This document provides information about fish culture and carp breeding in India. It discusses that fish culture involves breeding economically important fish species under controlled conditions. Carp are well-suited for culture in India due to their tolerance of poor water quality and short food chain. Common carp species bred for food include catla, rohu, and mrigal. The document then describes the breeding process for carp, including selecting healthy brood fish, inducing spawning through changes in water flow and level, and distributing fry to nurseries. Maintaining water quality and having adequate facilities and staff are important for successful carp breeding.

1. e-mail:- brajeshkori@gmail.com

2. **When a last growing improved variety of fish
having good taste are culture in small and
controlled water body under controlled conditions
and management is called fish culture.
**Aquaculture is the farming and husbandry of
economically important aquatic animals and plants
under controlled conditions.
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3. In India, culture of carp is perfectly point of view because of their short
Food chain, but economic too. These fishes can be culture without any
problem are generally liked by the consumers, some easily culturable
fishes with very successful breeding do attain a metre length with more
amount of flesh.
Carp fishes are most liked by the farmer as well as consumer
because of their following characteristics:
• These fishes are found in river, lakes, ponds.
• They can survive even in the poor quality of water.
• They have tolerance for temperature variation.
• They feed on phyto and zoo- plankton, debris and decaying organic
matter.
• They have high growth rate.
• They are fit for induced breeding.
• They show more resistance to diseases.
• Their flesh is palatable, tasty, nutritious and easily digestible.
Carp – fresh water fish often breed for food.
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4. 1. It is largest Indian carp and
commonly known as Catla( Hindi).
2. Body is elongated broad and stout,
measuring more than a metre length.
3. Colour blackish grey colour above
and silvery on the sides
4. Scales are pink or coppery in the center on the dorsal side and whitish below.
5. Dorsal profile of the body is more convex, head is large, mouth is wide with
prominent lips.
6. It is surface feeder, which feed on small crustaceans, insects, rotifers, algae etc.
7. It takes 2 years to get fully mature. It breeds during the months of May to September
and lays eggs at the rate of 80,000-1,50,000 per kg body weight.
8. This fish found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Srilanka.
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5. 1. It is most famous carp and
commonly known as Rohu( Hindi).
2. Body is elongated with rounded
abdomen, measure upto1 mtrs
in length.
3. Colour brownish grey and to black
above.
4. Scales are large and orange to reddish in colour in the centre.
5. Head is prominent with blunt snout, mouth is transverse and semi-oval, lips thick
covering the jaws or both having an inferior transverse fold.
6. It is column feeder but also feeds at the bottom also, adult feed on rotten materials.
7. Sexual maturity is obtained in 2 years. This fish breed during in the months of June
to August and lays eggs at the rate of 1 to 3 lakh per kg body weight.
8. This fish found in northern part of India and apart from India also in Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal.
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6. 1. It is also most famous carp and
commonly known as Mrigal( Hindi).
2. Body is length reaches upto 66cm
and weight upto 1.1-2.8 kg.
3. Colour of the body is silvery, dark-
grey & sometime with coppery tinge.
4. Body is covered by large cycloid scales. The scales are absent on head.
5. Head is small and the slightly sub-terminal mouth is situated on the lower side of
snout. Barbles small in fold lips
6. It is bottom feeder and feeds on algae, rotten plant material and phytoplankton .
8. Cirrhinus mrigala is found through out India.
7. Sexual maturity is obtained in 2 years. This fish lays eggs in rain water filled regions.
female lays eggs at the rate of 1,50,000-2,00,000 per kg body weight.
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7. When the breeders are procured from the local tanks, the uninjured healthy
breeders are selected in the required proportion and are temporarily stored in
the hapas fixed in the same tank till sufficient number of brooder fishes are
collected. While selecting the breeders we have to see that:-
a. Healthy and uninjured fish are collected.
b. Breeders should be collected in the proportion of 1:2 female to male ratio.
c. Fishes of almost equal size and weight range are collected.
d. Brooders of more than 1 – 1.3 year of age.
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8. 1. Smooth pectoral fin.
2. Abdomen is soft and bulging.
3. Pinkish vent.
4. The vent of fully ripe female is
slightly elevated.
1. Rough pectoral fin.
2. Abdomen is smooth and not bulging.
3. Vent not pinkish.
4. Whitish secretion called ‘Milt’ come
out on pressing the vent.
Female brooder Male brooder
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9. In this method, fish breeding is conducted in large, seasonal or perennial ponds,
During monsoon months river like conditions and flow of water is simulated in such
Ponds, such type of seasonal ponds are of two types :
These bundh are situated at the slopes or
low lying areas of vast water collecting
areas. Water comes into bundh from the
upper water collecting areas; heavy rains
lead to the filling of the bundh and
consequently flow of water stats form
the exit gate of the bundh. All this
creates river like conditions.
Fish seeds produce in this type of
bundh are not pure because presence of
water throughout the year.
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10. This is shallow seasonal pond
covered form three sides during
monsoon season water is
collected in the pond through
water collecting areas. Excess
water is released out through
exit gate.
For breeding, mature
brooders are released in water
after the first rain. During the
next rain the water level of the
pond rises creates flood like
situation which promotes
natural breeding in the fishes.
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21. i. The farm should have a good stock of brood fishes.
ii. The centre should collect all essential field implements for fish breeding work
much before the breeding season.
iii. Fish seed or fry should be distributed form the nurseries within 2-3 weeks of
rearing to utilize the nursery space for raising 2-3 crops of fish fry.
iv. Maintain water quality of nursery pond.
All and all the success in inducing the Indian major carp to breed in confined water
by giving inducing hormone, it would be now possible to meet to a large extent of
the requirement of quality fish seed in the country.
i. Storage problem.
ii. Skillful hands.
iii. Dose management.
iv. Availability.
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