Biopotentialities of Certain Plant Ingredients to Survival and Colour Enhancement in Xiphophorus Helleri

Abstract

Ornamental fish sector is a widely accepted flourishing industry play an integral part in interior designing uplifted the economic status of developing and underdeveloped nations. With respect to natural fish, they dwell in captivity under confined space may lack natural consumption of aquatic vegetation could adversely affect its physiological aspects. In our study three plant materials of therapeutic uses such as A.sativum, B.monneiri & M.fragrans incorporated diet (TD2,TD3, TD4&TD5) in individual and mixed proportion provided to the ornamental fish X.helleri. The mean length-weight relationship for tested diets CF, TD1, TD2, TD3, TD4 and TD5 in X.hellerianalysed by paired test with Turkey HSD showed significance with p <0.01. The ANOVA test for length gain showed significant difference in gain in length among feeds at 1% level of significance (p-value<.01). The post hoc multiple comparison shows there are three homogeneous groups. Even though the highest gain in length observed in TD4 no significant difference in gains identified. The ANOVA test done for weight gain showed there was significant difference in gain in weight among feeds at 1% level of significance (p-value<.01). The post hoc multiple comparison showed four homogeneous groups with highest gain in weight observed in TD5, followed byTD4 with no significant difference in gains among TD1, TD2 and TD3. Colour the major factors determining the market value of fishes evaluated by HPTLC yielded arranged in the decreasing order TD2 diet (1.5gm garlic with 15360.9 AU) > TD3 diet (2 gm brahmi with 11626.8AU) > TD4 diet (1.5gm with 6580.3AU) > TD5 diet (1:1.5:1 gm of garlic, brahmi & nutmeg with 6458.9AU) > TD1(commercial feed with 4831.1.AU) > CF (control feed without plant with 4555.5AU). The survival rate among fishes fed with six diets observed 80% in CF & TD1, 90% in TD2, TD3 &TD5 and 100% in TD4. The present work hence enlightened the accuracy of medicinal plants in promoting survival and pigmentation in sword tail.