A Cyto-genomic Approach for Sex Determination in Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha)

This project was funded by the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (BAS)

Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) is considered to be the most important commercial and cultural species in the entire Indian sub-continent. This species holds a primary position in overall fish production in Bangladesh; in the last economic year, 0.39 million metric ton of Hilsa was harvested in Bangladesh, constituting 11% of total national fish production and contributing approximately 1% to the national GDP of Bangladesh. This species is naturally found in all water types (fresh, brackish and sea water), depending on life stage and season. While 50-60% of global production comes from Bangladesh, Hilsa faced a severe production decline in the 1990s due to overfishing and poor management. With proper implementation of the Hilsa conservation act (essentially banning Hilsa harvest during its spawning season), production of this species has recovered and has seen an increasing trend over the last 10 years. While stocks maybe recovering, proper management for long term sustainability requires an understanding of levels of genetic diversity in wild populations and how that diversity is distributed spatially. Although Hilsa is of central importance as a primary fisheries species in Bangladesh, to date, only limited molecular work has been conducted. Recently, the draft genome of Hilsa has been sequenced that will provide enormous opportunities to uncover the answers for many important questions. Still now, we do not know many basic biological features of this species (from a molecular perspective including: number of chromosomes, population genetic structure, sex determination mechanisms, genes involved with sex determination and maturation etc.). A deeper understanding on these biological issues will undoubtedly provide powerful insights to better manage the wild populations for long term sustainability. In the proposed research, a combination of cytogenetic and genomic approaches will be used to precisely identify sex determination method, genes and loci involved with this process in Hilsa.

Amount: 53,51,710 BDT

• Research Project