xvii
PREFACE
Today, fishing is considered to be the
largest extractive use of wildlife in
the world. Freshwater fisheries provide
food and a livelihood for millions of
the poorest people, and also contribute
to the overall economic well-being by
means of export commodity trade, tourism, and recreation. It is estimated that
freshwater fishes make up more than
6% of the world’s annual animal protein
supplies for humans. It is the major and
often only source of animal protein for
low-income families. Global freshwater
supports at least 100,000 species out of
approximately 1.8 million—almost 6%
of all described species. Inland waters
and fresh water biodiversity constitute a
valuable natural resource in economic,
cultural, aesthetic, scientific, and educational terms. It is always important to
know the nutritional facts of freshwater flora and fauna occupying different
habitats.
Although several books are available on limnology and aquatic biology,
no books on the nutritional aspects of
edible freshwater life are available presently. Keeping this in consideration, an
attempt has now been made. This book
deals with nutritional facts of different
groups of edible freshwater life, viz.,
algae and plants, crustaceans (prawns,
crayfish, and crabs), molluscs (bivalves
and gastropods), fish, and frogs, along
with their characteristics, such as classification, common names, habitats,
global distribution, and biological features. When published, this book will
be of great use for the undergraduate
and postgraduate students of disciplines such as fisheries science, aquatic
biology, biotechnology, environmental
science, and life sciences, besides serving as a standard reference in the libraries of colleges and universities.
I am highly indebted to Dr. P. Velayutham, professor and head of the
Department of Fish Processing Technology, Fisheries College and Research
Institute, Tamilnadu Fisheries University, Thoothukudi, India, for his valuable comments. I also sincerely thank
Mrs. Albin Panimalar Ramesh for her
help in photography.
Ramasamy Santhanam
PREFACE
Today, fishing is considered to be the
largest extractive use of wildlife in
the world. Freshwater fisheries provide
food and a livelihood for millions of
the poorest people, and also contribute
to the overall economic well-being by
means of export commodity trade, tourism, and recreation. It is estimated that
freshwater fishes make up more than
6% of the world’s annual animal protein
supplies for humans. It is the major and
often only source of animal protein for
low-income families. Global freshwater
supports at least 100,000 species out of
approximately 1.8 million—almost 6%
of all described species. Inland waters
and fresh water biodiversity constitute a
valuable natural resource in economic,
cultural, aesthetic, scientific, and educational terms. It is always important to
know the nutritional facts of freshwater flora and fauna occupying different
habitats.
Although several books are available on limnology and aquatic biology,
no books on the nutritional aspects of
edible freshwater life are available presently. Keeping this in consideration, an
attempt has now been made. This book
deals with nutritional facts of different
groups of edible freshwater life, viz.,
algae and plants, crustaceans (prawns,
crayfish, and crabs), molluscs (bivalves
and gastropods), fish, and frogs, along
with their characteristics, such as classification, common names, habitats,
global distribution, and biological features. When published, this book will
be of great use for the undergraduate
and postgraduate students of disciplines such as fisheries science, aquatic
biology, biotechnology, environmental
science, and life sciences, besides serving as a standard reference in the libraries of colleges and universities.
I am highly indebted to Dr. P. Velayutham, professor and head of the
Department of Fish Processing Technology, Fisheries College and Research
Institute, Tamilnadu Fisheries University, Thoothukudi, India, for his valuable comments. I also sincerely thank
Mrs. Albin Panimalar Ramesh for her
help in photography.
Ramasamy Santhanam