Assessment of larval feeding efficiency of ornamental fishes for control of Aedes and Culex mosquitoes

Abstract

Current mosquito control strategies heavily rely on the use of non-specific insecticides, leading to adverse environmental effects. Therefore, adopting a more specific and biological approach, such as use of larvivorous fish for control of mosquito larvae, proves to be a sustainable alternative. The objective of this study is to find out the larvivory potential of five ornamental fish species namely Puntius tetrazona, Gymnocorymbus ternatzi, Danio rerio, Pethia conchonius and Poecilia sphenops. Among the studied species, Puntius tetrazona demonstrated a significantly higher mean consumption rate of mosquito larvae, indicating its pronounced larvivory potential. However, all the fish species showed a significant difference of consumption rate among different feed types. These results highlight the importance of these ornamental fishes in controlling mosquito populations, emphasizing their potential role in mosquito-borne disease management strategies.