This document summarizes information about the Cirrhinus mrigala fish species, including: - Hatchlings remain near the surface while fry and fingerlings move deeper, and adults dwell on the bottom. Their diet includes detritus, vegetation, phytoplankton and zooplankton. - In culture, they typically reach 600-700g in the first year, though they are slower growing than other carps. They can survive up to 12 years in natural waters. - Mrigal are widely cultivated in Southeast Asia as a component of polyculture pond systems, constituting 20-30% of stock in three-species culture and 15-20% in six-species culture

1. Study of Cirrhinus mrigala
Prepared By :
Dr Anukriti Nigam
Fergusson College (Auto.)
Pune
Dr. Anukriti N. Nigam

2. Habit , Habitat and Biology
Hatchlings of mrigal normally confine themselves to the
surface or sub-surface waters.
 The fry and fingerling tend to move to deeper water.
Adults are bottom dwellers.
It is stenophagous and an illiophage fish in its feeding
habit and.
 The principal food components of its diet are detritus
and decayed vegetation ,at the same time phytoplankton
and zooplankton comprise the rest.
Mrigal is eurythermal, and is reported to tolerate a
minimum temperature of 14 ºC.

3.  In culture condition , the fish usually attains 600gms -
700 gms in the first year, depending on stocking
density and management practices.
 Among the three Indian major carps, mrigal is
normally considered as a slow grower then catla and
rohu.
As the growth rate reduces after two years the rearing
period is usually confined to a maximum of two years,
only.
 However, mrigal is reported to survive for about
twelve years in natural waters.

4. External features
 Body bilaterally symmetrical and streamlined, its depth about equal
to length of head.
 Scales are cycloid and present on the whole body except head
region.
 Snout is blunt, often with pores .

5.  mouth broad, transverse, upper lip is entire and not
continuous with lower lip, lower lip most indistinct.
 One pair of short rostral barbels.
 Pharyngeal teeth in three rows.
 A small post-symphysial knob or tubercle present in the
lower jaw .
 Dorsal fin as high as body with 12 or 13 branched rays.
 Non-osseous and non-serrated last unbranched ray of
dorsal fin.
 Pectoral fins shorter than head, caudal fin deeply
forked,anal fin not extending to caudal fin.
 Body colouration-usually dark grey above, silvery
beneath.
 Dorsal fin greyish and pectoral, pelvic and anal fins
orange-tipped (especially during breeding season).

6. Profile of Mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala),
It is a major carp endemic to Indo-Gangetic riverine
systems.
Cultivated widely in Southeast Asian countries.
The traditional culture of the species was restricted to
eastern parts of India until the 1950s.
Later this species was transplanted in the peninsular
riverine systems of India.
Subsequently,it is found all overs India.
In addition, mrigal play an important roles in the fish
culture systems of Bangladesh, Pakistan, Burma.

7. Maturity is attained in two years in captivity.
Mrigal does not breed in ponds as it needs a fluviatile
environment for breeding it
However, it responds very well to induced breeding by
hypophysation and the use of synthetic hormones.
Mrigal is a highly fecund fish i.e 147eggs/gms body
weight.
 Fecundity increases with age, and normally ranges from
100 000-150 000 eggs/kg BW.
The spawning season depends upon the onset and duration
of the south-west monsoon, which in India, Bangladesh
and Pakistan extends from May to September.
Mrigal usually breeds at a temperature of 24 º-31 ºC.

9. Production systems
 Mrigal is cultured mainly as a component of carp
polyculture systems in the ponds of India and
Bangladesh, the major producing countries.
 Being a bottom feeder, mrigal is usually stocked at 20-
30 percent of the total species stocked in three-
species culture, while in six-species culture mrigal
constitutes only about 15-20 percent.

10. Seed supply
 Both mass scale seed production of mrigal in hatcheries
through induced breeding and riverine collection.
As mrigal does not breed in confined waters, injections of
pituitary extract and other synthetic commercial
formulations of purified salmon gonadotropin and
dopamine antagonists such as Ovaprim, Ovatide and
Wova-FH have also been successfully used in recent
years.

11. THANK YOU