of common, micronutrient-rich foods. Fish, especially nutrient-rich small fish, from the wild and from
aquaculture, can play a vital role in improving human nutrition, but this will require changes to government
policies, investment in infrastructure and encouragement of research.
11. Fish genes are highly conserved like humans Thus, any type of disease that causes changes in the body parts
of humans could theoretically be modelled. Further, they also possess 0.32 to 133 billion base pairs.
12. Small laboratory fish like zebra fish and medaka are primed to provide useful experimental models to
investigate causes of morphological and physiological variation in other fishes. Channa punctatus, possesses
 just 32 (2N) chromosomes that is too of larger size, thus is suitable for studies of chromosomal abnormalities
(CAT: Chromosomal Aberration Test).
13. Fish by-products: Several fish body parts and by-products finds immense application for human welfare.
SIGNIFICANT FISH BYPRODUCTS
S.NO. BY- PRODUCTS FISH SPECIES USED COMMERCIAL USES
ORGAN
FOR
EXTRACTI
ON
1. Oil
a. Cod liver oil Liver Gadus morhua, Medicines, soap making,
halibut, heddock, currying.
tuna, sharks.

b. Fish body oil Whole fish, Sardines, herrings, Used in the manufacture
fatty tissues pilchard, salmon, of soaps, candles, paints,
spart. varnishes, cosmetics,
lubricants, printing inks,
plastics.
2. Fish meal Whole fish Sardines, Food source for poultry
mackerels, sharks, and cattles.
rays, silver bellies.
3. Fish silage Whole fish, Most species Serves as source of amino
commercial except sharks and acids for protein synthesis.
fish waste rays. Used in fish feed pellets.
4. Fish manure Mixing ash Fish waste (any Manuring of plants.
with dried fish species).
fish
5. Isinglass Air bladder Sturgeons Confectionary, adhesives,
plasters, emulsifiers, agent
in beer industries.
6. Fish glue Bones, scales, Sturgeons, Tilapia Act as binders, glazing
fins, skin. agents, adhesives.
7. Fish leather Skin Sharks, rays Used in the making of
belt, shoes, bags, etc.
8. Fish soap Fins Sharks Soap making.
9. Artificial pearls Bleak fish Glass beads.
10. Fish insulin Pancreas Tunas, cods Medicinal value.