World Aquacluture Magazine - September 2020

WWW.WA S.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • SEP TEMBER 2020 67 However, a constant supply of good-quality fingerlings is vital for the culture of any fish species, including singhi. Major sources of stinging catfish fry and fingerlings for aquaculture were mainly from the capture fishery because of the limited capacity of the then existing hatchery facilities in the past. Nonetheless, induced breeding techniques have continually improved in India. At present, hatchery-produced fry/fingerlings have become the major source of seed for aquaculture of this species in the country. Although the production of fish seed from hatchery sources has increased dramatically, the quality has not improved, owing to poor hatchery management practices, resulting in deleterious effects such as negative selection, inbreeding depression and indiscriminate interspecific hybridization. A brief account of stinging catfish hatchery technology developed by Sasya Shyamala Krishi Vigyan Kendra (SSKVK), Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI), West Bengal, India is provided here. I ndia is soundly recognized for Indian carp culture, connected to an intensive research effort and then massive adoption by farmers. Carp remains the backbone of Indian freshwater aquaculture. Next to carps, catfishes are also potential cultivable species. Among these, the walking catfish Clarias batrachus and the stinging catfish Heteropneustes fossilis are the preferred medium-sized catfish for pond culture. The stinging catfish, in the family Heteropneustidae, is a commercially important fish species in India, where it is known as singhi. Stinging catfish is in high demand for its taste and therapeutic value. Singhi fetch a higher market price than carp and walking catfish and are sold for US$ 7-10/kg in India. Stinging catfish are primarily a fish of ponds, ditches, beels, swamps and marshes, but sometimes are found in muddy rivers. The air-breathing apparatus of stinging catfish enables it to exist in almost any kind of water. Stinging catfish is generally stocked at densities 5-10 times greater than those of carp because it is a hardy, air-breathing species, a characteristic that makes it favorable for high-density culture. Breeding and Seed Production of the Stinging Catfish in India Swagat Ghosh, N.C. Sahu and F.H. Rahaman ( C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 6 8 ) FIGURE 1. Stinging catfish broodfish are around 70-80 g (males) to 100-120 g (females). FIGURE 2. Genital papilla of stinging catfish female (left) and male (right) broodfish.

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