International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies 2016; 4(3): 528-531 ISSN: 2347-5129 (ICV-Poland) Impact Value: 5.62 (GIF) Impact Factor: 0.352 IJFAS 2016; 4(3): 528-531 © 2016 IJFAS www.fisheriesjournal.com Received: 06-03-2016 Accepted: 07-04-016 M Raja Department of Biotechnology, Periyar University, Periyar Palkalai Nagar, Salem - 636 011, Tamil Nadu, India. R Karthik Raja Department of Biotechnology, Periyar University, Periyar Palkalai Nagar, Salem - 636 011, Tamil Nadu, India. R Ramkumar Department of Biotechnology, Padmavani Arts & Science College for Women, Salem 636 011, Tamil Nadu, India. M Kavitha Department of Biotechnology, Periyar University, Periyar Palkalai Nagar, Salem - 636 011, Tamil Nadu, India. D Aiswarya Department of Biotechnology, Periyar University, Periyar Palkalai Nagar, Salem - 636 011, Tamil Nadu, India. P Deepak Department of Biotechnology, Periyar University, Periyar Palkalai Nagar, Salem - 636 011, Tamil Nadu, India. P Perumal Department of Biotechnology, Periyar University, Periyar Palkalai Nagar, Salem - 636 011, Tamil Nadu, India. Correspondence P Perumal Department of Biotechnology, Periyar University, Periyar Palkalai Nagar, Salem - 636011, Tamil Nadu, India. First report on the occurrence of abnormal vertebraecontaining Giant Danio-fish, Devario aequipinnatus (McClelland, 1839) in Stanley Reservoir of Cauvery River, Tamil Nadu (India) M Raja, R Karthik Raja, R Ramkumar, M Kavitha, D Aiswarya, P Deepak and P Perumal Abstract Vertebral deformities in a wild specimen of Giant Danio- fish, Devario aequipinnatus (McClelland in 1839) (Cyprinidae: Danioninae), are reported for the first time from Stanley reservoir of Cauvery river. Radiological and morphological study of a normal and deformed fish revealed vertebral malformation in the caudal to the dorsal fin. Adverse environmental factors, such as chemical pollution of the habitat, are considered to be the cause of such deformities. Keywords: Malformation, X-ray image, Western Ghats, India. 1. Introduction The Giant Danio (Devario aequipinnatus) is a tropical fish belonging to the minnow family, Cyprinidae and it is one of the big sized among Danionins. This Giant Danio- fish, was described by McClelland in 1839 [1] from Assam and its members are distributed throughout the freshwaters of South and Southeast Asia, from Pakistan to Thailand [2]. It is a hill stream fish, inhabits streams as low as 300 m elevation. Its size ranges from around 40 to 80 mm in standard length and exhibit a colour pattern consisting of a series of bars and/or stripes [3]. Along the sides of the body. The fish is naturally accustomed to life under varying stream habitats. Also it has been found to be peaceful and hardy in aquaria. Giant Danios is abound in running streams and rivers, and are generally adopted to moderately cool and well-aerated water. It is a least concern species IUCN [4]. The Giant Danio species Devario aequipinnatus is intended to be a model species as it has gained a great importance in the field of developmental genetics, functional genomics, aquatic toxicology, neuro science and in many areas of biomedical research [5]. More recently, the Giant Danio has been proposed as a model to study skeletal muscle growth [6], cardiac remodeling and regeneration [7], visual impairment of retinal layer associated with diabetic retinopathy [5]. Deformities in teleosts have been occasionally found in wild populations [8, 9], and several such studies have focused on the deformities of the skeletal region and wide range of causes has been reported [10, 11]. Many such malformed fishes belonging to other orders have already been reported. Viz, Labeo fimbriatus, Catla catla, Labeo rohita [12]. Cirrhinus mrigala and Hypothalmichthys molitrix [13]. Ompok bimaculatus, Mystus cavasius, Channa punctatus, Channa striatus, Heteropneustes fossilis, Notopterus notopterus [14]. Bagarius bagarius [15]; Mystus gulio [16]. Puntius denisonii [17]. Catla catla [18]. Clarias gariepinus [19]. However, information about the abnormalities of Devario aequipinnatus is scanty and this is being reported for the first time, a case of deformity in wild populations of D. aequipinnatus from Stanley reservoir of Cauvery River. 2. Materials and Methods During the course of regular fish samplings, a deformed specimen of Devario aequipinnatus (n=1) was caught by cast net from Stanley reservoir of Cauvery river, (11° 53' 21.33" N, 77° 50' 33.12" E), on 12th November. 2015. after taking photograph of the morphological abnormality with a digital camera (Canon 1100 Digital SLR), the fish was preserved in 7% Formalin solution. ~ 528 ~ International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies The deformity was further examined by digital X-ray system (Fujifilm FCR Capsula XL II Reader). For the comparison purpose, a normal fish (Figs. 1 A & B) of same catch (Total Length= 89.1 mm, Standard Length= 73.1 mm, Total Weight= 7.495 g) was also collected. The collected specimens were transported to the Department of Biotechnology Cum Laboratory Museum of the Periyar University Museum of Natural History (PUMNH), Salem, Tamil Nadu (India). The specimens were with catalogue numbers (PUMNH 251/2015 & PUMNH 252/2015). The species identification and confirmation were carried out using the available literature [20, 21] . Morphometric measurements and meristic counts for taxonomic identifications were carried out by the following methods of Hubbs and Lagler [22]. Measurements were taken to the nearest 0.1mm using digital calibers. Head characters are expressed as proportion of Head Length (%HL), Head length and body characters are expressed as proportion of standard length (%SL).The species valid nomenclatural names were adopted as per the Catalogue of Fishes of the California Academy of Sciences [23] and fish status was checked in IUCN red list (IUCN, 2013). margin of lower jaw. When compared to the normal fish the deformed specimen of D. aequipinnatus possessed vertebral abnormality in the postdorsal fin region. Further the radiological examination has revealed the presence of 35 and 34 vertebrae, in normal and abnormal fish, respectively (Figs.2 A & B). Vertebral column, in the aberrant fish, between 1st to 12th vertebrae, formed an arc giving the appearance of a dome. Between 13th to 27th vertebrae, vertebral column formed a semi-circular trough, 13th to 15th vertebrae formed the anterior limb of trough, 16th to 25th vertebrae the bottom and 26rd to 28th vertebrae formed the posterior limb of trough. Vertebrae have reduced intervertebral space and vertebral thickness. Posteriorly, vertebral column between 29th to 34th vertebrae slightly truncated and vertebral thickness and intervertebral spaces reduced. 3. Results 3.1 Description of the deformed specimen The collected solitary aberrant specimen of Devario aequipinnatus, measuring total length of 82.9 mm, standard length of 64.6 mm and total weight of 7.105g was recognized by the presence of post-dorsal dome and a trough between dorsal and caudal regions (Figs. 1 A & B). The number of lateral line scales was 34 in both normal and abnormal fish. The lateral line scales was normal and have run from anterior to the posterior end of the body. In this aberrant fish specimen, lateral line, after 17th scales, posteriorly formed a trough follows by a dome between 18th to 34th scales. Number of fin rays in paired and unpaired fins of this aberrant fish showed no deviation from the normal fish (Table. 1). Dorsal fin with iii.12 rays; anal fin with iii.13 rays; principal caudalfin rays 10+9; pelvic-fin rays i.7; pectoral-fin rays i.12. Pectoral-fin origin slightly anterior to vertical through posterior- most point of opercular opening, not reaching to pelvic-fin origin when depressed. Pelvic-fin origin well in advance of dorsal-fin origin, posterior most tip of pelvic fin reaching to vertical through dorsal-fin origin. Dorsal-fin origin anterior to anal-fin origin, its distal margin straight to weakly convex. Anal-fin origin opposite to point of insertion of 4th branched dorsal-fin ray, its distal margin straight. Caudal fin forked, its lobes rounded distally, upper lobe slightly longer than lower lobe. Lateral line complete, declining steeply for first 7–8 scales, perforating 33 body scales along its length. 12 scale rows around caudal peduncle; pre-dorsal scales 16. Body ratio showed a well-marked variation from the normal fish (Table 2). Head and body compressed. Body depth was greatest at pelvic-fin origin. Dorsal body surface profile slightly more rounded than ventral body surface profile. Snout was shorter, slightly greater in length than eye diameter. Cleft of mouth oblique and extending to under the anterior margin of the orbit; a bluntish knob at symphysis. A large, rounded symphysial knob present on lower jaw, fitting into shallow groove on inner margin of upper jaw with mouth closed. Two pairs of barbels. Rostral barbels reaching to or slightly past anterior margin of orbit. Maxillary barbels short, less than half as long as rostral barbels. Dorsal surface of head with well-developed skin grooves along supraorbital shelves. A single row of small, conical tubercles present along upper ~ 529 ~ Fig 1: Normal (A) (live) and Deformed (B) (Formaldehyde fixed) specimens of Devario aequipinnatus Fig 2: Digital X-ray image of Devario aequipinnatus Normal (A) and Deformed (B) Table 1: Meristic counts of normal and abnormal specimens of Devario aequipinnatus. NS: Normal specimen; DS: Deformed specimen. S.No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Meristic counts Unbranched dorsal fin rays Branched dorsal fin rays Unbranched anal fin rays Branched anal fin rays Unbranched pelvic fin rays Branched pelvic fin rays Unbranched pectoral fin rays Branched pectoral fin rays Caudal fin upper lobe Caudal fin lower lobe Lateral line scales Predorsal scales Upper transverse rows Lateral line to pelvic scale rows Lower transverse rows (anus) Circumpeduncular scales Anal scale rows NS (n=1) 3 12 3 13 1 7 1 12 10 9 34 14 6.5 4.5 3.5 12 2 DS (n=1) 3 12 3 13 1 7 1 12 10 9 33 14 6.5 4.5 3.5 12 2 International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies Table 2: Morphological measurements of normal and abnormal specimens of Devario aequipinnatus. NS: Normal specimen; DS: Deformed specimen. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 Morphometric counts Total length (mm) Standard length (mm) Snout to urocentrum Preanal length Predorsal length Prepelvic length Prepectoral length Peduncle length Dorsal origin to pelvic insertion Dorsal spinous height Anal fin height Peduncle depth Caudal fin length Dorsal fin height Pectoral fin length Pelvic fin length Pelvic auxiliary scale length Occiput to dorsal origin Occiput to pectoral insertion Occiput to pelvic insertion Dorsal insertion to pelvic insertion Dorsal origin to pectoral insertion Dorsal origin to anal origin Dorsal insertion to caudal base Dorsal insertion to anal insertion Dorsal fin base length Anal fin base length Pectoral insertion to pelvic insertion Pectoral insertion to anal origin Pelvic insertion to anal origin Post dorsal length Body depth Distance b/w pectoral fin to vent Distance b/w pelvic fin to vent Head length (mm) Snout to opercle Upper jaw length Snout length Prenasal length Orbit width Interorbital width Internasal width Preoccipital length Head width Lower jaw to isthmus Head depth at nostril Head depth at pupil Head depth at occiput NS (n=1) 89.1 73.1 98.5 62.9 59.2 34.4 25.8 27.1 29.7 19.7 15.8 11.4 25.2 20.1 21.8 14.2 4.7 42.7 20.7 36.4 18.6 27.1 27.4 22.1 17.6 22.5 21.2 21.5 40.7 14.2 43.3 26.4 38.2 17.4 18.7 87.8 30.9 18.0 15.9 35.0 29.4 24.6 76.4 94.5 103.6 39.6 61.6 90.7 4. Discussion In fish, individual and population levels of abnormality have been shown to be positively related to a wide range of abiotic, biotic and genetic stresses. Environmental stress can give rise to decreased developmental stability of individuals, which may result in reduced performance of fitness components [24, 25] . Abiotic factors such as acidification, toxic chemicals or heavy metals are considerable to be the common stressors that produce an elevated levels of deformities [26, 27, 28]. From the present study, it is clear that the fish teratology is very complex and cannot be attributed to a single factor but it would have been due to the effect of multiple factors such as pollution, salinity fluctuations, low level of dissolved oxygen, radiation etc. However, genetic study of these fishes would help us to find out the exact cause of these abnormalities and still further study is needed. DS (n=1) 82.9 64.6 98.6 67.2 62.5 50.3 27.5 23.1 32.9 28.7 18.6 11.5 30.9 25.0 23.5 17.0 4.7 40.9 45.7 45.7 25.1 31.1 31.0 30.0 17.8 19.0 16.0 19.6 35.8 15.9 33.7 35.8 36.0 17.1 18.3 67.9 30.1 24.7 11.8 31.9 28.5 25.1 75.5 84.1 69.2 37.5 63.6 83.6 5. Acknowledgements The first author is grateful to SERB- DST (Government of India) – for approval of Startup Research Grant for Young Investigators (File No. DST No. SB/YS/LS-36/2013) to carry out this study. The authors of this research work are thankful to Tamil Nadu - State Inland Fisheries Department, and Mr. S. Mathiyalagan Mettur Dam for their kind support fish samplings. 3.2 Coloration In life, yellowish white; a wide bluish band extends along the body from the eye to the centre of the base of the caudal fin; in its course are sometimes several round silvery spots; below it was another narrow band (which occasionally joined the central one anteriorly); there were two other lighter bands above the central one. 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