It's USEFUL FOR STUDY PURPOSE

1. Presented by:
Rohitash Yadav
Reg. No. – AQCPA7-07
ORNAMENTAL AQUATIC PLANTS
Division of Aquaculture,
ICAR- CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF FISHERIES EDUCATION
(University Under Section 3 of UGC Act, 1956)
Panch Marg, Off Yari Road, Versova, Mumbai-400061

2. CONTENTS
 Introduction
 Global scenario
 Aquatic ornamental plants and classification
 Aquatic plants uses
 Name of ornamental aquatic plants
 Importance
 Nutrient deficiency symptoms in aquatic plants
 Liquid fertilizers used for aquarium plants
 Propagation
 Aquascaping
 Online traders of India
 Online market price of aquatic plants
 Conclusion
 Questions?
 References

3. INTRODUCTION
 Aquatic plants – Plants adapted to living in aquatic environment.
 Uses are:
1) food
2) flowers for religious offerings and decorations
3) medicinal use
4) ornamental plants
5) bio-fertilizer
6) weaving of baskets.
 International demand, improvement in tank and
transportation technology of ornamental aquatic plants has
significantly increased the “trade of aquatic plants globally”.

4. GLOBAL SCENARIO
 Both ornamental fish and ornamental aquatic plant exportation
began in Brazil by the 1930. (source: Goulding et al. 1999 )
 Due to the magnificent diversity of aquatic environments, South
America has been an important source of aquatic ornamentals
for the aquarium industry.
 Over 400 species of freshwater aquatic plants have been legally
traded in Australia over the last 30 years.
 Two Echinodorus species were produced in masses in Peruvian
Amazonia for international aquarium plant trade from the 1950s
to 1990s. (source: Samuli et.al 2005)

5. CONTD.
o Decline began in South America after development of mass
production in the late 1950s in Southeast Asia, and a few
decades later cultivation in South America had practically
ended. (source: Rataj et.al 2002)
o Decline in production was a consequence of rapid development
of aquarium plant cultivation in Asia, U.S.A. and Europe.
o Europe being the strongest market for aquatic plants.
o Currently, the growth in demand has been experienced in the
US market.

6. CONTD...
o Nowadays aquarium plant production involves in vitro
propagation and other highly sophisticated methods.
o Thus, re-establishing large-scale aquarium plant production
in Amazonian countries may not be economically viable.

7. AQUATIC ORNAMENTAL PLANTS
Hydrilla Cabomba
Cryptocoryne Alternanthera
Ceratophyllum Acorus

8. CONTD…
Myriophyllum Sagittaria
Vallisneria Echinodorus
Hygrophila Ludwigia

9. CONTD...
Lemna
Najas
Ipomoea
Bacopa
Egeria

10. CLASSIFICATION OF AQUATIC PLANTS
 1) Sub-merged plants: Leaves are submerged in the water, may or may not
be rooted. e.g. – Hydrilla, Myriophylum, Ottelia, Ludwigia, Saggitaria,
Vallisneria, Cabomba, Ceratophyllum, Utricularia
 2) Emerged plants: Plants having their leaves and flowers above the water
surface but rooted in the bottom. e.g. – Nymphaea, Nelumbo, Nymphoides.
 3) Floating plants : Plants have their foliage (leaves) above the surface of
water with roots hanging free.e.g. – Eicchornia, Pistia, Lemna, Azolla,
Salvinia
 4) Marginal plants: They are growing in the shallow areas of the water body
(near shore). e.g. – Typha, Cyperus, Ipomea, Cryptocoryne, Echinodorus.

12. NAME OF ORNAMENTAL AQUATIC PLANTS
S.
No.
Scientific Name Common Name
1. Echinodrous spp. Amozan sword
2. Eichhorina crassipes Water hyacinth
3. Nymphaea spp. Water lily
4. Ceratophyllum Horn wort
5. Ipomoea aquatic Water spinach
6. Vallisneria spp. Tape-grass, Eel-grass,
Ribbon-grass
7. Lemna minor Duck weed
8. Pistia spp. Water lettuce
9. Aponogeton spp. Lace plant
10. Myriophyllum Mil foil
11. Acrous Japanese dwraf Rush

13. AQUATIC PLANTS
USES
Provide Natural habitat
Absorb excess nutrients,
such as nitrates
and phosphates
Natural appearance
O2
Engineers of Oxygen pH stabilization

14. IMPORTANCE
 Aquarium plants give natural look to aquarium.
 They provide food for fishes.
 Herbivorous fishes directly eat the plants while other fishes eat
the organisms attached on the leaves.
 Plants are best filters and thus, help to maintain water quality.
 They provide shelter, shade and hiding place for smaller fishes.

15. PHOTOSYNTHESIS

16. NITROGEN CYCLE

17. CONTD….
 They serve as spawning site for certain fishes.
 Plants and fishes have symbiotic relationship.
 The fish waste is used as an excellent fertilizer for plants
while plants in turn remove nitrate and CO2 from water.
 Some of the plants are believed to reduce pH of water which
is suitable for breeding of certain fishes like tetra, angel etc.

18. NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS IN
AQUATIC PLANTS
Nutrient Requirement Deficiency Symptoms
Nitrogen Amino acid and protein synthesis Leaves turn yellow (chlorosis)
Phosphorus Energy balance Early loss of leaves
Sulfur
Synthesis of proteins, amino acids,
enzymes, coenzymes
Growth problems, plants turn yellow
Potassium
Enzyme activator, osmosis, charge
balance
Leaf tips and edges turn yellow
Calcium Enzyme reactions, metabolism Misshapen growing plant parts
Magnesium
Enzyme activator, chlorophyll
component, ion transport
Chlorosis, loss of color, loss of leaves
Iron
Enzyme systems, chlorophyll
synthesis
Leaves turn yellow
Copper
Photosynthesis, protein metabolism,
distribution of carbohydrates, water
balance
Abnormal growth, rapid withering, spiral
shaped leaves
Manganese Enzyme reactions, photosynthesis
Lack of iron, dying tissues between leaf
veins
Zinc Enzyme activator
Yellow coloration between leaf veins,
growth inhibition, misshapen stems and

19. NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS IN
AQUATIC PLANTS

20. LIQUID FERTILIZERS USED FOR AQUARIUM PLANTS

21. PROPAGATION
Propagation: Increase by any process of natural reproduction from the
parent stock. In India, aquarium plant propagation is new to entrepreneurs.
1. Natural collection
Wild collection will lead to ecological stress, hence
 Artificial propagation will reduce the pressure on the environment.
 To produce large number of plants in a short period of time.
 To meet the demand of domestic as well as export market for planting
material.
 To preserve/conserve a particular plant or population of plants.
2. Artificial culture
a) Sexual Methods of Propagation
b) Asexual methods
c) Tissue culture

22. ARTIFICIAL CULTURE
1. Sexual or seed Methods of Propagation
 The raising of plants by means of seeds, which is formed due to fusion of male
and female gametes within the ovule of a flower.
 This method is used when a new plant is grown from a seed or spore.
e.g- samolus and cyperus species
Advantages:
 Long lived plants.
 Hardy deep root system.
 Very cheap and easy method
Disadvantages:
 Loss of seed viability.
 All plants can not propagate
Source : Hand book of F & A 2011

23. CONTD….
2. Asexual methods of propagation refers to the multiplication from any
vegetative part of the plant.
Runner cutting: Plants with short stem axis form runners, at the end of which
young plants develop.
Eg. Vallisneria, Sagittaria
Stem cutting : Segments of stem axis which are placed in the ground, where they
develop roots at the stem nodes.
Eg. Ludwigia

24. CONTED…
Rhizome division
• If rhizomes are separated from the parent plant, new plants
will develop from the dormant buds on them and become
separated in the course of time.
E.g. Anubias and Acorus

25. CONTD…
Advantages
 Helpful in absence of viable seeds and poor seed
germination.
Disadvantages
 Required special skill.
 Hybrid can not produced.

26. CONTD…
3. TISSUE CULTURE
 Plant tissue culture is widely used to produce clones of a plant in
a method known as micro-propagation.
 Principle: Totipotency and plasticity
 Sterile jelly like medium is used (agar or similar) containing nutrients
and sometimes antibiotics, hormones etc. to control the plants growth.
 Mostly Anubias species are produced by this method.
Types of Tissue Culture
 Seed culture, Embryo Culture, Organ Culture and Cell Suspension
 Once the plants have reached a suitable size, they are taken out of the
container and hardened in greenhouse conditions.

27. CONTD...

28. CONTD.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcBsJSHBU14

29. AQUASCAPING
 The craft of arranging aquatic plants, as well as rocks, stones,
cave work, or driftwood, in an aesthetically pleasing manner
within an aquarium in effect, gardening under water.
 Aquascape designs include a number of distinct styles, including
the garden-like Dutch style and the Japanese-inspired nature style
 Aquascaping styles for aquariums – Dutch, Taiwanese,
Iwagumi, Biotope, Jungle, Nature Aquarium style.

30. Dutch
Taiwanese
Iwagumi

31. Biotope
Jungle
Nature
Aquarium

32. ONLINE TRADERS OF INDIA

33. ONLINE MARKET PRICE OF AQUATIC PLANTS
S.
No.
Aquatic Plant Price (Rs.)
1. Sagittaria subulata 10
2. Java moss-1 bunch 99
3. Vallisneria nana 6
4. Vallisneria spiralis 8
5. Eichhorina azurea (peacock hyacinth) 45
6. Hydrocotyle verticillata 8
7. Potamogeton gayi 7
8. Ludwigia ovalis 12
9. hydrilla 5
10. Echinodorus tenellus 7
11. Bacopa australius 8
12. ceratophyllum 5
13. Cryptocoryne cordata 60

34. CONCLUSION
 Culture methodology and techniques should be developed for
wild and economically important aquatic plant species.
 Marketing of aquatic plants for export in order to raise the
aquaculturists’ income.
 Insufficient data on culture and trading pathways of aquatic
plants.
 Full spectrum of invasion pathways is necessary for ornamental
aquatic plants at national and global level to implement policy
actions.

35. QUESTIONS?
1. Live ornamental aquatic plant v/s Synthetic ornamental
aquatic plants. Which one do you prefer and why?
2. Effective method to avoid introduction of exotic ornamental
aquatic plants?
3. Which fish should be avoided in a planted aquarium?
4. Why there are lots of problem in maintaing of ornamental
plant in aquarium. ?
5. What are the effective way to enhance the production of
ornamental plant ?
6. What is aquascaping and their uses?

36. REFERENCES
 Campbell, R.B., 1951. Planting the seed: A guide to establishing aquatic plants.
Environment, pp.40–56.
 Fascella, G., 2015. Growing Substrates Alternative to Peat for Ornamental Plants.
Soilless Culture-Use of Substrates for the production of quality horticultural crops,
pp.47–66. Flimlin, G. and Pomeroy, R., 2008. Growing ornamental aquatic plants
as a business in the Northeastern United States. Aquaculture, (May), pp.1–26.
 Webb, M. 2012. Propagation and Establishment of NKam, M.Y.Y., Chai, L.C. and
Chin, C.F., 2016. The biology and in vitro propagation of the ornamental aquatic
plant, Aponogeton ulvaceus. SpringerPlus, 5(1), p.1657.
 Kanchanaree Pongchawee, 2008. Advanced Freshwater Aquaculture: Aquatic
Plants in Aquaculture. Aquaculture, pp.106–110.
 Lehtonen, S., Angel, L. and Arévalo, R., 2005. Notes on Aquarium Plant
Production in Peruvian Amazonia. Ethnobotany Research and Applications, 3,
pp.209–214.
 Mazza, G., Aquiloni, L., Inghilesi, A.F., Giuliani, C., Lazzaro, L., Ferretti, G.,
Lastrucci, L., Foggi, B. and Tricarico, E., 2015. Aliens just a click away: the online
aquarium trade in Italy. Management of Biological Invasions, 6(3), pp.253-261.
 Native Aquatic Plants in Reservoirs by. , (273), pp.1–61.
 http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in/course/view.php?id=297
 http://www.theaquariumguide.com/articles/7-aquascaping-styles-for-aquariums
 http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=53
 Dr.C.B.L.Srivastava.,2002. Aquarium – fish keeping., pp.128-148.
 Dr. S.Ayyappan, 2011.Handbook of Fisheries and Aquaculture., pp. 519 – 522.