GOAL SETTING, DOMESTICATION AND CAPTIVE BREEDING OF ENDEMIC ORNAMENTAL FISHES

Ornamental fish industry has blossomed into a separate industry since two decades. The dynamic industry now has targeted wild indigenous ornamental fishes from India. One among the goals of ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) include research and livelihood development programmes through ornamental fish culture. Indigenous ornamental fishes are having high popularity and demand in the international market. Mainly barbs from the Western Ghats and cat fishes from North Eastern region are exported from India. ICAR-CIFA till now has concentrated on 16 commercially important indigenous fishes and able to breed successfully in captivity. It starts from wild collection of juvenile's till breeding and larval rearing of the selected species. After successful broodstock development attempts were focussed on spawning fishes in creating conducive natural environment. Breeding strategies were applied according to the breeding behaviour and egg characteristics of the fishes. Since most of the fishes are smaller in size, many a times hormonal inducement is avoided. If initial breeding attempts turn into failure, hormonal dose is applied through intra-peritoneal injection. Concrete or fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) tanks having water holding capacity of 1000-1500 litres are used. Our decade of experience in breeding barbs, rasboras and gouramis conclude that for successful captive breeding and domestication, broodstock developement by feeding optimum diet and larval rearing is to be standardised. Shining barb, an improved variety of rosy barb (Pethia conchonius) is one of the first indigenous ornamental fish variety from India developed by mass selection method at this institute.