It is that branch of Zoology which contributes in the uplift of economy of a nation. Under economic zoology come—
(i) Poultry
(ii) Fisheries
(i) Poultry : The demand of the poultry products have increased many times during the last 20 years. Poultry provides poultry meat and eggs to the humans. Meat and eggs provide protein rich diet needed for the growth and good health of humans.
Egg production during 1966 was 2820 millions and during 1990 it beame 19000 millions. During last 10 years it has gone quite high. Broiler production during 1966 was 4 million and 1990 it beame 90 millions.
Today our country (India) is among 6 top egg producing nations of the world.
Consumption of meet and eggs annually in India is very low : Only 19 eggs and 20 gms of meat is comsumed every year per person. As per nutritional advisory committee recommendations 300 eggs per annum per person should be consumed, Meat should be consumed : 180 gms per person per day.
Fisheries
Fisheries is an important branch of biology which deals with fishing, fish preserving, fish processing, marketing and research.
As far as fish eating is concerned, India is 7th in the world.
This is an easily available food. The edible fishes are available from sea, lakes, ponds, rivers etc.
Fish production in 1985-86 was 28.5 million tonnes. Now it has gone up by several million tonnes.
Important water fishes
1. Catla (Catla catla) : Eaten in all parts of the country.
2. Rohu (Labeo rohuta) – Eaten in North-east and South.
3. Calbasu (Labeo calbasu) – North and South of India.
4. Magur (Clarius batrachus) Eaten in all parts of country.
5. Singhara (Mystus singhala) Eaten in all parts of country.
6. Malli (Wallago attu) consumed in North-east and South.
Marine fishes
1. Eel (Anguilla species)-Eaten in coastal parts of country.
2. Hilsa (Hilsa) – Eaten in Coastal parts of country.
3. Bombay Duct (Harpodon sp)-Eaten in coastal parts of Maharashtra.
4. Salmon (Aluitheronema)-Eaten in East and Western coastal parts.
5. Pomphret (Stromateus) – Indo-Pacific coastal parts.
6. Sardina (Sardinella) – Eaten in Western and Southern coastal parts.
Animal Improvement
India is an agricultural country. It has large number of animals. Cows and buffaloes are milk producing animals. In our country milk production is low. It is because the quality of animals is poor. Nutrition of animals is improper and inedequate. Care of the animals is not proper.
Animal Breeding
(i) Inbreeding : Pure breed is obtained by breeding of very similar animals of same species. Example is Marine Sheep.
(ii) Hybridization : When inferior species are breeded with better species we get better results. Mule is an example.
(iii) Artificial insemination : This is the process of semen deposition in the vagina of female artificially.
Major Animal Diseases
Bacterial disease
1. Anthrux produced by Bacillus antibracis
2. Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis
3. Mastitis produced by Streptococcus and Staphylococcus bacteria
4. Brucellosis – Brucella
5. Salmonellosis – Salmonella dublin and Salmonella tymphimurium
Viral diseases
1. Foot and mouth disease caused by Aphtho virus.
2. Blue tongue.
3. Rinder pest/Cattle plague.
4. Rabbies : Lyssa virus from dog.
5. Contagious ecthyma : Parapox virus.
6. Encephalomyelitis.
7. Dermatitis.
Protozoan diseases
1. Trypanosomiasis : Trypanosoma
2. Coccidysis : Coccidium
3. Babesiosis : Babesia
Fungal diseases
Ringworm : Fungal spores
Poultry diseases
1. Fowl pox
2. Ranikhet
3. Coryza
4. Fowl cholera
5. Aspergillosis
Silk Industry (Sericulture)
Silk industry has been the ancient industry in India. It dates back to the second century. Bengal, Mysore and Kashmir have been at the top during British rule for about 300 years. Indian silk has been at the top in the world for its fine quality. Indian silk is well-known for its fine quality, shine and traditional colours. Ours is the only country in the world which has all the four varieites of silk. These four varieties are—
(a) Mulberry silk
(b) Tusser silk
(c) Oak silk
(d) Munga silk.
Silk worm : Silk worm or moth is about 5 cm with flat and hairy body and white creamy in colour. Silk worm female lays about 400 eggs upon mulberry leaves. Within 10 days hatching gets completed. A caterpillar spins its own silken cocoon. A viscous fluid is secreted which forms the silk fibre. Diameter of the fiber is about 0.002 inch. Entire body of larva is covered with cocoon. Total cocoon is made within 3 days.
Pupa of silk worm is surrounded by a silk thread of about 1000 yards long. It weighs about one gm. A developed pupa is called image. Life span of an adult is about 3 to 4 days only.
In India there are two areas, mulberry and non-mulberry sectors. In mulberry sector about 11500 tonnes of silk is produced and in non-mulberry sector it is about 1200 tonnes.
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal are the main states concerned with silk production. About 12700 tonnes of silk was produced in India in 1990-91. In the world raw silk production in 1990-91 was 73000 tonnes. In China it was 46400 tonnes while in Japan it was about 14500 tonnes.
Silk worms are of three varities namely univoltine (one life cycle in a year), Bivoltine (two life cycles in a year) and multivoltine. (more than two life cycles in a year).
Honey Bee (Apiculture)
Honey production by honey bee is known as Apiculture. A honey bee colony has a queen. The Queen lays eggs and young worker bees care for the young. Life of the Queen bee is several years. Worker bees live for a period of about one month. The work of queen bee is only to lay eggs.
Queen bee lays about 2000 eggs. They complete the life cycle within 15 days. For the production of about 400 gms of honey, a bee makes about 40,000 to 80,000 trips to flowers. The nectar of flowers is mixed with saliva and stored in honey sac. In the sac, the enzymes invertase and a mylase convert it into glucose and fructose. The honey contains—
Glucose about 35%
Fructose about 40%
Sucrose about 10%
Vitamins, minerals etc. 1 to 10%
Water 10 to 20%
Honey and bee wax are the useful products. Pollination is the main advantage to men. Bee wax gives a good financial return.
Lac
Lac insect produces a resin called lac. This insect lives on peepal, banyan trees etc. The lac is produced by the glands of lac insect. Lac insect gives four crops of lac. It remains joint with the twig of the tree. Laccider lacca is the name of lac insect.
Male and female lac capsule live separately in lac capsules. After copulation male dies and female lays about 200 to 250 eggs. The colour of the larva is red. They suck the plant juice. The lac is taken out separately from the branches and twigs of the tree. Commercial lac is produced by using some other chemicals with lac.
India and Philippines are the main lac producing countries. India produces about 75% of lac of the total world production. In India about 25 lakh tonnes of lac is produced every year.
Lac is a compound of resin, pigmented material, wax, glue, sugar etc. It is used in printing industry, in electrical appliances, varnish, polish, bangles, gramophone records etc. It is the best sealing substances.
Pearl
Pearl is produced by a sea animal called oyster. It belongs to phylum mollusca. The shell made by the oyster contains three layers—outer, middle and inner layer.
The innermost layer is known as mother of pearl. This layer is secreted by the whole surface of the mantle and is a smooth lustrous surface. The pearl is secreted by this layer as a protection against foreign body such as parasite or a sand particle.
Formation of pearl : If a sand particle such as of sand comes in between the mantle and nacreous layer, it causes irritation to the mantle. Due to this irritation, mantle starts the secretion around this particle. This particle is enclosed in a sac formed by the growth of mantle and later on thin concentric rings over this sac forms the pearl layer.
The size of pearl depends upon the amount of irritation caused to the mantle layer.
Pearl industries have been developed by certain countries.
Pearl oysters are reared in wire cages. A small sand particle is inserted between the mantle and innermost layer of shell. These cages are kept hanging in the sea for a long period. Thus pearl is secreted artificially by the animals. This is known as pearl culture.
These pearls are similar to the natural pearls but are of smaller size.
Japan, Korea and China are the pearl producing countries. Japan produces highest pearl culture in the world.
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