The humphead wrasse, which is recovering at the CMFRI Marine Aquarium, Vizhinjam
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:A rare IUCN-Red Listed fish on which an emergency surgery was performed in early April has been put on display at the marine aquarium at Vizhinjam, run by the local unit of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
Fishermen had accidentally trapped the humphead wrasse weighing 25 kg on April 5 and they had alerted scientists at the CMFRI unit. The specimen is one of the largest caught and kept live in India, Anil M K, scientist-in-charge, Vizhinjam Research Centre of CMFRI, said.
The fish (species Cheilinusundulates) was badly injured behind the pectoral region and it was struggling for life. The CMFRI unit had sought the help of Dr Abhilash A K, veterinary surgeon of the Government Veterinary Hospital, Vizhinjam. He readily accepted.
Abhilash had inspected the fish and stitched the wound. The surgery took about an hour and the ‘patient’ was treated with antibiotic injections. “Now the fish is recovering slowly under the treatment and care of CMFRI staff,” Anil said. It started accepting the feed on the third day of the surgery.
CMFRI scientists said the fish is displayed at the marine aquarium for creating awareness among the public about this endangered species. Listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List and in Appendix II of CITES, the humphead wrasse is not listed in the Wild Life Protection Act, though.
The humphead wrasse is the largest living member of the family Labridae. Males are typically larger than females and are capable of reaching lengths of up to two metres from tip to tail and weighing up to 180 kg. The humphead wrasse is long-lived, but has a very slow breeding rate, the CMFRI unit said.
