Study of Interrelationship Between Estuarine Ornamental Fin Fishes and Mangrove Plants in Respect to their Pigmentation

Ornamental fish farming is a new avenue in aquaculture in recent times as there is a growing demand of marine aquarium trade in the international market. Sundarbans is designated as the world's most potential nursery ground for fish juveniles. Carotenoids are the kind of pigment responsible for bright colouration of animals with potent antioxidant property. Like other animals, fishes are unable to synthesize carotenoids within their own body. Thus they depend on the dietary sources. Leaves of mangrove plants being rich in nutrients are great dietary supports for the estuarine fishes. Similarity in the distribution of different types of carotenoid pigments were found among the estuarine ornamental fishes and mangrove plants which focuses light on the association, dependency of estuarine fishes and mangrove plants. In the present study 67 ornamental finfish species were recorded from the mangrove zone of Indian Sundarbans.