natural feed resources

1. NATURAL SEED
RESOURCES
R. Indus & tributaries
R. Narmada
R. Tapti
R. Cauvery
R. Krishna
R. Godavari
R. Mahanadi
R. Ganges
R. Brahmaputra
Dr V.P.Saini
Professor & Dean
College of Fisheries Kishanganj

2. 




SIGNIFICANCE OF SEED PROPAGATION
With the increasing demand of flood control, dams are
constructed which ultimately check the breeding migration
of carps.
Hence, the natural stock of carps in natural waters in
depleting.
Beside this, the potential for freshwater fish culture in
India indicate a need for more than 34 billion fish fry every
year.
The present supply is much less than the target
requirement of fish seeds.
Therefore, the propagation of carp seed is must for
increasing production from natural reservoirs as well as from
the culture (pond) fishery, which is only possible by adopting
the proper propagation techniques such as bundh breeding
and induced breeding of carps.

3. NATURAL
SEED
RESOURC
Revirine
Breeding
Bundh
Breeding
(a) Dry Bundh
(b) Wet Bundh
The collection of seed from riverine source was an
age old practice.

4. India has five
major river
systems.
Ganga river
system
Brahmaputra
river system
The Indus
river system
East coast
river system
West coast
river system.
R. Indus &
tributaries
R. Narmada
R. Tapti
R.
Cauvery
R. Krishna
R. Godavari
R. Mahanadi
R.
Ganges
R. Brahmaputra

5. THE GANGA RIVER
SYSTEM
Harbors the richest freshwater fish fauna of India
The Principal freshwater fishery resources of the Ganga :
Indian major carps: Mahseer:
Catla catla Tor putitora
Labeo rohita T. mosal
Cirrhinus mrigala T. tor
Labeo calbasu
Other carps: Larger catfishes:
Labeo pangusia M. seenghala
L .gonius Silonia silondia
Cirrhinus reba Wallago attu
L. dero Pangasius pangasius
O. pabda
Feather backs:
Notopterus notopterus
N. chitala
Clupeids:
Freshwater prawns:
Hilsa ilisha Macrobrachium malcolmsoni

6. THE BRAHMAPUTRA SYSTEM
The Principal freshwater fishery resources of the Brahmaputra :
Major carps: Catfishes:
Catla catla Silonia silondia
Labeo rohita Bagarius bagarius
Cirrhinus mrigala M. cavasius
Labeo calbasu
Other cyprinids: Mahseers:
Labeo gonius Tor putitora
L. bata T. progenius
Danio equipinnatus Murrels:
Rasbora daniconius Channa punctatus
Puntius sarana C. marulius
P. ticto C. gachua
Barilius bendalensis Other fishes:
Chela atpar Glassogobius giuris
Clupeids: Colisa lalia
Hilsa ilisha

7. THE INDUS SYSTEM
Harbors the exotic rainbow and brown trout, variety of
indigenous carps and catfishes
The trout streams of Kashmir - one of the world’s richest sport
fishing
The Principal freshwater fishery resources of the Indus :
Carps: Catfishes:
Cyprinus carpio Glyptothorax kashmirensis
Schizothorax sp G.reticulatum
Tor putitora M. seenghala
Labeo dero
L. dyocheilus Other fishes:
Puntius conchonius Botia sp
Crossocheilus latius Nemacheilus sp

8. THE EAST COAST SYSTEM
The east coast system in Peninsular constitutes the
Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Cauvery
The Mahanadi has all the Indian major carps
common with the Ganga system
Fish fauna -several carp species, catfishes, murrels,
prawns, etc. along with the Gangetic carps from the
north
The tributaries of the Cauvery from the Nilgris have
coldwater fishes like trout .

9. The Principal freshwater fishery resources of the Mahanadi :
Carps: Catfishes:
Catla catla M. seenghala
L. rohita M. aor
C. mrigala Rita rita
L. fimbriatus R. chysea
Mahseers:
Tor mosal
The Principal freshwater fishery resources of the Godavari :
Carps: Catfishes:
L. fimbriatus M. seenghala
C. mrigala M. aor
L. calbasu Silonia childreni
Catla catla Wallago attu
L. rohita Pangasius pangasius
Bagarius bagarius
Clupeids: Prawn
Hilsa ilisha Macrobrachium malcolmsoni

10. The Principal freshwater fishery resources of the Krishna:
Indian major carps: Catfishes:
C. catla M. seenghala
L. rohita M. aor
C. mrigala Wallago attu
Ompok bimaculatus
Other carps: Murrels:
L. fimbriatus Channa marulius
L. kontius C. striatus
P. sarana
P. dubius
The Principal freshwater fishery resources of the Cauvery :
Major carps: Catfishes:
C. catla Glyptothorax madrapatanus
L. rohita M. seenghala
C. mrigala M. aor
L. calbasu Wallago attu
Minor carps : Silonia silondia
P. carnatius Other fishes:
L. kontius Channa marulius
C. reba Notopterus notopterus
C. cirrhosa Tor khudree
P. dubius

11. THE WEST COAST RIVER SYSTEM
Includes the basins of the Narmada and the Tapti
The other rivers that originate in the Western Ghats possess carps,
catfishes, mahseers, murrels, perches, prawns, etc.
The Principal freshwater fishery resources of the Narmada:
Indian major carps: Catfishes:
Catla catla Rita pavimentata
L. rohita M. seenghala
C. mrigala M. aor
L. calbasu Wallago attu
Clupisoma garua
Other carps: M. bimaculatus
L. fimbriatus Mystus cavasius
L. bata
L. gonius Miscellaneous fishes:
C. reba Channa sp
P. sarana Mastocembelus sp
N. notopterus
Tor tor

12. The Principal freshwater fishery resources of the Tapti
Indian major carps: Other carps:
L. calbasu L. fimbriatus
C. mrigala P. sarana
Catfishes: L. boggut
M. seenghala L. bat
O. aor Tor tor
Wallago attu C. reba
Clupisoma garua
Other fishes:
Channa sp
Mastocembelus sp
Other freshwater resources :
Reservoir fish seed resources
The reservoirs in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh - natural stock of
major carps
The reservoirs - do not have a natural stock of major carps. Hence, major
carp fingerlings produced elsewhere were brought and released in them.

13. Catla catla Labeo rohita
Cirrhinus mrigala Labeo fimbriatus

14. Silver carp
Grass carp
Common carp

15. Coldwater fish seed resources
Optimum temperature - 10-120C
Trout, salmon and char:
Trout and salmon - exotic game fishes introduced in India
Trout species introduced : rainbow trout, brown trout, eastern brook
trout, golden rainbow and tiger trout (a hybrid between brown trout x
Salvelinus fontinalis)
Peninsular India - in the Nilgiris and Kodai hills in Tamil Nadu and in
the high ranges of erstwhile Travancore in Kerala
In the Himalayas- Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, in Garhwal
Himalayas, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya and in certain
waters of Nepal

16. Trout salmon
char

17. Mahseers:
One of the world’s best game fishes
Distributed in Himalayas and the Peninsular India
Seven species of mahseer belonging to the genusTor in India
They are:Tor tor , T. putitora ,T. khudree ,T. nelli ,T. progenius ,T.
mussullah and
T. mosal
Snow trout :
Snow trout (
Schizothorax spp.) are believed to have migrated into
the lakes and streams of Kashmir from Central Asiatic watersheds
There are eleven valid species ofSchizothorax
Mahseers Snow trout

18. Hilsa,
The anadromous Indian shad,Tenulosa ilisha (Hamilton)- commonly known
as hilsa or river shad
One of the most commercially important fish of the country
Hilsa ascends the freshwater stretch of all the major river systems from sea
mainly for breeding, thereby forming a lucrative fisheries in freshwater and
brackish water.
It’s upstream migration has greatly been hampered by the construction of
dams, weirs and barrages across the rivers

19. MARINE FISH SEED
RESOURCES
The most important fish seed resources are:
Milkfish: Distributed in the Indo-Pacific region; along both
the coasts of India. ascends freshwater zones of river
Grey-mullets: Distributed in the Indo-Pacific region
Seabass: Occurs in the tropical and sub-tropical areas of
Asia in coastal waters, estuaries and lagoons, including
freshwater
Pearlspot: Three species of pearlspot inhabit brackishwater
and mouths of rivers in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Kerala ands Karnataka

20. NATURAL BREEDING OF
FINFISHES
Most are seasonal breeders and their spawning coincides with
seasonal changes in environmental factors
In response to environmental stimuli, the hypothalamus secretes a
hormone termed as releasing hormone (RH)
The Nucleus Lateralis Tuberis (NLT) of the hypothalamus responds
to an electrical signal from the brain by secreting RH at the end of
the axon; thus an electric signal becomes a chemical one (bridging
the gap between nervous/neural and hormonal information)

21. The arrangement of these neurons/axons is unique in teleosts, their
axon directly end on gonadotropic cells in the adenohypophysis, but
do not secrete their hormones into a portal blood system
However, the effect of RH is to stimulate the production of GTH and
its subsequent release into the vascular system of the
adenohypophysis
GTH is then carried in the general blood circulation to the gonads
which in turn secrete steroids which are required for final
maturation and spawning. The chain of events leading from the
reception of environmental stimuli to maturation and release of
gametes are as follows:

22. Temperature Photoperiod Rainfall Food supply
Salinity
Brain
↓
Hypothalamus
↓ RH
Pituitary
↓ GtH
Gonads
↓ Steroids
Maturation & spawning

23. Collection of Seed from natural resources
Availability of fish seed in large quantities
is a primary requisite to develop fish
culture in India.
Indian major carps Catla (
Catla catla ), rohu
(
Labeo rohita ) and mrigal (
Cirrhina mrigala )
are preferred for cultivation in freshwater
ponds and tanks throughout the country.

24. Natural habitat of these Indian major
carps is rivers, and there original
spawning grounds are the flooded rivers.
Since a long time traditional methods of
collection of carp spawn and fry from
those natural resources were built up,
particularly in Bengal, which soon spread
to other states of eastern India.

25. Fish seed trade even today depends on this
resource in few places.
With a view to providing scientific basis, seed
prospecting investigations were initiated in
various river systems of in India.
Attempts were made to standardize the spawn
collection nets, to evolve methods of collection
and to ascertain factors responsible for
fluctuations in the availability of fish seed in
relation to time and place.

26. Site Selection for Seed Collection
A pre-monsoon survey is conducted to ascertain the
topography of the terrain and bank features at and in the
vicinity of a site to determine the extent of operational area.
The topography of dry beds and bank features to gauge the
likely current pattern of the river at different stages of
flooding.
The distribution and composition of the fish fauna in the
selected stretch of the river, resident or immigrant, for
assessing the abundance of major carps during the monsoon
season.

27. The location of tributaries, rivulets and canals along with their main
river, as they might constitute important connecting links between the
river and breeding grounds.
The identity and accessibility of the site.
The bends and curves of various shapes in the river course often show
a precipitous, fast eroding bank on one side called erosion zone and a
flat, gently sloping bank exactly opposite called shadow zone .
These banks are not useful for spawn collection.
Best seed collection sites lie on the side of the sloping bank but at the
spot the current force the seed to the sides by centrifugal force.
These spots are best to operate nets to collect large amounts of spawn.

29. Methods
of Seed
Collectio
n
EGG
COLLECTIO
N
SPAWN
COLLECTIO
N
FRY
COLLECTIO
N
FINGERLIN
G
COLLECTIO
N

30. EGG COLLECTION
Large scale egg collection is possible only where locations of the breeding
grounds are known and are easily accessible
Eggs are collected from one or two feet deep water by disturbing the bottom
and scooping them with a ‘
GAMCHA ’, a rectangular spawn collecting net
Generally, large scale egg collection is not practiced in rivers
Collection of riverine fish seed using agamcha

31. Generally shooting nets are used to collect the spawn in the rivers.
A shooting net is a funnel-shaped net of finely woven netting, and is fixed with the
mouth of the net facing the current.
It is operated in the shallow margins of a flooded river.
At the tail end of the net, there is a stitched - inring of split bamboo or cane, and to
this is attached, during the operation, a receptacle, termed the gamcha.
A gamcha is a rectangular open piece of cloth.
The seed moving along with the marginal current collects in the gamcha, and is
stored in hapas or containers after removal
SPAWN COLLECTION
Collection of spawn (up to 8 mm) on a commercial scale is
prevalent mainly in Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh

32. Benchi jal is used to collect the seed in Bengal.
Midnapur net is also used in Bengal, especially in the south-western
parts, to collect the seed.
The shooting net is fixed in line with the water current direction.
The bamboo poles are fixed firmly at the selected site and the net is
fixed to bamboo poles.
Two bamboo poles are fixed near the mouth and other two poles are
fixed at tail ring.
The anterior end of gamcha is then tied round the tail ring.
The gamcha is fixed in position with the help of two more bamboo
poles.

33. In order to select the spot of maximum
availability of spawn within a specified stretch of
the river concerned, a number of trial nets are
simultaneously operated at a number of suitable
spots.
After selecting the spot, the operation is started
with full battery of nets.
Once it is done, the collection from the tail piece
of each net is scooped one after the other in
quick succession every 15 minutes or depending
upon the intensity of spawn.

34. The contents of the gamcha are then
scooped immediately in to a container half
filled with river water.
The collection is then passed through a
mosquito netting sieve so that the unwanted
organisms and non floating debris can be
removed.
The spawn are measured and kept in hapas
for conditioning, then transported to fish
farms and stocked in nurseries.

36. FRY AND FINGERLING COLLECTION
The collection of fry (8-40 mm) and fingerlings (40-150
mm) is usually made by cast and drag nets.
Fry and fingerling collection a source of fish seed is
prevalent in the Indus river system in Punjab State
A haul of fish fingerlings from a riverine stretch Fish seed being collected along the bank of a river

37. Floods and water current play an important role in the collection of seed.
Flood:
Floods show positive correlation with spawn.
There may be three or more floods in a season.
The pattern of flood is that the water first rises, then recedes.
After few days again a second flood is caused and so on.
Carps breed during floods in the rivers.
FACTORE AFECTING SEED COLLECTION

38. In the first flood of the season the spawn
of undesirable species is available.
The major carp seed is available in
subsequent floods.
In between the floods the catches of
major carp seed are less.

39. The availability of spawn are linked with the
floods.
In the receding phase of the floods results
in the draining of spawn out of the breeding
grounds down the river.
Spawn is available both during day and
night ; more seed is found in night catches.

40. Water Current:
There is no effect on spawn when the water current is
mild (0.086 km/hr).
No significant effect is seen on spawn upto 0.4 km/hr
water velocity.
With increased water velocity all the spawn is carried
away down the stream.

41. The slow and gentle current velocity varying
from 0.5-3 km/hr is the best to collect the
spawn.
While faster currents of the mid-stream
carry little spawn, low velocities of less than
1 km/hr are unfavorable for spawn catch.
In deeper parts of the river, the spawn is not
available due to non-generation of floods.

42. Other Factors:
There is no effect of turbidity, pH and dissolved
oxygen on spawn availability in the rivers.
However, turbidity is associated with floods, and
determines the efficiency of spawn collection.
The turbidity reduces the mesh size of the net, and
it is better to clean the nets at regular intervals.
Air and water temperatures never show any effect
on the spawn availability.

43. The optimal temperature is 28-31°C.
Overcast conditions with breeze and with or
without drizzle is found ideal for spawn
collection.
The stormy weather is totally unfavorable for
spawn collection due to disorder currents and
waves and the uprooting of shooting nets.
.

44. Light also does not show any effect on
spawn collection.
The occurrence of plankton have no
connection with the availability of spawn or
its abundance in rivers.
Spawn associations found abundant from the
onset of monsoon dwindle thereafter to
almost nil at the end of the season

45. ICES OF
PAWN
ANTITY
AND
UALITY
Spawn
quantity
index:
The
desirable
spawn taken
by one
standard net
during a
season is
defined as
the index of
spawn
quantity or
yield of a
centre
Spawn
quality index:
Total
percentage
of major
carp spawn
available in a
site
Spawn
categories
(i) major
carps
(ii) minor
carps
(iii) others

46. BUNDH BREEDING
PART -2

47. BUNDH BREEDING
The Indian carps though mature in ponds
fail to reproduce there.
This is because some of the important
factors which are responsible for spawning
are not found in ponds.
Carps breed in running water in rivers
during floods.

48. Some of the important factors reported to
influence spawning of carps are:-
Dissolved oxygen, flow of water, light, turbidity
and temperature.
Flooded rivers during the monsoons provide the
necessary stimulus to the carps to breed.
In bundh almost all the natural riverine conditions
develop during rainy season which ultimately
provide good breeding conditions for carps.

49. WHAT IS A BUNDH
Bundhs are nothing but specialized type of ponds
where riverine conditions are stimulated.
They are constructed in the middle of a vast low
laying area, with proper embankments and
receive large quantities of rain water after heavy
shower.
Bundhs are provided with an outlet for the
overflow of excess water and shallow areas which
serve as spawning grounds for the fish.

50. 

Bundhs are generally of two
types
Perennial Bundh also called
“Wet Bundh”
Seasonal Bundh or the “Dry
Bundh”

51. WHAT IS A WET BUNDH
Perennial tanks or minor irrigation
reservoirs where breeding takes place are
called wet bundhs.
The bundhs are filled with run-off water
from extensive catchment areas during
monsoon rain and create large shallow
marginal area which serve as spawning
grounds for the fish present in the bundh.

53. •
•
•
FEATURES OF A WET BUNDH
The main features of a wet bundh are as follows:
Lateritic or sandy soil allowing fast runoff of the
rain water.
Sloping depression in an undulating terrain.
Embankment to hold water throughout the year

54. •
•
•
Extensive catchment area to fill the
bundh.
Overflow weir
In summer generally a great part of
these bundhs dries up while the central
part always contain water

56. •
•
WHAT IS A DRY BUNDH
A dry bundh is a seasonal shallow pond enclosed by an
earthen wall (embankment) on three sides.
FEATURES OF A DRY BUNDH
The basic features of a dry bundh are the following.
Shallow sloping depression in an undulating terrain.
Lateritic or sandy soil allowing fast running of rain water

57. •
•
•
•
Large runoff area from catchment, having forest
or uncultivated fields.
Embankment to hold water of the first and
subsequent rains.
Shallow adjoining flooded breeding area
An overflow screened weir.

58. TECHNIQUES OF BREEDING OPERATION
Mature brooders are collected from perennial ponds
before the onset of monsoon or during first showers
and are kept separately sexwise in ponds preferably
on a rainy day.
Sufficient quantity of freshwater in bundhs is
allowed to accumulate before the brooders are
released.
A ratio of one female to two males is followed
preferably on a rainy day.

59. The stocking density of brooder varies from
3000-3500 kg/ha.
In wet bundhs the brooder stock may be
maintained throughout the year or replenished prior
to monsoon.
The brooders stimulate to spawn due to water
current entering from catchment area.

60. Spawning in both types of bundhs occurs after
continuous heavy showers, when large quantity of
rain water rushes into the bundh.
As soon as water accumulates in bundhs, a
selected number of brooder are released spawning
may occur at night.

61. Mrigal and rohu start breeding in the morning,
while catla spawns from about noon to evening.
Mrigala and rohu spawn in marginal shallow areas,
while catla remain confined to relatively deeper
water due to their deep body.
Eggs are laid at intervals during which the pair
keeps moving.

62. After spawning the spent fish move to the deeper
water.
Although Indian carps are inbreed to breed in
bundhs, there is no information regarding
breeding of Chinese carps in bundhs.
It is believed that the Chinese carps which have
more or less similar breeding habits as IMC can
also be bred in bundhs.

63. FACTORS AFFECTING CARP BREEDING IN BUNDHS:
Several factors are reported to be responsible for
spawning of major carps in bundhs.
Generally, spawning is stimulated by heavy
monsoons that flood the shallow spawning areas.
It is appears that availability of shallow spawning
grounds inundated with fish rain water is an
important factor in stimulating the breeders.

64. The favourable temperature of water for spawning
has been found to vary from 24-32°C, under
various environmental conditions.
Generally cloudy day followed by thunderstorm and
rain are regarded to influence spawning.
Other factors like pH, alkalinity, high oxygen
content etc. may be of secondary importance and
are associated with floods.

65. COLLECTION AND HATCHING OF EGGS:
After lowering the water level, eggs are
collected by dragging a piece of mosquito
net cloth.
Collection of all the eggs are impossible
especially in wet bundhs due to its larger
area.

66. After collection of eggs, these are hatched in
traditional hatching happa fixed in bundh itself or in
nearly farm ponds.
In west Bengal hatching of eggs are carried out in
specially dug out earthen pits with mud plastered
walls.
However, in Rajasthan eggs are not collected, only
the advanced fry on fingerlings are collected.

67. •
PROBLEMS IN BUNDH BREEDING:
The main problems encountered in bundh
breeding are as follows:
It is difficult to synchronise the collection of
large quantities of eggs at a time, particularly in
the case of wet bundh breeding.

68. •
•
•
Serious problems were encountered during egg
collection from bundh, due to entry of unwanted
fishes and predatory insects.
Although fertilization rate is high, still poor recovery
is encountered. This can be improved by using
modern hatcheries.
Transportation of brooder cause great physical
strain and suffer injuries. Therefore, facilities for
brooder stocking ponds can be provided.