author(s)
Zannatul Ferdous, KM Shakil Rana and M Ahsan Bin Habib

abstract
This study was conducted to develop an environmentally safe and effective phyto-piscicide (plant-origin). Piscicidal activity of four indigenous plant’s seed powder such as, tea (Camelia sinensis Linn.), mahua (Madhuca indica Gmel.), kanta begun (Solanum surattens Buryn. f) and kunch (Abrus precatorious Linn.) against common freshwater air breathing predatory fish (Channa punctatus) and their behavioral changes were investigated. The Fishes were exposed to five different concentrations of seed powder (60, 90, 120, 150,180 ppm) for toxicity test and one remained a control. During exposure, fish exhibited erratic swimming, gulping for air, slow operculum movement and ultimately settling at the bottom motionless just before death. Among the four different seed powder kunch and kanta begun seed extract showed the remarkable piscicidal activities. At a concentration of 180 ppm, kunch and kanta begun seed powder separately took only 0.30 and 0.50 hr respectively for killing all the fish whereas 60 ppm solutions maximized the duration to 2.0 and 3.8 hrs respectively to perform the same. The various doses of these four seed powder of four different indigenous plants had strongly (p<0.001) positive and negative correlation with body weight of fish and time of killing of fishes. The results of the current study suggest that the seed powder of four indigenous plants may be used to eradicate predatory fishes from aquatic habitats.