MAJOR CULTIVABLE

FISH SPECIES

Speaker: Dr. M.Das Trakroo

Cultivable Freshwater Fishes in India
1.Carps
Catla Catla catla
Rohu Labeo rohita
Mrigal Cirrhinus mrigla
Calbasu Labeo calbasu
Fringed liped carp Labeo fimbriatus
White carp Cirrhina cirrhosa
Pig mouthed carp Labeo kontius
Reba Cirrhina reba
Bata Labeo bata
The carnetic carp Puntius carneticus
Sarana Puntius sarana
Gonius Labeo gonius
Doctor fish Tinca tinca
Golden carp Carassius carassius
Common carp Cyprinus carpio
Silver carp Hypophthalmicthys molitrix
Grass carp Ctenopheringodon idella
 Live Fish
Gouramy Osphronemus gourami
Murrels

Stripped murrel Channa striatus

Bighead murrel Channa marulius
Spotted murrel Channa punctatus
Magur Clarias batrachu
Singhi Heteropneustes fossilis
Catfish

Chitala Notopterus chitala

Falli Notopterus notopterus
Pangas Pangasius pangasius
Freshwater Prawns Machrobrachium rosenbergii
Giant Fresh water prawn Machrobrachium malcolmsonii
 Criteria for selection of cultivable
fish species
• Rate of growth
• Short food chain
• Adaptation to climate
• Tolerance to the fluctuation of physico-chemical
condition of water
• Acceptance of artificial feed
• Resistance to common fish disease and parasits
• Easy recruitment under controlled condition
• Amiability to live together
• Compatibility
• Conversion efficiency
• Consumer’s preference
Indian Major Carps
 Catla catla

Distinguishing characters
• Body moderately elongated and deep
• Head enormously larged with a prominent protruding lower jaw
• Abdomen rounded
• Mouth superior, lower jaw turned upwards lowerlip thick, not fringed
• Body greyish color on the black, silvery on the sides and beneath
 Food and feeding habit
•It is a non predatory fish feeding predominantly on zooplankton
•Feeding is restricted to surface
Age and growth
•Fastest growing fish among IMC
•Growth is Fasterin first three years and later sloows down
• in well managed ponds it attains 1.0-1.5 during first year.
Breeding
•Attain sexual maturity in the third year of of life
•It breeds in May-Sept in hatcheries
•Little difficult to spwn than other carps
•In nature spawn only ones during breeding season but reported to
spawn four times in hatcheries
 Labeo rohita

Distinguishing characteristics

• Body moderately elongated.

• Dorsal profile is more arched than ventral profile
• Distinguished by its relatively small or pointed head, almost terminal
mouth.
• Fringed lips.
• A pair of short thin maxillary barble
• Black brownish-grey colour on dorsal side, belly slightly white
• Dull reddish scales on the sides and pink reddish fins.
Food and feeding
• Non predatory fish feeding mainly on plankton
• consider to be a mid-column feeder, it is opportunistic, prefers to
feed on plant matter including decaying material.
Age and growth
• Fast growing IMC
• In a managed pond attains one kg in first year
Breeding
• Attain sexual maturity in the second year of life
• Breeds in may- Sept in hatcheries
• In is also reported nature spawn only ones during breeding season
but multiple spawning in hatcheries.
 Cirrhinus mrigala

Distinguishing characteristics
• Linear body, small head with blunt snout.
• Sub terminal mouth with thin non fringed lips.
• On upper jaw a pair of short rostral barbles
• Body silvery dark grey along back with coppery tinge and
belly silvery white, fins orange tinged with grey.
Feeding habit
• It is a non-predatory, mainly feeds on decayed
organic matter
• considered to be a bottom feeder
Age and growth
• It attains 650 gm-1.2 kg in first year
Breeding
• Mrigal is more advanced in maturity than catla
and rohu and retains for a shorter time
• Attains first maturity in second year of life
• Breeds in may- Sept in hatcheries
• In is also reported nature spawn only ones
during breeding season but multiple spawning in
hatcheries.
Exotic Carps
 Hypophthalmicthys molitrix

• Body is oblong fairly compressed,

• Abdomen is keeled from thorax to anus
• Head is small and pointed
• scales small, mouth subsuperior with lower jaw rather upturned.
• Eyes comparatively small, situated below horizontal axis.
• Origin of dorsal fin is behind that of ventral fin.
• Body colour is silvery white.
Feeding habit
• Silver carp is a non-predatory, feeds mainly on
phytoplankton
• Considered to be a surface feeder
Age and growth
• Fastest growing carp
• Attains more than 2-3 kg in the first year
Breeding
• In tropical environment attains maturity at the
age of three years
• In controlled conditions it breeds in March
onwards in hatcheries
 Ctenopharyngodon idella

• Body elongated both the profile gently

• Head broad with short round snout
• mouth slightly subterminal and oblique with thick lips, the
lower jaw shorter.
• Body colour dark grey with greenish shed with silver
colour belly.
• All fins are dark in colour.
Feeding habit
• Grass carp initially feeds on plankton
• At 20 mm onwards feeds on macrophytes
• Young fishes prefer to feed on soft plants
Age and growth
• Growth depends upon the type and quantity of weed
available
• In optimal conditions rate of growth is greater than other
carps
• Attain weight of 4.5-7 kg at the age of 3 years
Breeding
• In tropical environment matures after third year of life
• In controlled conditions it breeds in March onwards in
hatcheries
 Cyprinus carpio

• Body oblong, robust and compressed, dorsal projected in

arch shaped, round abdomen.
• Mouth slightly downwards with blunt snout and with two
pairs of barbels on upper jaw, lower pair a little longer.
• Long dorsal fin, scales thick and big.
Feeding habit
• It is a polyphagus and omnivorous in habit
• Adults prefers insects, crustaceans,and decayed organic
matters
• In search of benthic food it burrows bottom and
embankments
Age and growth
• It grows more than 1 kg in a year
• In India after 1st and 2nd year growth recorded more than 2-
2.5 kg
Breeding
• it breeds during Jan-Mar and Jul-Aug
• Matures after 8 months of its life
• Age and size of first maturity have considerably varied based
on climatic conditions and availibility of food
 Tor putitora

• Body oblong and streamlined

• Head is broadly pointed anteriorly.
• Length of head is greater than the depth of body.
• Body colour greenish above, greyish blue o sides and white
abdomen
• having 2 pairs of barbles
Feeding habit
• It is an insectivorous fish
• Feeds on algal encrustation on rocks,
insects and small fishes
Age and growth
• Attain 250-400 gm in one year
• Growth rate of the fish is very slow
Breeding
• Attains maturity after third year of life
• Breeds during Apr- sept
 Pangasius pangasius

• Mouth wide with upper jaw longer than lower

• 2 pairs of barbels are present
• Maxillary barbel reaching up to the base of
pectoral fin
• Body colour silvery with dark back and purple
sides, under surface of head golden
Feeding habit
• It is a benthic feeder fish
• Feeds on snails other molluscs and plants
Age and growth
• Maximum length of 300 cm attain in 3 years
• Generally grow up to 1.5 – 2 kg in 1 year
Breeding
• Naturally breeds in mansoon season
 Clarias batrachus

• Head is covered with fine granules

• Body colour is brownish black
• Four pairs of nasal barbles are present
• All fins are covered with thick skin
• Dorsal fin is very long whereas the pectoral reaches
below the commencement of dorsal
• Caudal fin is free, not forked
• Due to muddy habitat eyes are comparatively reduced
Feeding habit
• It is an omnivorous feeder
• Particularly feeds on decayed matters, fish
larvae, zooplanktons etc.
Age and growth
• Attains a length of 198 mm during the first year
of life
Breeding
• First maturity occurs during 8-12 month at
relatively 150-250 gm in weight
• Generally breeds during July- Aug
 Channa striatus

• Body is cylindrical and tapering

• Head is sneak like
• Body colour dark brown on back with
yellow abdomen
• It can stay out of water owing presence of
accessory respiratory organs
Feeding habit
• It is a carnivorous fish
Age and growth
Breeding
• It breeds throughout the year
Cold water fishes
 Onchorhynchus mykiss

• Body is streamlined.
• Head and dorsal side are steel blue in colour with a
reddish band and rainbow iridescence along the sides.
• Its belly is light colored and it has numerous dark spots
above the lateral line.
• The dorsal and caudal fins are marked with dark spots .
 Salmo trutta fario

• It is brown to gold on their back with cream to

grey colored belly.
• They have black, grey, yellow and occasionally
red spots surrounded by white halo.
• They have a noticeable spotted adipose fin.
 Salvelinus fontinalis

• It is covered by worm like markings, fiery

spotted flanks and white trimmed fins.
 Tor tor

• It is a stout fish with deep body.

• Small mouth with narrow gaps.
• Deeply nautched caudal fin.
• Maxillary barbels are longer than rostral barbels.
• Dorsal side is greenish, lateral sides are pinkish and with
silvery belly.
• Omnivorous
 Labeo rohita

Catla catla

Cirrhinus mrigala
Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

Ctenopharyngodon idella) –

Cyprinus carpio
• .

Cyprinus carpio Cyprinus carpio var. nudus - Leather Carp

Cyprinus carpio var. specularis -Mirror Carp. Cyprinus carpio var. Communis - Scale
Carp
 Labeo calbasu

Puntius sarana
Labeo fimbriatus

Clarius batrachus
Mystus aor

Heteropneustes fossilis

Pangasius sutchi
 Wallago attu

Mystus seenghala
 Channa marulias

Channa striatus

Orechromis mossambicus
 Onchorhynchus mykiss

Salmo trutta fario

 Salvelinus fontinalis

Tor putitota

Tor tor
Acrossocheilus hexagonolepis

Tor
khudree