FISH CLASSIFICATION & THEIR CHARACTERISTIC
Post no-1412 Dt 22/12/2019
Compiled & shared by-DR RAJESH KUMAR SINGH ,JAMSHEDPUR,JHARKHAND, INDIA, 9431309542,rajeshsinghvet@gmail.com
The commonly cultivated six Indian major carps species – Catla (Catla catla), Rohu (Labeo rohita), Mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala), Silver carp (Hypothalmichthys molitrix), Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are considered to be the best culturable species of fishes in the inland water system. ) & are the main components in composite fish farming in India, Although some exotic major carps are also found and are well adopted to Indian water.
Their brief description are as follows—–
C a t l a –
(Catla catla ) Catla/ Bhakur,
Characteristics ————
.•Catla is a fish with large and broad head, a large protruding lower jaw and upturned mouth.
• It has large, greyish scales on dorsal side and whitish on belly.
• Catla is a surface feeder.
• Adults feed on zooplankton but young ones on both zooplankton and phytoplankton.
• Catla attains sexual maturity at an average age of two years and an average weight of 2 kg.
• Egg laying capacity of per kg of catla is 1-1.50 lak h
• Breeding season is June- July
• Commonly called as catla in most part of the country.
Some state it is called as Bhakur
R o h u –(Labeo rohita)
•Body is moderately elongated, mouth inferior and mouth thick Scales cycloids
• Body brownish on back and silvery on the belly sides
• Three day old hatchlings, measuring about 6 mm
• Rohu are column feeder. They feed on algae and zooplankton.
• Juveniles feed more than adult one.
• Sexual maturity attains 1-1.5 kg
• Egg laying capacity of per kg rohu is 1.5 to 2 lakh
• Breeding season is June – July
• Commonly called as rohu in all parts
M r i g a l————
(Cirrhinus mrigala)
•Body is elongated, depressed with rounded snout. mouth inferior and mouth thick,
• Upper lips not continuous with lower lip.
• Large cycloids scales presents
• Body dark grey on back and silvery on the belly sides
• One pair of short barbles present on the mouth.
• Three day old hatchlings, measuring about 6 mm
• They are bottom feeder. They feeds on decomposed vegetation‘s
• Sexual maturity attains 1-2 kg
• Egg laying capacity of per kg mrigal is 2 to 2.5 lakh
• Breeding season is June – July
• Commonly called as mrigal or nain or naini
S i l v e r c a r p————–
(Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)
•The silver carp is a deep-bodied fish that is laterally compressed.
• They are a very silvery in color when young.
• In older they get older they fade from a greenish color on the back to silver on the belly.
• They have very tiny scales on their body but the head and the opercles are scaleless.
• They have a large mouth without any teeth in the jaw, but they have pharyngeal teeth.
• Its eyes are situated far forward on the midline of the body and are slightly turned down.
• Silver carp are unlikely to be confused with native cyprinids due to size and unusual position of• the eye.
•They are most similar to bighead carp (H. nobilis) but have a smaller head and upturned mouth• without teeth, a keel that extends forward past pelvic fin base, lack the dark blotches characteristic of bighead carp and have highly branched gill rakers.
• Juvenile fish lack spines in fins.
• Metalarvae and early juvenile are similar to bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) but• pectoral fin extends only to base of pelvic fin (as opposed to beyond in the pelvic fin in bighead)
•Sliver carp are filter feeders that eat phytoplankton, zooplankton, bacteria, detritus and they• graze aquatic vegetation.
•Sexual maturity attains at 3 yrs
• Egg laying capacity is 1.5- 2 lakh per kg
B i g H e a d
(hypophthalmichthys nobilis)
•The bighead carp is a large, narrow fish with eyes that project downward.
• Coloration of the body is dark gray, fading to white toward the underside, and with dark• blotches on the sides. Its head has no scales, a large mouth with no teeth, and a protruding lower jaw.
• Its eyes are located far forward and low on its head.
• It is very similar to the silver carp, and can be distinguished by the dark coloration on its sides.
• The bighead carp can be identified by a smooth keel between the anal and pelvic fins that• does not extend anterior of the base of the pelvic fins.
•The bighead carp has a very fast growth rate.
• Feeds on zooplankton
G r a s s C a r p———-
(Ctenopharyngodon idella)
.•Light yellow body, grey-green back, grey abdomen.
• Dark green dorsal and pectoral fins, other fins light grey.
• Body of adult fish elongate and sub-cylindrical (length 3.5-4.8 times body height)
• Abdomen round with no ridge.
• Head is compressed and slightly pointed and mouth terminal.
• Eyes small. Snout blunt and the mouth is terminal, lower jaw shorter than upper jaw.
• Lateral line is straight with 37-42 large scales.
• Egg laying capacity of grass carp is 1-1.50 lakh per kg
• Sexual maturity at 3-4 yrs.
• Feeds on aquatic plants
C o m m o n C a r p———
(Cyprinous carpio)
•The body of common carp is flat.
• Head is comparatively smaller than their body.
• The body of carpio fish is covered with slight reddish scales.
• The backside is slightly brown colored.
• Belly is golden colored.
• The scales large sized.
• A common carp lengths about 100-120 cm.
• Adult fish weights highest 40 kg.
• They survive for long time.
• Common carp fishes are omnivorous.
• They live in the lower water level.
•Eat water plants, various types of insects, benthic worms,• crawfish, crustaceans, zooplankton etc.
•Breeding is two times a year
• Once at summer or rainy season and another time in winter season.
• They lay eggs about 1-1.5 lakh eggs per kg
