Live Handling and Domestication of Selected Indigenous Ornamental Fishes of India

Abstract

Ornamental fish breeding and rearing is a fastest emerging branch of aquaculture as is ornamental fish trade. Though, indigenous ornamental fishes contribute less to the total ornamental fish trade, possibilities for the development of indigenous ornamental fish trade is very high. Potential ornamental fishes of the Western Ghats are studied for its occurrence in different water bodies and its potential value in international ornamental fish trade is assessed. Experiments on postharvest handling and domestication of twenty species of selected indigenous ornamental fishes were conducted to assess its suitability for aquarium keeping. Seven fishes showed survival above 80% during the domestication, showing its high suitability for aquarium trade, however, three species showed survival below 20% which are associated to be not suitable for aquarium trade. Sahyadria denisonii (41.87%), Pristolepis marginata (41.9%) and Mastacembelus armatus (26.88%) showed, lower percentage survival during domestication. The present study brings out the significance of assessing the suitability of indigenous fishes for fish trade before their clandestine and unsustainable exploitation from biodiversity hotspots of India.