Scientists from the Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonia Peruana (IIAP) have developed a specific feeding protocol for the Pseudoplatystoma punctifer, or spotted tiger shovelnose catfish, with the goal of breeding the fish in captivity for commercial development.
"Aquaculture of this species could prevent its overexploitation and we could sustainably develop its potential," lead researcher Diana Castro Ruíz, who works in the IIAP Molecular Biology and Genetics Laboratory, told the government news agency Andina. The shovelnose catfish has been overfished in Amazonian rivers, yet the farming of this fish could help native populations recover and help Peru reduce rates of hunger, anemia, and malnutrition in the country, she said.
Local demand is high for the nutritious and flavorful shovelnose catfish, which is considered a preferred protein used in the preparation of traditional Amazonian dishes. In addition to its use as food, its skin can be cured into leather for making purses, belts, and sandals, and it is also valued as an ornamental fish.
IIAP’s feeding protocol and technological package is designed for the Pseudoplatystoma punctifer from larval stage to early-juvenile stage fish. Adults can grow up to 140 centimeters (55 inches) long and weigh 20 kilograms (44 pounds) on average. The fish can be found in almost all the rivers of the Peruvian Amazon, in the north of the country, as well as in the jungle rivers of neighboring countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia.
Fishmeal was used as one of the materials in the nutritional composition, but Castro Ruíz said that her team is looking for raw materials from the Amazon to both reduce production costs and guarantee permanent supply.
The IIAP research project began in 2013 with the backing of international organizations including France’s Institute of Research for Development (IRD) and Spain’s Institute of Research and Agrifood Technology (IRTA), which provided support in selected sample analysis. In the study, the gene expression of six digestive enzymes were isolated, identified and analyzed, with the results suggesting that the spotted tiger shovelnose catfish exhibits an omnivorous feeding behavior, with a carnivorous preference during the early stages of development. In its natural environment in Amazonian rivers, the shovelnose catfish mostly feeds on smaller fish.
The IIAP research is in its last phase, which corresponds to achieving a nutritional protocol for fattening the shovelnose catfish in the juvenile stage, when it reaches the height and weight for commercial purposes.
Once this project is completed, IIAP will look to study other Amazonian fish since each species has its own nutritional requirements.
"The techniques applied in the study are very useful in researching other fish species with economic and commercial potential for Amazonian aquaculture, thus contributing to the development of new production chains and aquaculture diversification in the Amazon," Castro Ruíz noted.
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