Morphological divergence in the Walton's Mudskipper,Periophthalmus waltoniKoumans, 1941, from the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman (Gobioidei: Gobiidae)

Haematological, blood biochemical and immunological responses to gradual acclimation to low-salinity water in Walton’s mudskipper Periophthalmus waltoni Koumans, 1941 (Perciformes: Gobiidae)

The present study investigates and reports the effects of gradual acclimation to low salinity water on some haematological, biochemical and immunological responses in Walton’s mudskipper, Periophthalmus waltoni. For this purpose, mudskippers caught from Persian Gulf coastal area (Bandar Khamir, Hormozgan Province, Iran) were maintained in laboratory aquaria with half seawater (50% SW, 17 ppt) and fed daily with frozen blood worms (Chironomus spp.) for one month prior to the start of experiments. After acclimation, groups of 18 individuals were either directly transferred to 50% SW (control), or acclimated to low salinity water during two sub-periods. In the first sub-period, fish were exposed to low salinity water namely to a gradual water salinity decrease of 1 ppt per day (during 17 days) until the final salinity of 0.4 ppt was reached. Afterwards, fish continued to maintain in this point of salinity (0.4 ppt), for further 15 days until day 32 (second sub-period). Fish were sampled on day 0, 17 and 32. Statistical analysis showed a significant influence of reduced salinity on erythrocytes, haemoglobin, haematocrit, leukocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes and on all biochemical and immunological parameters tested on day 17. However, these indices returned to the control level on day 32. Based on results, the extremely euryhaline p. waltoni can be acclimated to freshwater medium without showing any health disturbance if a gradual decrease in salinity is carried out for a long period of time.

Molecular taxonomy of Pseudapocryptes (Bleeker, 1874) mudskippers from Sundarban mangroves, India

BACKGROUND

More than 40 species of mudskipper is recorded worldwide, but the molecular taxonomy of very few species is studied so far.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to determine the molecular taxonomy and phylogenetic relationship of the Pseudapocryptes elongatus and Pseudapocryptes lanceolatus collected from the mudflats of Sundarban, India.

METHODS

The mitochondrial COI gene was sequenced to analyze the molecular taxonomy. The species name associated with the present analyzed sequence as shown by BLAST searches of GenBank was used to define the phylogenetic relationship.

RESULTS

Mitochondrial COI gene sequences of collected mudskippers were submitted to GenBank to get accession numbers. The BLAST search of GenBank matched 100% with the species name associated with the present analyzed sequence.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study reveals the phylogenetic similarity between the species.