SJA_41_4_1635-1644

Introduction

Aquaculture is the cultivation of aquatic organisms in both coastal and inland which includes interventions in the growing process to maximize productivity (FAO, 2020). Fisheries science and aquaculture management are fundamentally guided by key biological parameters such as fish growth, body composition, and reproductive performance, which are critical for achieving sustainable production and maintaining ecological balance. A comprehensive understanding of these traits is essential for evaluating fish health, refining breeding programs, and enhancing aquaculture productivity. Among these, the weight-length relationship and condition factor serve as widely recognized indicators of growth efficiency and physiological well-being in fish populations, thereby facilitating robust stock assessment and effective management strategies (Javed et al., 1992; Naeem et al., 2005a; Naeem et al., 2010a; Naeem et al., 2011a). Furthermore, the proximate and elemental composition of fish, which varies with body size and physiological condition, significantly influences nutritional quality and market value (Naeem et al., 2010b; Ashraf et al., 2011; Yousaf et al., 2011; Naeem et al., 2016; Naeem et al., 2017). Advancements in reproductive biology, particularly in induced breeding techniques, have contributed to improved spawning outcomes and a steady supply of economically valuable species. Hormonal treatments such as Ovaprim-C have demonstrated efficacy in enhancing fecundity, fertilization, and hatching success, thereby supporting hatchery-based propagation (Naeem et al., 2005b; Naeem et al., 2011b). Additionally, dietary modulation plays a pivotal role in influencing growth performance, feed conversion efficiency, and the overall sustainability of aquaculture systems, with tailored nutritional formulations shown to significantly enhance fish health and development (Ismat et al., 2013).

One of the major problem with aquaculture expansion has been the spread of diseases. Chemical agents and antibiotics have historically been the most common methods of infection control. (Assefa and Abunna, 2018). The use of antibiotic treatments has been limited in many countries due to the bacterial antibiotic resistance and bioaccumulation affect having the negative consequences on both human and animal health (Rodgers and Furons, 2009; Santos and Ramos, 2018). The use of the probiotics and the vaccinations are the two alternative ways to treat with the infections against the viral, microbial and bacterial infections. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have defined that the live microorganisms which are administrated in the proper dose and have the health benefits in the host are called as probiotics (Hill et al., 2014). In aquaculture, the probiotics can be considered as an alive component of microbial cell which administered via feed, injected or added into the water which benefits the host by improving the growth, disease resistance, feed utilization, stress response and growth performance. Probiotics primarily promote disease resistance by immunological parameter modulation, competition for binding sites, antibacterial substance synthesis, and nutrition competition. In the recent years, outstanding reviews were published by using the probiotics in the aquaculture (Zorriehzahra et al., 2016; Hoseinifar et al., 2018). They reported that the role of probiotic microorganisms and their effects in aquaculture played vital role in the disease resistance and disease control in the aquaculture, while recombinant probiotics function as antibiotic treatment as well alternative or complementary treatment against disease. To summarize, the vital role of probiotics has also important in innate immunity, micronutrient absorption and the macronutrient absorption. Furthermore, probiotics can interact with immune cells in fish’s GITs, activating immunological responses that promote fish development and protect against pathogen infection. Symbiotic method is likely to become a popular method for preventing and controlling bacterial infections in fish farms (Sewaka et al., 2019)

Utilization of probiotics in aquaculture

Since Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, antibiotics have been used to treat infections and diseases in both people and animals (Fleming, 1944). Antibiotics are also good to animals and aquaculture, both as a prophylactic strategy and to boost growth (Marshall and Levy, 2011; Tan et al., 2016). Antibiotics are used in aquaculture to promote rapid and efficient growth. The researchers indicated that antibiotic resistance genes exist in aquaculture ponds (Tomova et al., 2015; Xiong et al., 2015). A gene transfer approach allows the animal and human illness to acquire antibiotic resistance (Tomova et al., 2015). The treatment of bacteria-related disorders and recent data suggests that leftover antibiotics in raising animals may offer health hazards to humans (Chen et al., 2015; Pereira et al., 2015).

Role of probiotics in growth and survival rate

Probiotics have been incorporated in aquaculture to stimulate the growth of various cultivable species. Allameh et al. (2016) added Enterococcus faecalis species having 107 and 109 cfu/g to the feed of Javanese stock (Puntius gonionotus), they observed the substantial increase in its weight. These microorganisms reside in the gut and due to their higher growth rate their population dominate very shortly suppressing the role of harmful bio-fauna. As they strengthen the immunity of the host, maintains its health and sustains the metabolism and provision of required nutrients hence their persistent input is mandatory to dominate their population and outweigh the harmful bacterial fauna (Banerjee and Ray, 2017). Probiotics promote host growth by increasing feed intake and nutrient absorption (Nath et al., 2019; Sharma et al., 2013). This increases both survival rates and growth performance while utilizing probiotics. Lactobacillus is the most thoroughly researched bacteria for its effect on growth. A meal containing L. plantarum increased growth in a variety of fish species, including carp, Nile tilapia, brown trout, and Salmo trutta caspius (Dawood et al., 2019). In addition, combining L. plantarum with natural immune stimulants and probiotics boosts growth rates. Hamdan et al. (2016) found that feeding Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with Lactobacillus sp. supplemented feed resulted in higher crude lipid (CP) and total protein (TP) availability for better growth. Water quality, diversity of hydrobiont species, differing enzyme levels, and the organism’s genetic resistance all have an impact on the success of probiotic treatments. Tan et al. (2016) had documented that Xiphophorus helleri, Xiphophorus maculates, and Poecilia reticulate grew and survived better when administered probiotics comprising Bacillus subtilis and Streptomyces sp.

Role of probiotics in nutrient utilization

Probiotics facilitate nutrient digestion in fresh/sea water animals and produce energy and other products required for growth. Lactic acid bacteria and their products are frequently used as growth enhancers in commercially important fish species (Ringo et al., 2018). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declared that they are safe for animal and human usage and utilization because of their natural and benign presence facilitating the health and well-being of these organisms (Giri et al., 2013).

Probiotic supplemented feed enhanced the existing levels cellulases, amylases, and proteases. Similar impact has been observed on phytases produced due to the probiotic microorganisms in the host gut (Burr and Gatlin, 2005; Banerjee et al., 2017; Ghosh et al., 2017). As mentioned earlier some has the capability to increase the level of digestive enzymes but also improve their absorptive capability facilitating efficient utilization of the feed taken in. A Study of Wang and Wang (2008) support it as well as previous claims when he observed higher activities of proteases, lipases, amylases, and cellulases enzymes in shrimps, Litopenaeus vannamei, and bivalves, when fed on Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Bacillus sp supplemented diets. In addition to the above actions, Probiotics may also increase the surface area of the host GIT by causing histological changes in the morphology of intestinal folds including enterochromaffin cells, and microvilli (Zhou et al., 2010).

Priyodip et al. (2017) in their study observed production of large quantities of phytase due the inclusion of Lactobacillus brevis and Bacillus subtilis in the diet. This enzyme aids in the utilization and metabolism of the plant products such as phytate (myo-inositol hexaphosphate). Ringo et al. (2014) in their study reported the positive impact of Pseudomonas sp., Brevibacterium sp., Microbacterium sp., Agrobacterium sp., and Staphylococcus sp., on the nutritional status and physiology of the Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpines). Moreover, some bacterial probiotics synthesize vital amino acids, minerals, and fatty acids and alter the microbial population of the host gut (Nayak, 2010; Newaj-Fyzul et al., 2014).

Probiotics mode of action in aquaculture

When antibiotics are continuously used to treat the diseases in aquaculture species, ultimately generation of resistance genes, and tolerant bacterial fauna develops. Subsequently bacterial population proliferates and drug residue builds up in fish tissues due to their poor utilization. Applications of vaccines for framed fish are currently used though still at limited scale. For extraction of maximum benefits their proper and timely usage is of paramount importance otherwise their effectiveness declines swiftly. Among others their adequate and efficient delivery is significant. Due to their disease management qualities probiotics are considered pre-requisite for sustainable aquaculture. Irianto and Austin (2002) have reported that probiotics improves water quality, and boost host immunity against the potential diseases resulting in better fish survival.

Effect on phytoplankton

Probiotic regulates and manage the production of algae, especially red tide planktons at safe level (Qi et al., 2009). For early fish fry rearing sufficient quantity of planktons are required to be present in ponds. However, harmful bacteria can limit or totally can wipeout their production unicellular algae in specific. Nonetheless probiotics can solve this issue and help for the, proliferation of phytoplankton.

Bacteriostatic effect of probiotics

Probiotics release many bacteriostatic or bactericidal chemicals which are equally effective for the control of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Hydrogen peroxides, proteinaceous enzymes (lysozyme and other proteases), and iron-chelating (sideropheres) compounds are the most common ones (Giri et al., 2013). Sometimes probiotics produce bacteriocins which change chemicals or energy preferences of the gut fauna and break inter and intra species interactions and ultimately overcoming their excessive population pathogens, their interruptions and effects (Kesarcodi-Watson et al., 2008; Ringo et al., 2018).

Mode of action in controlling infections

Probiotics strengthens defensive mechanism in the gut of the host limiting the level of infections following inflammations (Azimirad et al., 2016; Modanloo et al., 2017). Probiotic microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria, Brevibacillus brevis, Vagococcus fluvialis, and Vibrio harveyi, adhere to the mucosal epithelium of the gastrointestinal tract, modulate immunity of the host, and prevent attachment and pathogenicity of the potential pathogens (Lazado et al., 2011; Sugimura et al., 2011; Korkea-aho et al., 2012; Mahdhi et al., 2012; Sorroza et al., 2012). Production of enzymes such as proteases, amylases and alginate lyases are further strengthen this mechanism and manage the uncontrolled proliferation of pathogens (Zokaeifar et al., 2012). Production of essential nutrients like fatty acids, biotin, vitamin B12, and organic acids during this cascade of activities are further ameliorates this process.

Competition for nutrients

during infectious stage harmful and useful bacteria compete for nutrient uptake. probiotics disrupt this competition and tilt the balance towards useful microbial population strengthening their potential capability (ringo et al., 2016). it has been well documented in marine bacteria where they compete for uptake of iron (verschuere et al., 2000). however, the amount of iron present in animal tissues and body fluids is limited (verschuere et al., 2000). the iron-binding substances called siderophores assist bacteria in obtaining the iron they require for development.

possible beneficial effects of some specific probiotics and their particular applications have been given in the table 1.

Table 1: Some probiotics documented for the promotion of aquaculture

Probiotic	Application	Applied to aquatic species	Described/ Expected outcome
Lactobacillus helveticus (Gatesoupe, 1999)	Growth promoter	Scophthalmus maximus	Affects Gut movement and helps in digestion which also leads to energy production.
Bacillus coagulans (Lin et al. 2012)	Growth promoter	Cyprinus carpio koi	Increases the level of digestive enzymes hence increases digestion.
Pseudomonas fluorescens (Gram et al. 1999)	Pathogen inhibition	Oncorhynchus mykiss	Acts as antibiotic and may replace vaccines. Replacing vaccines is necessary as it causes stress when administered.
L. rhamnosus ATCC53103 (Nikoskelainen et al. 2001)	Pathogen inhibition	Oncorhynchus mykiss	It contains inhibitory substances which acts as pathogen inhibitor.
Lactobacillus aciophilus (Dohail et al. 2009)	Nutrient digestibility	Clarias gariepinus	It produces organic acids and other compounds which have positive effects on host health and its growth.
L. helveticus (Gatesoupe, 1999)	Nutrient digestibility	Scophthalmus maximus	Helps in conversion of organic materials into CO2 and maintains a balance in phytoplankton production.
Bacillus NL 110, Vibrio sp. NE 17 (Rahiman et al. 2010)	Water quality	Macrobrachium rosenbergii	It is also applicable in other industries such as dairy and makes the foods as functional foods.
Bacillus subtilis (Ghosh et al. 2007)	Reproduction improvement	Poecilia reticulata, Xiphophorus maculatus	May restore and improve the quality of fish sperm exposed to heavy metals.

There is direct correlation between infectious pathogenicity and siderophore synthesis in the animal body (gram et al., 1999). probiotics produce siderophores which sequester the available iron making it less available for pathogens endangering their survival. Probiotics have also been shown to improve feed utilization and growth performance in aquatic animals by raising the levels of digestive enzymes (yu et al., 2009; zokaeifar et al., 2012; hoseinifar et al., 2017). it has been documented that the growth performance of western king prawns was improved by dietary probiotics (pseudomonas aeruginosa and ps. synxantha) (van-hai et al., 2009; hai et al., 2010). extracellular enzymes such as proteases, carbohydrolases, and lipases have been reported to increase the digestive enzymatic activities and an improvement in the digestive process after probiotic treatment (arellano-carbajal and olmos-soto, 2002; leonel and olmos-soto, 2006; soleimani et al., 2012; eshaghzadeh et al., 2015; hoseinifar et al., 2015a, b). moreover, crucial nutrients such as fatty acids, biotin and vitamins, and probiotics might be a complementary food source to sustain health as well as promote growth of cultured animals.

Conclusions

The use of probiotics helps in promoting fish health, improving water quality, boosting growth rate and enhancing aquaculture practices in Pakistan. Probiotics are also helping in reducing the need of antibiotics, balancing microbial environment and enhancing immune response of aquatic species. The use of Probiotic in Pakistan has shown sustainable aquaculture development and increasing productivity while minimizing environmental impact.

Probiotics have considerable and promising feature for increasing the sustainability and environmental friendliness of applications of expensive chemotherapeutic drugs for treatment exert negative impacts not only on the water quality but deteriorates the meat quality of fish transporting some undesirable’s medicinal residues to the consumers. Probiotics are therefore a promising alternative approach for controlling the infectious agents as well as disease they cause to the aquatic population.

Recommendations

Aquaculture is an important food producing sector to satisfy nutritional demands of the growing human populations. However, incapacitated feed utilization and unexpected disease outbreak has considerably affected fish production negatively and a reason for heavy economic losses to aquaculture industry. Feed additives must be used in innovative ways to boost the immune systems, disease resistance, and growth performance of aquaculture species. In the context of rapidly increasing global aquaculture production, it is important to find alternative environmentally friendly approaches for illness prevention and treatment, as well as to improve growth performance. However, further research is required to fully understand the mechanisms of probiotic action and their environmental impact. For example, the influence of probiotics on the aquatic microbial population is not well understood, and further research is needed into potential ecological hazards associated with probiotic use in aquaculture. Furthermore, the efficacy of probiotics can be influenced by a number of factors, including the probiotic strain utilized, the dose, and the method of delivery, necessitating future research to optimize their application. Before being developed into fish probiotics, candidate strains must be subjected to rigorous evaluation under a global standard. So far, they have proved themselves very effective but still a lot more needs to be done until the establishment of their successful and long lasting impact on the overall production and promotion of aquaculture sector. This review is a humble attempt to briefly highlight the role of probiotics in aquaculture. Maintenance of its permanent culture at aquaculture facility can be a cumbersome for new entrants in this field but it is priority to obviate any set back during this whole process. Time may come in near future, when instead of ordering antibiotics and feed additives, specific probiotics will be called upon for provision of quality. Various fisheries research units and the fisheries departments of different universities in a country should focus on research and on the role of probiotic bacterial species from different natural habitats as well as culture ponds. Researches indicated that the use of probiotic in early age of fish growth have the benefits such as better feed conversion ratio, improved disease resistance and reduced the risk of fish mortality. The widespread uses of probiotics and awareness among farmer regarding the safe and potential uses of probiotics are needed. If these challenges are addressed then it may be possible the potential role of probiotics in advancing sustainable aquaculture by contributing of food security, economic growth and environmentally friendly aquaculture practices increase with increased export potential. Applications of different probiotics species then be assessed under varying conditions of geographical locations, fish species and infectious disease outbreaks for recognizing particular probiotic species for particular application to obtain healthy yield in ecofriendly environment. This identification, isolation, and further extension can be salvation to the future probiotic availability, storage and utilization problems, and limitations.

Acknowledgements

The authors offer their sincere thanks to Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan for providing access to online digital library and relevant literature.

Novelty Statement

The manuscript provides an insight for the development and progress of aquaculture and sustainable aquaculture farming in Pakistan.

Author’s Contribution

Sadaf Aman: Writing - original draft, writing - review & editing

Sajid Mahmood Shahzad: Resources, supervision

Rahman Ullah: Data curation, software

Generative AI and AI-assisted technology statement

The authors declare that no Generative AI was used in the creation of this manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest.

References:

Allameh, S.K., F.M. Yusoff, E. Ringo, H.M. Daud, C.R. Saad and A. Ideris. 2016. Effects of dietary mono-and multiprobiotic strains on growth performance, gut bacteria and body composition of Javanese carp (Puntius gonionotus, Bleeker 1850). Aquacul. Nutri., 22(2):367-373. https://doi.org/10.1111/anu.12265

Carbajal, F.A. and J.O. Soto. 2002. Thermostable α-1, 4-and α-1, 6-glucosidase enzymes from Bacillus sp. isolated from a marine environment. World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 18:791-795. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020433210432

Ashraf, M., M. Naeem and A. Zafar. 2011. Comparative studies on the seasonal variations in the nutritional values of three carnivorous fish species. Int. J. Agri. Biol, 13(5):701-706.

Assefa, A and F. Abunna. 2018. Maintenance of Fish Health in Aquaculture: Review of Epidemiological Approaches for Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease of Fish. Vet. Med. Int., 5432497. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5432497

Azimirad, M., S. Meshkini, N. Ahmadifard and S.H. Hoseinifar. 2016. The effects of feeding with synbiotic (Pediococcus acidilactici and fructooligosaccharide) enriched adult Artemia on skin mucus immune responses, stress resistance, intestinal microbiota and performance of angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare). Fish Shellfish Immunol., 54:516-522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2016.05.001

Banerjee, G., A. Nandi and A. K. Ray. 2017. Assessment of hemolytic activity, enzyme production and bacteriocin characterization of Bacillus subtilis LR1 isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of fish. Arch Microbiol., 199(1):115-124. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-016-1283-8

Banerjee, G and A.K. Ray. 2017. The advancement of probiotics research and its application in fish farming industries. Res. Vet. Sci., 115:66-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2017.01.016

Bilal, S., A. Ishtiaq, A. Ghaffar, T. Ishtiaq and M. Naeem. 2025. Impact of in-feed Multispecies Probiotic Mixtures on Growth Patterns and Length-weight Relationships of Pangasianodon hypophthalmus. TSF J. Biol., 3(1):27-39. DOI: https://doi.org/10.69547/TSFJB.030103

Burr, G and D.M. Gatlin. 2005. Microbial ecology of the gastrointestinal tract of fish and the potential application of prebiotics and probiotics in finfish aquaculture. J. World Aquacul. Soc., 36(4):425-436. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-7345.2005.tb00390.x

Chen, H., S. Liu, X. Xu, S. Liu, G. Zhou, K. Sun, J. Zhao and G. Ying. 2015. Antibiotics in typical marine aquaculture farms surrounding Hailing Island, South China: Occurrence, bioaccumulation and human dietary exposure. Marine Poll. Bulletin., 90(1-2):181-187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.10.053

Dawood, M.A., F.I. Magouz, M.F. Salem and H.A. Abdel Daim. 2019. Modulation of digestive enzyme activity, blood health, oxidative responses and growth related gene expression in GIFT by heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum (L-137). Aquacul., 505:127-136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2019.02.053

Eshaghzadeh. H., S.H. Hoseinifar, H. Vahabzadeh and E. Ringo. 2015. The effects of dietary inulin on growth performances, survival and digestive enzyme activities of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fry. Aquacul. Nutr., 21:242-247. https://doi.org/10.1111/anu.12155

FAO. 2020. World Fisheries and Aquaculture. FAO; Rome, Italy.

Fleming, A. 1944. The discovery of penicillin. Brit Med. Bullet., 2:4-5. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.bmb.a071032

Ghosh, K., S. Banerjee, U.M. Moon, H.A. Khan and D. Dutta. 2017. Evaluation of gut associated extracellular enzyme-producing and pathogen inhibitory microbial community as potential probiotics in Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Int. J. Aquacul., 7(23):143-158. https://doi.org/10.5376/ija.2017.07.0023

Giri, S.S., V. Sukumaran and M. Oviya. 2013. Potential probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum VSG3 improves the growth, immunity, and disease resistance of tropical freshwater fish, Labeo rohita. Fish Shellfish Immunol., 34(2):660-666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2012.12.008

Gram, L., J. Melchiorsen, B. Spanggaard, I. Huber and T. F. Nielsen. 1999. Inhibition of Vibrio anguillarum by Pseudomonas fluorescens AH2, a possible probiotic treatment of fish. Appl. Env. Microbiol., 65:969-973. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.65.3.969-973.1999

Hai, N.V., N. Buller and R. Fotedar. 2010. Effect of customized probiotics on the physiological and immunological responses of juvenile western king prawns (Penaeus latisulcatus Kishinouye, 1896) challenged with Vibrio harveyi. J. Appl. Aquacul., 22:321-336. https://doi.org/10.1080/10454438.2010.527580

Hamdan, A.M., A.F. El-Sayed and M.M. Mahmoud. 2016. Effects of a novel marine probiotic, Lactobacillus plantarum AH 78, on growth performance and immune response of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). J. Appl. Microbiol., 120(4):1061-1073. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.13081

Hill, C., F. Guarner., G. Reid, G.R. Gibson, D.J. Merenstein, B. Pot, L. Morelli, R.B. Canani, H.J. Flint, S. Salminen, P.C. Calder and M.E. Sanders. 2014. Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic. Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol., 11:506-514. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2014.66

Hoseinifar, S.H., M. Dadar and E. Ringo. 2017. Modulation of nutrient digestibility and digestive enzyme activities in aquatic animals: the functional feed additives scenario. Aquacul. Res., 48: 987-4000. https://doi.org/10.1111/are.13368

Hoseinifar, S.H., H. Eshaghzadeh., H. Vahabzadeh and N. Peykaran-Mana. 2015a. Modulation of growth performances, survival, digestive enzyme activities and intestinal microbiota in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) larvae using short chain fructo-oligosaccharide. Aquacul. Res., 47:3246-3253. https://doi.org/10.1111/are.12777

Hoseinifar, S.H., A. Mirvaghefi, M.A. Amoozegar, M. Sharifian and M.A. Esteban. 2015b. Modulation of innate immune response, mucosal parameters and disease resistance in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) upon synbiotic feeding. Fish Shellfish Immunol., 45:27-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2015.03.029

Hoseinifar, S.H., Y.Z. Sun, A. Wang and Z. Zhou. 2018. Probiotics as means of diseases control in aquaculture, a review of current knowledge and future perspectives. Front. Microbiol., 9:2429. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02429

Huang, Y., L. Zhang, L. Tiu and H.H. Wang. 2015. Characterization of antibiotic resistance in commensal bacteria from an aquaculture ecosystem. Front. Microbiol., 6:914. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00914

Irianto, A. and B. Austin. 2002. Probiotics in aquaculture. J. Fish. Dis., 25(11): 633-642. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2761.2002.00422.x

Ismat, N., M. Ashraf, M. Naeem and M.H.U. Rehman. 2013. Effect of different feed ingredients on growth and level of intestinal enzyme secretions in juvenile Labeo rohita, Catla catla, Cirrhinus mrigala, and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix. Int. J. Aquacul., 3(16):85-91.

Javed, M.Y., A. Salam, M.N. Khan and M. Naeem. 1992. Weight-length and condition factor relationship of a freshwater wild mahseer, Tor putitora from Islamabad, Pakistan. Proceed. Pak. Cong. Zol., 12:335-340.

Kesarcodi-Watson, A., H. Kaspar., M.J. Lategan and L. Gibson. 2008. Probiotics in aquaculture: The need, principles and mechanisms of action and screening processes. Aquacul., 274(1):1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2007.11.019

Korkea-aho, T.L, A. Papadopoulou, J. Heikkinen, A. von-Wright, A. Adams and B. Austin. 2012. Pseudomonas M162 confers protection against rainbow trout fry syndrome by stimulating immunity. J. Appl. Microbiol., 113:24-35. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2012.05325.x

Lazado, C.C., C.M.A. Caipang, M.F. Brinchmann and V. Kiron. 2011. In vitro adherence of two candidate probiotics from Atlantic cod and their interference with the adhesion of two pathogenic bacteria. Vet. Microbiol., 148:252-259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2010.08.024

Leonel, O.S.J. and J. Olmos-Soto. 2006. The functional property of Bacillus for shrimp feeds. Food. Microbiol., 23:519-525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2005.10.004

Letchumanan, V., K.G. Chan and L.H. Lee. 2015. An insight of traditional plasmid curing in Vibrio species. Front. Microbiol., 6:735. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00735

Mahdhi, A., F. Kamoun, C. Messina, A. Santulli and A. Bakhrouf. 2012. Probiotic properties of Brevibacillus brevis and its influence on sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) larval rearing. Afr. J. Microbiol. Res., 6:6487-6495. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJMR12.1201

Marshall, B.M. and S.B. Levy. 2011. Food animals and antimicrobials: impacts on human health. Clin. Microbiol. Rev., 24:718-733. https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.00002-11

Modanloo, M., S. Soltanian, M. Akhlaghi and S.H. Hoseinifar. 2017. The effects of single or combined administration of galactooligosaccharide and Pediococcus acidilactici on cutaneous mucus immune parameters, humoral immune responses and immune related genes expression in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings. Fish Shellfish Immunol., 70:391-397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2017.09.032

Naeem, M., A. Ishtiaq and S. Naz. 2017. Influence of dietary protein on proximate composition of Mori, Cirrhinus mrigala (Hamilton). Mat. Sci. Pharma., 1(2):1-5. https://doi.org/10.26480/msp.02.2017.01.05

Naeem, M., A. Ishtiaq and S. Shafique. 2010a. Length-weight and condition factor relationship of farmed hybrid (Catla catla × Labeo rohita) from Multan, Pakistan. Sindh Uni. Res. J. (Sci. Ser)., 42(2):35-38.

Naeem, M., A. Salam and A. Ishtiaq. 2011a. Length-weight relationships of wild and farmed Tor putitora from Pakistan. J. App. Ichthyol., 27(4):1133-1134. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0426.2010.01613.x

Naeem, M., A. Salam and A. Jafar. 2005b. Induced spawning of major carp Catla catla by a single intramuscular injection of Ovaprim-C and fecundity at Fish Hatchery Islamabad, Pakistan. J. Biol. Sci., 5(6):776-780. https://doi.org/10.3923/jbs.2005.776.780

Naeem, M., A. Salam and S. Kauser. 2005a. Weight-length and condition factor relationship of a freshwater wild Puntius chola from Islamabad, Pakistan. Pak. J. Biol. Sci., 8(8):1112-1114. https://doi.org/10.3923/pjbs.2005.1112.1114

Naeem, M., A. Salam, S.S. Tahir and N. Rauf. 2010b. Assessment of the essential element and toxic heavy metals in hatchery reared Oncorhynchus mykiss. Int. J. Agri. Biol., 12(6):935-938.

Naeem, M., A. Salam and A. Zuberi. 2016. Body composition of freshwater rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, in relation to body size and condition factor from Pakistan. Pakistan. J. Agri. Sci., 53(2):468-472. https://doi.org/10.21162/PAKJAS/16.2653

Naeem, M., A. Zuberi, A. Salam, M. Ashraf, N. Elahi, M. Ali, A. Ishtiaq, T. Malik, M.J. Khan, M.M. Ayaz, M.J. Iqbal and B. Ahmad. 2011b. Induced spawning, fecundity, fertilization rate, and hatching rate of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) by using a single intramuscular injection of Ovaprim-C at Fish Hatchery Faisalabad, Pakistan. Afri. J. Biotechnol., 10(53):11048-11053. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJB10.1481

Nath, S., V. Matozzo, D. Bhandari and C. Faggio. 2019. Growth and liver histology of Channa punctatus exposed to a common biofertiliser. Nat. Prod. Res., 33(11):1591-1598. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2018.1428586

Nayak, S.K. 2010. Role of gastrointestinal microbiota in fish. Aquacul. Res., 41(11): 1553-1573. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2109.2010.02546.x

Newaj-Fyzul, A., A.H. Al-Harbi and B. Austin. 2014. Review: Developments in the use of probiotics for disease control in aquaculture. Aquacul., 431:1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2013.08.026

Pereira, A.M.P.T., L.J.G. Silva, L.M. Meisel and A. Pena. 2015. Fluoroquinolones and Tetracycline Antibiotics in a Portuguese Aquaculture System and Aquatic Surroundings: Occurrence and Environmental Impact. J. Toxicol. Env. Health Part., A 78(15):959-975. https://doi.org/10.1080/15287394.2015.1036185

Priyodip, P., P.Y. Prakash and S. Balaji. 2017. Phytases of probiotic bacteria: Characteristics and beneficial aspects. Ind. J. Microbiol., 57(2): 148-154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-017-0647-3

Qi, Z., X.H. Zhang., N. Boon and P. Bossier. 2009. Probiotics in aquaculture of China-Current state, problems and prospect. Aquacul., 290(1-2):15-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2009.02.012

Ringo, E., A. Dimitroglou, S.H. Hoseinifar and S.J. Davies. 2014. Prebiotics in finfish: an update. In: D.L. Merrifield and E. Ringo (Eds.), Aquaculture Nutrition: Gut Health, Probiotics and Prebiotics, Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. pp. 360-400. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118897263.ch14

Ringo, E., S.H. Hoseinifar, K. Ghosh, H. Van-Doan, B.R. Beck and S.K. Song. 2018. Lactic acid bacteria in finfish-an update. Front. Microbiol., 9:1818. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01818

Ringo, E., Z. Zhou., J.L.G. Vecino, S. Wadsworth, J. Romero and A. Krogdahl. 2016. Effect of dietary components on the gut microbiota of aquatic animals. A never-ending story? Aquacul. Nutr., 22:219-282. https://doi.org/10.1111/anu.12346

Rodgers, C.J. and M.D. Furones. 2009. Antimicrobial agents in aquaculture: Practice, needs and issues. Options Mediterraneeennes Serie A. Seminaires Mediterraneens. 86:41-59.

Santos, L. and F. Ramos. 2018. Antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture: Current knowledge and alternatives to tackle the problem. Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents., 52:135-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2018.03.010

Sewaka, M., C. Trullas, A. Chotiko, C. Rodkhum, N. Chansue, S. Boonanuntanasarn and N. Pirarat. 2019. Efficacy of synbiotic Jerusalem artichoke and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG-supplemented diets on growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, intestinal morphology, immune parameters and protection against Aeromonas veronii in juvenile red tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) Fish Shellfish Immunol., 86:260-268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2018.11.026

Sharma, P., R.C. Sihag and S.K. Gahlawat. 2013. Relative Efficacy of Two Probiotics in Controlling the Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome Disease in Mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala Ham.). J. Fish Aquat. Sci,. 8(2):305-322. https://doi.org/10.3923/jfas.2013.305.322

Soleimani. N., S.H. Hoseinifar, D.L. Merrifield, M. Barati and Z.H. Abadi. 2012. Dietary supplementation of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) improves the innate immune response, stress resistance, digestive enzyme activities and growth performance of Caspian roach (Rutilus rutilus) fry. Fish Shellfish Immunol., 32:316-321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2011.11.023

Sorroza, L., D. Padilla, F. Acosta, L. Roman, V. Grasso and J. Vega. 2012. Characterization of the probiotic strain Vagococcus fluvialis in the protection of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) against vibriosis by Vibrio anguillarum. Vet. Microbiol., 155: 369-373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2011.09.013

Sugimura, Y., T. Hagi and T. Hoshino. 2011. Correlation between in vitro mucus adhesion and the in vivo colonization ability of lactic acid bacteria: screening of new candidate carp probiotics. Biosci. Biotech. Bioch., 75:511-515. https://doi.org/10.1271/bbb.100732.

Tan, L.H., K.G. Chan, L.H. Lee and B.H. Goh. 2016. Streptomyces Bacteria as Potential Probiotics in Aquaculture. Front. Microbiol., 7:79. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.00079

Tomova, A., L. Ivanova, A.H. Buschmann, M.L. Rioseco, R.K. Kalsi., H.P. Godfrey and F.C. Cabello. 2015. Antimicrobial resistance genes in marine bacteria and human uropathogenic Escherichia colifrom a region of intensive aquaculture. Env. Microbiol. Rep., 7(5):803-809. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-2229.12327

Van-Hai, N., N. Buller and R. Fotedar. 2009. The use of customized probiotics in the cultivation of western king prawns (Penaeus latisulcatus Kishinouye, 1896). Fish Shellfish Immunol. 27:100-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2009.05.004

Verschuere, L., G. Rombaut, P. Sorgeloos and W. Verstraete. 2000. Probiotic bacteria as biological control agents in aquaculture. Microbiol. Molecul. Biol. Rev., 64(4):655-671. https://doi.org/10.1128/MMBR.64.4.655-671.2000

Wang, Y.M. and Y.G. Wang. 2008. Advance in the mechanisms and application of microecologics in aquaculture. Prog. Vet. Med., 29:72-75.

Xiong, W., Y. Sun, T. Zhang, X. Ding, Y. Li, M. Wang and Z. Zeng. 2015. Antibiotics, Antibiotic Resistance Genes, and Bacterial Community Composition in Fresh Water Aquaculture Environment in China. Microb. Ecol., 70(2):425-432. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-015-0583-x

Yousaf, M., A. Salam and M. Naeem. 2011. Body composition of freshwater Wallago attu in relation to body size, condition factor, and sex from southern Punjab, Pakistan. Afr. J. Biotechnol., 10(20):4265-4268.

Yu, M., Z. Li, H. Lin, G. Wen and S. Ma. 2009. Effects of dietary medicinal herbs and Bacillus on survival, growth, body composition, and digestive enzyme activity of the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. Aquacul. Int., 17:377-384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-008-9209-3

Zhou, Q.C., J.A. Buentello and D.M. Gatlin. 2010. Effects of dietary prebiotics on growth performance, immune response and intestinal morphology of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). Aquacult., 309(1-4):253-257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2010.09.003

Zokaeifar, H., J.L. Balcazar, C.R. Saad, M.S. Kamarudin, K. Sijam and A. Arshad. 2012. Effects of Bacillus subtilis on the growth performance, digestive enzymes, immune gene expression and disease resistance of white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Fish Shellfish Immunol., 33:683-689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2012.05.027

Zorriehzahra, M.J., S.T. Delshad, M. Adel, R. Tiwari, K. Karthik, K. Dhama and C.C. Lazado. 2016. Probiotics as beneficial microbes in aquaculture: An update on their multiple modes of action: A review. Vet. Quat., 36:228-241. https://doi.org/10.1080/01652176.2016.1172132