Fish otolith ornaments make market debut

Fish otolith ornaments make market debut

Subject: Environment

Section: Species

Context:

• Ornaments from fish otoliths, named ‘Sea gems’, have made a market debut, with the efforts of a group of enthusiastic fisherwomen in Vizhinjam, trained by scientists from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).

Otoliths:

• Also called statoconium, otoconium or statolith, is a calcium carbonate structure in the saccule or utricle of the inner ear, specifically in the vestibular system of vertebrates.
• They have been identified in both extinct and extant vertebrates.

Fish otoliths:

• Fish otoliths are biomineralised ear stones that help fish hear and provide them with a sense of balance.
• Otoliths are important in fish studies as they have species-specific shapes and grow throughout their life.
• Counting the annual growth rings on the otoliths is a common technique in estimating the age of fish.

ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI):

• Established by the Government of India on February 3rd 1947 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and later it joined the ICAR family in 1967.
• Headquarters: Kochi, Kerala.