Economic Zoology

General Zoology
Pearl Oyster
 Pearls are one of the
rarest and highly
esteemed gems.
 Pearls are produced by
the pearl oysters of the
genus Pinctada under
class Bivalvia.
Pearl Oyster
 From each pearl oyster bed thousands of oysters are taken
out.
 Every oyster contains a pearl.
 Most of the pearls obtained are too small. Some of them
are large, perfectly round with fine lustre fetching high
prices.
 Hence it is worthwhile farming oysters and induce pearl
formation.
 In recent years India has succeeded in developing farming
techniques for the production of cultured pearls of good
shape and lustre.
Pearl Oyster
 The CMFRI in India gives necessary training in pearl
culture techniques.
 In this process shell beads are introduced into the soft
tissues of the oyster along with a strip of the mantle so that
the latter may secrete the pearly substance around the bead.
 The treated oysters are well taken care of in cages
suspended from floating rafts in shallow waters of the sea.
Thus, cultured pearls are produced in the same way as the
natural pearls.
 The pearl is a concretion of calcium carbonate in an
organic matrix. It is like the nacreous layer secreted by the
mantle on the inner surface of the shell valve.
 Shells having a brilliant silvery sheen are known in
commerce as the “mother of pearl”. They are collected for
the manufacture of buttons and other fancy articles.

 Only one in 10,000 oysters will produce a Natural Pearl

and of those only one in a million will be gem quality.
Only about half of 1 percent of the world's pearls are
Natural.
FISHES NUTRITIVE VALUE
 The establishment of Central Marine Fisheries Research
Institute (CMFRI), Central Institute of Inland and
Brackish water Aquaculture (CIBA), National Institute of
Oceanography (NIO), Central Institute of Fresh water
Aquaculture(CIFA), National Institute of Ocean
Technology (NIOT) and Marine Products Export
Development Authority (MPEDA) has led to the
generation of considerable information on various aspects
of Marine biology, Marine, Fresh water and Brackish
water Fisheries and Oceanography. Consumption of fish
for food has appreciably increased in recent years in all
countries.
FISHES NUTRITIVE VALUE
 The declaration of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) has
provided a great opportunity and challenge to coastal
nations.
 The nutritive and medicinal value of fish have been
recognized from time immemorial.
 Fish flesh is an excellent source of protein in human
diet.
 The principal biochemical contents of fish flesh are
protein, fat and water.
 Protein constitutes about 20 percent.
FISHES NUTRITIVE VALUE

 The nutritional value of fish flesh is comparable and even

higher than that of the flesh of birds and mammals.
 Fish flesh remains a good source for all essential amino
acids in needed concentrations.
 The nutritive value of preserved and processed fish and
fishery product is generally lower than that of raw fish.
 The Indian pomfret (Stromateus argenteus) is ranked
high on the basis of its aminogram. As a child food, fish
is easily tolerated by infants. Lean fish is recommended to
convalescing patients.
Medical and Economic importance of
fish
Apart from direct consumption, contents in the body of
fish are processed into a number of valuable products.
Chief among these are :
 Fish liver oil
Fish liver contains vitamin A and D in considerable
quantities. Eg. shark liver oil and cod liver oil. Fish liver
oil can cure or prevent occurence of deficiency diseases
such as rickets, xerophthalmia, impaired vision and eye
defects, abnormalities in skin, mucous membrane and
vertebrae. Fish liver oil will ensure healthy growth of
bones and teeth.
 Fish body oil
Fish body oil is obtained from the entire body of fish. Fish
body oil is generally extracted from oil sardines or from
less edible varieties of fishes. It is also extracted from
wastes discarded from fishery industries. Some of the
important uses of oil are : 1) manufacture of cheap soaps,
paints and varnishes 2) tanning of leather 3) steel and
chemical industries 4) manufacture of lubricants and
candles.
 Fish Meal
Fish meal is the cooked, ground and dried preparation of
the fish body. It makes an excellent poultry and animal
feed. It enhances egg and milk production.
 Fish flour
Fish flour is considered an ideal protein source to
supplement diet of both adults and infants. It may also be
mixed with wheat and maize flour. It is also used to enrich
bakery products such as cakes, breads, biscuits, soup and
sweets
 Fish manure and guano
All rejected and thrown out products from fishery industry
are made use of as fish manure. Fish guano is obtained as
waste from fish oil industries. It is a good manure.
 Fish Glue
It is a kind of good glue obtained from fin trimmings,
bones and skins of fishes. Fish glue is considered as a
good adhesive.
 Isinglass
Isinglass is a high grade collagen produced from the air
bladders of certain groups of fishes. It is used in the
clarification of wines, beer and vinegar. It is also used in
the preparation of plasters and special cements.
 Fish skin
Tanned skin of sharks and rays are used in the
manufacture of shoes, handbags and wallets.
 Omega Fatty acid
The unique feature which differentiates fish food from
other animal protein sources is the presence of omega-3
fatty acids such as linolenic acid, decosahexaenoic acid
(DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). DHA promotes
learning ability in children and improved memory in
elders. DHA is essential for the foetal growth and
development.
Omega fatty acid is also good for heart. It helps to control
diabetis by improving insulin action. It is also reported to
be good for arthritis.
Guano (Bird excreta)
 Guano is the accumulated excrement or droppings of fish
eating sea birds such as gannets, cormorants and pelicans.
 It has been used as a fertilizer.
 These sea birds populate some islands off the west coast of
Peru, lower California and Africa.
 Their population strength may go up to 5, 600, 000 per
square mile. They may consume 1000 tonnes of fish daily.
 Exports of guano from the Peruvian deposits began in 1810
and reached 50, 000 tons in 1856.
 The Government protects the seafowls and processes the
guano which contains about 11 to 16% nitrogen, 8 to 12 %
phosphoric acid and 2 to 3% potash.
 The fertilizing properties of the phosphoric acid and
nitrogen contained in fish were not recognized until the
guano became a stimulus to intensive agriculture. The real
guano is found in vast stratified accretions on rainless
islands off the coasts of Peru.