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Iyyappan, T.; Santhakumar, R.; Arul Oli, G.; Padmavathy, P.; Athithan, S., and Arisekar, U., 2025. Enterprise attributes and hazard risks in the ornamental fish trade: Implications for ecosystem integrity and stakeholder engagement in southeast India. Journal of Coastal Research, 41(1), 131–145. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. The release of freshwater and marine ornamental pets serves as a significant vector for introducing invasive species and hazards into ecosystems. Preventive measures are essential to reduce the risk of hazards in the ornamental fish trade, but little is known about biosecurity practices after the fish have crossed borders. Hence, the perception of enterprise attributes and the potential biosecurity gaps, and their effects on aquatic ecosystems and stakeholder involvement were evaluated using the survey. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by incorporating questionnaires to collect information on the actual biosecurity activities and hazard responses practiced by ornamental fish retailers and farmers in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The study's key findings on the most dominant non-native species in the market and farming reveal that postborder preventive practices within the ornamental fish supply chain may not effectively minimize the risk of introducing hazards. Also, alarming statistics indicate that 44.17% of unwanted, dead, and sick fishes are disposed of in drainage, ponds, and rivers, further exacerbating environmental concerns. Most frequently, fish diseases are treated with drugs and antibiotics such as malachite green oxalate, trichlorfon, and formalin, as well as oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline, without proper guidelines and consultation with fishery experts. Therefore, it is imperative to allocate resources to enhance pre-and at-border control measures, including risk-based surveillance of ornamental fish imports. Additionally, these findings should inform targeted awareness campaigns and provide directed training on biosecurity practices and environmental education for individuals involved in the postborder stages of the ornamental supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iyyappan, T.; Santhakumar, R.; Oli, G.A; Padmavathy, P.; Athithan, S.; Subash, P., and Ramkumar, S., 2024. Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and constraints among ornamental fish entrepreneurs along the Tamil Nadu coast: A market-oriented approach. Journal of Coastal Research, 40(6), 1189–1200. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. This study assessed the current level of knowledge, attitudes, and constraints towards market-oriented approaches among the ornamental fish entrepreneurs (OFEs) in Tamil Nadu, India. A validated questionnaire was given to 290 OFEs, and SPSS was performed for data analysis after pilot-testing. The results revealed a strong understanding of social media for marketing among OFEs, but with a moderate level of attitude toward market-oriented approaches. Respondents (4.33 mean) agreed on avoiding similar fish species production to prevent price crashes and demand slumps, which depicts their focus on consumer-oriented markets (4.31). Entrepreneurs (4.19) agreed that a successful producer prioritizes quality, attractive, and unique fish varieties in the market. They also agreed that social media is a prominent tool for business (4.3). The industry lacks quality brooders and seeds and struggles with a poor marketing system. A significant (P < 0.05) moderate correlation (r = 0.33) existed between knowledge and attitudes, but not with constraints. This study indicates the current state of market approaches and the access patterns of the OFEs in Tamil Nadu, and the results offer clarity for policymakers, planners, and stakeholders to further consider and develop market-oriented strategies for achieving successful business production and marketing in the ornamental fish industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present study aimed to evaluate the changes in proximate composition and physical attributes in brown shrimp (Metapenaeus dobsonii) exposed to different methods of cooking followed by freezing. For this, three different grades (100/200, 200/300, and 300/500 numbers per kg) of brown shrimp were cooked at 90 °C till the core temperature of the product reaches 85 °C using hot water, steam, and microwave (400 W) techniques. The changes in yield, cooking loss, proximate composition, textural, and colour profile were assessed for cooked shrimps. The cooking loss was higher for larger grades of shrimp, whereas shrimp cooked using hot water exhibited the highest cooking loss. Lowest cooking loss was observed for microwave-cooked shrimp. Moisture content decreased after cooking whereas protein, fat, ash, and calorie content increased. After cooking, different grades of shrimp showed an increase in their lightness (L*), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*) values. The smaller grade shrimp exhibited lower value for cohesiveness, hardness, chewiness, and gumminess. Different cooking techniques yielded cooked shrimp of varying hardness values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent which enters into the aquatic environment through wastewater discharges which causes potential health risk in human and aquatic organisms. The present study aimed to determine the toxic effects of triclosan on Oreochromis mossambicus. Methods: The fishes were subjected to five different concentrations viz. 131, 262, 523, 1046 and 2092 µg.l-1 of triclosan for 96 h acute toxicity test. To evaluate the levels of enzymes such as acetylcholinesterase and glutathione S transferase, brain and liver tissues were collected, homogenized, extracted and stored at -20°C for further analysis. The DNA damage was assessed in gill and liver tissues using single cell gel electrophoresis method. Result: In present study, the calculated 96 h LC50 value of triclosan in O. mossambicus was 740 µg.l-1 and the fishes showed various behavioural alterations. Time and dose dependent inhibition of AChE activity in brain tissue was observed during acute toxicity test. However, the GST activity in liver tissue increased on exposure to triclosan with significant increase in concentration of toxicant. DNA damage index was higher in gill tissue compared to the liver tissue during acute exposure to TCS which could cause detrimental effects in fishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food authenticity is an issue of major concern for food authorities, as mislabeling represents one of the major commercial frauds. In this study, a novel PCR-RFLP protocol was developed as a tool to authenticate four shrimp products of commercial importance belonging to the family, Penaeidae, viz. Litopenaeus vannamei, Penaeus monodon, P. semisulcatus and Fenneropenaeus indicus. PCR amplification was performed targeting 16S rRNA/tRNA val region having an amplicon size of 530bp using the specific primers for shrimps, 16S-Cru4/16S-Cru3. Subsequent restriction analysis with a single restriction enzyme, Tsp5091, yielded distinct RFLP pattern for each species of shrimps having fragment sizes below 150bp. The unique RFLP patterns were also obtained in processed shrimp products without any degradation or alteration in the major fragments. The method was also validated with commercial shrimp products. Thus, the developed protocol can be performed within 8h using a single enzyme to authenticate four shrimp products of commercial significance., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)