Thuy T. T. Nguyen

Alien Species in Aquaculture and Biodiversity: A Paradox in Food Production

Abstract Aquaculture is seen as an alternative to meeting the widening gap in global rising demand and decreasing supply for aquatic food products. Asia, the epicenter of the global aquaculture industry, accounts for over 90% of the global aquaculture production quantity and about 80% of the value. Asian aquaculture, as with global aquaculture, is dependent to a significant extent on alien species, as is the case for all the major food crops and husbanded terrestrial animals. However, voluntary and or accidental introduction of exotic aquatic species (alien species) is known to negatively impact local biodiversity. In this relatively young food production industry, mitigating the dependence on alien species, and thereby minimizing potential negative impacts on biodiversity, is an imperative for a sustainable future. In this context an attempt is made in this synthesis to understand such phenomena, especially with reference to Asian inland finfish, the mainstay of global aquaculture production. It is pointed out that there is potential for aquaculture, which is becoming an increasingly important food production process, not to follow the past path of terrestrial food crops and husbanded animals in regard to their negative influences on biodiversity.

Freshwater finfish biodiversity and conservation: an asian perspective

AbstractAspects on biodiversity and conservation of the ichthyofauna in the Asian region, in comparison to that of Africa, Europe and North America have been relatively less documented. This paper attempts to evaluate the above aspects in the East, and South and Southeast Asia based on available information in the literature. The familial diversity in inland waters in Asia (121 families) is considerably higher than in African and Latin American. Also, the finfish faunal diversity of 21 major river basins in East, and South and Southeast Asian indicate that species diversity is not necessarily related to familial diversity. The fish fauna in the region considered presently is highly diverse with an estimated cumulative total of 7447 species. Amongst the freshwater fishes the dominant groups are cyprinids (Cyprinidae, about 1000 species), loaches (about 400 species) of the families Balitoridae and Cobitiidae, gobids (Gobiidae, 300 species), catfishes (Bagridae, about 100 species), and the Osphronemidae (85 species). In the region, 462 freshwater finfish species are reckoned to be threatened, accounting for 17.5% of the all finfish species in this status in the world. In the region there are 66 species that are critically endangered and/or endangered, of which 32 are cyprinids, 14 of which are endemic to Lake Lanao, Mindano Island, Philippines. The diversity of freshwater fish species in the region was significantly related to the land area of the different countries in the following manner:

Genomic Selection Improves Heat Tolerance in Dairy Cattle

ln (species ratio) = ln 0.384 (land area in km^{2}) + 0.651( R^{2} = 0.628; p < 0.001)

Spatial and temporal genetic variation of green mussel, Perna viridis in the Gulf of Thailand and implication for aquaculture.

. In addition, the fish species diversity in the major river basins of the region was also found to be positively related to the basin area:

PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AMONG NINE SCALLOP SPECIES (BIVALVIA: PECTINIDAE) INFERRED FROM NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCES OF ONE MITOCHONDRIAL AND THREE NUCLEAR GENE REGIONS

ln (Species richness index) = - 0.789 ln (Area) + 9.368( R^{2} = 0.748; p < 0.001)

Phylogeny of the Australian freshwater crayfish Cherax destructor-complex (Decapoda:Parastacidae) inferred from four mitochondrial gene regions

. Based on above relationship, the predicted fish species richness did not necessarily correlate to river basin size, and rivers with small basins were shown to have high indices. The paper also attempts to evaluate the reasons affecting fish species diversity in the region and suggests mitigating measures.