Researchers at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) in collaboration with scientists from Japan and Sweden, have successfully completed the first genome sequencing of the native Shing fish, a species of catfish also known as stinging catfish. The milestone was led by Professor Dr. Taslima Khanam along with her masters students from BAU’s Fisheries Biology and Genetics Department.
This groundbreaking achievement, unveiled by Professor Dr. Taslima Khanam, promises to significantly enhance commercial Shing fish production. Dr. Taslima highlighted that the research could enable the production of monosex Shing, mirroring the approach used in global Tilapia farming. (Monosex refers to the culture of either all-male or all-female fish populations, a popular approach in aquaculture). “Using the research findings, it is possible to produce monosex Shing, which will revolutionise the commercial farming of the species of catfish.
According to the researchers, Dr Taslima said, “Shing fish genome will be important in identifying not only genes that determine male-female fish, but also genes responsible for other traits such as growth, disease resistance and survival in adverse environments.”
“The identification of genes determining male-female fish will enable the production of monosex Shing in a short period of time through Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) instead of conventional methods,” she added.
“There is no alternative to increasing fisheries production to combat the effects of global climate change and ensure food security,” she added.
She also noted, “The identification of male and female fish long before they become sexually mature will speed up the traditional selective breeding processes.”
According to the researchers, female Shing grows 40-60% faster than the male Shing. So, identifying the male and female fish is important for successful production of monosex Shing, they said adding that by utilising the latest next-generation sequencing technology, rapid identification of male and female fish is now feasible.
The researcher also said, according to statistics from 2020-21, only 2.52% of total fish production in sweet water comes from Shing and Magur, another form of catfish also known as walking catfish.
However, due to climate change, floods, excessive harvesting, and destruction of natural habitats, these native fish species are currently facing threats, they added.
The project, initiated by the Fisheries Biology and Genetics Department of BAU during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 with its own funding, was completed by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) from 2022 to 2024. Using the PacBio HiFi Long Read (Revio) sequencing technology, samples of Shing collected from the Brahmaputra River were sequenced at the University of Tokyo in Japan. Subsequently, utilising supercomputers, the first draft genome of Shing was created through bioinformatic analysis.
The above information Provided by MD LIKHON ISLAM, Bangladesh Agricutural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
