India’s first tilapia parvovirus reported in Tamil Nadu

• The occurrence of tilapia parvovirus (TiPV) has been reported for the first time in India at ponds in Walajah in Ranipet district of Tamil Nadu.
• It affects the farm-bred tilapia causing a huge mortality rate.

Tilapia Parvovirus (TiPV)

• It is a small, non-enveloped, single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) virus.
• The TiPV was first reported in China in 2019 and Thailand in 2021.
• India is the third country to report the occurrence of TiPV.
• This virus was localised in the gills, heart, brain, liver, pancreas, spleen, intestine, kidney, eyes and muscles of tilapia.

Tilapia Fish

• Tilapia is a common name used for certain species of fishes belonging to the family Cichlidae.
• These are freshwater species native to Africa.
• It has emerged to be one of the most productive and internationally traded food fish in the world.
• Their commercial advantages include
  • resistance to disease
  • a diet of readily abundant algae and zooplankton
  • called “aquatic chicken” due to its quick growth and low maintenance cultivation.

Tilapia in India

• Considered as “a poor-man’s fish”, Mozambique tilapia was introduced to Indian fresh water bodies in the 1950s and it is called “Jilabi” in Tamil.
• Capable of surviving in low-oxygen levels in water, the fish has turned invasive across the country.
• In India, tilapia farming is being carried out in different parts of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

Prelims Takeaway

• Tilapia Parvovirus (TiPV)
• Tilapia Fish
• Invasive Alien Species