EVALUATION OF LARVIVOROUS PROPERTY OF PUNITUS AMBASSIS, PUNITUS SARANA, CLARIAS BATRICHUS AND WALLAGO ATTU NATIVE FISH SPECIES OF GWALIOR (M.P): A LABORATORY INVESTIGATION

Abstract

All tropical countries across the globe have to suffer mosquito-borne diseases every year like malaria, dengue, and
filariasis. So, to reduce the carriers of these horrible diseases at the main root level, many chemical methods have been
practiced which is quite impressive step, but it simultaneously causes ecological imbalance and hence pollutes and
disturbs the environmental cycles. Biological control of mosquito vectors at the source level seems to be the best cheap
price, eco-friendly, socially acceptable, highly impressive, stunning, and effective method than that of other methods
employed. The present study is focused on using Punitus ambassis, Punitus sarana, Clarias batrichus, and wallago attu, native
fish species of Gwalior (M.P), as a predator of mosquito larvae at the source level. All the predation experiment tests
were conducted against mosquito eggs, larvae, and alternative food (wingless houseflies) at dissent pray densities in
separated glass aquariums containing analyzed pond waters of Jal-Vihar and Fish farm of Gwalior. The time duration of
each predation experiment is one week and fishes are fed with an equal number of mosquito eggs, larvae, and wingless
houseflies at different densities at different time intervals on each experimental day. The study divulges that Punitus
ambassis, Punitus sarana, Clarias batrichus, and Wallago attu are engaged with Larvicidal property with differences in their
feeding consumption efficacies. Larvae feeding consumption was positively related to the body size of fishes. Thus, small
the size of larvivorous fish, the more will be its power of larvicidal activity. According to the results of our present study,
it is prophecy, that the endemic fish species of Gwalior Madhya Pradesh namely Punitus ambassis and Punitus sarana are
likely to be impressive and effective in consuming mosquito eggs and larvae in breeding places.