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Although a stenohaline freshwater fish, the stinging catfish Heteropneustes fossilis, is also available in the freshwater fringes of the coastal areas of Bangladesh, the tolerance of this species to variable environmental salinity has not been thoroughly investigated. Based on median lethal salinity (MLS-50 96 h), three sublethal salinity levels (3 ppt, 6 ppt and 9 ppt) and a control (0 ppt), each with three replications were selected to observe the effects of mildly brackish conditions on the fish for a period of 90-day exposure. Better growth and survival were found up to 6 ppt compared with control. Salinity more than 6 ppt appeared unsuitable for H. fossilis fingerling due to increased mortality and reduced growth. To determine biochemical alterations, a few important physiological parameters were observed after 90 days of exposure. Glycogen level of liver and muscle in the fish reared at 9 ppt salinity decreased significantly (P

This study presents an overview of the existence and effects of six heavy metals, chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), and aluminum (Al), in tannery effluents released to the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The pollutants were found in three different sources, such as effluents from tanneries, contaminated river water and three species of fish—climbing perch ( Anabas testudineus), spotted snakehead ( Channa punctata), and Black tilapia ( Oreochromis mossambicus) caught from the river. Tannery effluents, water, and fish samples were collected from three different factories, five sample stations, and three different harvesting points, respectively. Effluents from all three factories contained significant amounts of heavy metals, especially Cr (374.19 ppm in average), whereas lesser amounts were found in the tissues of the three fish species studied. The trends in tissue elemental concentrations of fish were Cr > Pb > Al > Hg > Mn > Cd. In most cases (Cr, Cd, Mn, and Al), heavy metal concentrations were found to be greater in climbing perch than in Black tilapia and spotted snakehead. Although the river water contained high concentrations of harmful heavy metals, the fish species under study had concentrations well below the permissible Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization levels for those metals and seemed to be safe for human consumption.

There is growing interest to understand the dietary P:E requirements for the supplemental feed used in tilapia pond culture where natural food contributes to production. In an on-farm trial, we tested the effect of lowering dietary P:E ratio on fish performance, pond nutrient utilization and economic benefit under two stocking densities and feeding levels. Forty ponds, (average size 234 ± 112 m2), were assigned to test the effect of two diets, which differed in P:E ratio (18 vs 14 g.MJ−1), two feeding levels (14 vs 18 g.kg-0.8.d−1) and two stocking densities (2 vs 3 fish.m−2). Initial fish biomass was 45(±21) vs 67(±38) g.m−2 at 2 vs 3 fish.m−2, respectively. The experiment lasted 82 days. Decreasing P:E ratio enhanced tilapia production (P < 0.05; 459 vs 399 g.m−2). Increasing stocking density of tilapia from 2 to 3 m−2 increased biomass gain 43% (P < 0.001; 354 vs 505 g.m−2). Averaged over both diets and stocking densities, growth and feed conversion ratio increased with increasing feeding level (P < 0.001). Fish survival was unaffected by diet, stocking density and feeding level. Dissolved oxygen increased with increased stocking density with low P:E diet. The opposite happened for high P:E diet (P < 0.05). Increasing the feeding level also increased the DO concentration (P < 0.001). N retention efficiency was higher with the low P:E ratio diet (P < 0.001; 71 vs 52%) and decreased with increasing feeding level (P < 0.001). The data on N gain and N balance at the pond level suggest that the food web productivity was stimulated by reducing the dietary P:E ratio. The low P:E diet increased the gross margin by 95% (P < 0.001; 2076 vs 1067 USD.ha−1) and benefit cost ratio by 22% (P < 0.05; 1.57 vs 1.29). The P:E ratio of the low P:E diet is less than the presently advised. Lowering the P:E ratio from 18 to 14 g.MJ−1 in pond feeds for tilapia will increase the economic viability of pond aquaculture.

Biodiversity conservation is one of the important ecosystem services that has been negatively impacted by anthropogenic activities. Natural forests (NF) harbor some of the highest species diversity around the world. However, deforestation and degradation have resulted in reduced forest land cover and loss of diversity. Homegarden agroforestry (AF) systems have been proven to be an intermediary for biodiversity conservation. In this study, we evaluate the effectiveness of home garden AF practices to conserve tree species diversity in Bangladesh and compare them with tree species diversity in NF. A total of nine locations were selected for this synthesis from published literature which comprised of five AF sites and four NFs. Shannon–Weiner Diversity Index (H) was similar for home-garden AF (3.50) and NF (2.99), with no statistical difference between them. Based on non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination analysis, the AF and NF plots showed distinct separation. However, Bray–Curtis dissimilarity index ranged from 0.95 to 0.70 indicating nearly no overlap in species composition to significant overlap between AF and NF. Based on our results, we conclude that AF can serve as an important ecological tool in conserving tree species diversity, particularly on landscapes where NF fragments represent only a small fraction of the total land area. Creating and maintaining AF habitats in such human dominated landscapes should be part of the biodiversity conservation strategy.

This proximate study was carried out to determine the nutrient content of six commercially important molluscs. The selected molluscan species were Pila globosa, Bellamya bengalensis , Melania tuberculata, Lamellidens marginalis, Anisus convexiusculus and Helix sp . These species were assessed for their proximate and mineral compositions designed to establish their nutritive values on the wet weight basis. The analysis of muscles revealed that the composition of crude protein varied from 8.272%±0.05% in Pila globosa to 12.927%±0.57% in Anisus convexiusculus , moisture content varied from 74.6%±0.04% in Melania tuberculata to 85.9%±0.68% in Lamellidens marginalis and in case of ash content it varied from 1.036%±0.02% in Pila globosa to 4.607%±0.01% in Anisus convexiusculus . Carbohydrate content varied from 2.902±0.03% in Pila globosa and 7.566%±0.37% in Melania tuberculata. The fat and crude fiber content was marginally small in all of the species. The concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium and potassium in the flesh and shells of the molluscs were determined. It becomes pretty clear that molluscs are excellent sources of some required trace and minor elements needed for the proper growth and development of human being and can also be used as high-nutrient supplementary feed for domestic animals, birds and even for fish culture. Keywords : Freshwater; Snails; Proximate analysis; Nutrition; Minerals. © 2010 JSR Publications. ISSN: 2070-0237 (Print); 2070-0245 (Online). All rights reserved. DOI: 10.3329/jsr.v2i2.3362 J. Sci. Res. 2 (2), 390-396 (2010)

Using the Weinberg Lagrangian for the pion - nucleon interaction, the possibility of pion condensation in neutron matter has been investigated in detail. The constraints imposed by current algebra and the PCAC on the isospin-even, off-shell scattering amplitude have been incorporated in the model. We find that a condensate appears in the s-state at about twice the nuclear saturation density. At a higher density, such a condensation is possible in the s-state as well as in the p-state.

A calculation of the elastic scattering of mesons from /sup 16/O is performed, using a modification of the first-order multiple scattering theory of Kerman, McManus, and Thaler, in which Pauli blocking effects are omitted from the tau operator. The modified tau operator is calculated in a three-body model, in which the struck nucleon is allowed to recoil in a Woods-Saxon nuclear shell model potential exerted by the remainder of the nucleus. The interaction between the meson and the struck nucleon is described by a separable potential. A set of coupled differential equations that describe the elastic and the excited channel wave functions is derived by approximating the shell model binding potential in the excited states of the nucleon as a potential for the meson-nucleon center of mass. This approximation is examined in detail. It is found that in the three-body model the bound states and the single particle resonances of the shell model potential alter the results significantly from those obtained in impulse approximation.