BioOne.org will be down briefly for maintenance on 17 December 2024 between 18:00-22:00 Pacific Time US. We apologize for any inconvenience.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 January 2006 Larvivorous Potential of Fish Species Found in River Bed Pools Below the Major Dams in Sri Lanka
P. H D. Kusumawathie, A. R. Wickremasinghe, N. D. Karunaweera, M. J S. Wijeyaratne
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Malaria in Sri Lanka is closely associated with the river systems in the country. Construction of major dams across rivers has resulted in year-round pooling and anopheline mosquito breeding in river beds below the dams. This study was carried out to determine the larvivorous activity of fish found in river bed pools below the dams to identify the potential fish species for anopheline larval control in these areas. Fish species in five river beds below the dams, namely, Laxapana, Kotmale, Nilambe, Victoria, and Rantembe, were identified in June 2000. The larvivorous potential of the 12 fish species collected was determined in the laboratory based on the number of larvae consumed per fish within 10 min and an hour. Danio malabaricus Jerdon, Oreochromis mossambicus Peters, Oreochromis niloticus L., and Poecilia reticulata Peters consumed nine or more larvae per fish within 10 min. Aplocheilus dayi Steindachner and Rasbora daniconius Hamilton consumed nine and eight larvae, respectively, within 1 h. O. mossambicus, O. niloticus, and P. reticulata consumed 10 larvae per fish within 10 min. Despite some species having a high larvivorous potential in the laboratory, field studies are required to determine the feasibility of using these fish for anopheline mosquito control in the river bed pools below the dams.

P. H D. Kusumawathie, A. R. Wickremasinghe, N. D. Karunaweera, and M. J S. Wijeyaratne "Larvivorous Potential of Fish Species Found in River Bed Pools Below the Major Dams in Sri Lanka," Journal of Medical Entomology 43(1), 79-82, (1 January 2006). https://doi.org/10.1603/0022-2585(2006)043[0079:LPOFSF]2.0.CO;2
Received: 22 November 2004; Accepted: 3 August 2005; Published: 1 January 2006
JOURNAL ARTICLE
4 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

KEYWORDS
anopheline mosquito control
larvivorous fish
larvivorous potential
river bed pools
Sri Lanka
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top