RNL Jan,2024.pdf

Raj Fisheries Newsletter
(Devoted to Fisheries Education and Awareness) Newsletter -4 (1) , January,2024
Editorial
Quality Education: Hopes and
Reality
Quality of education in fisheries sciences can
be evaluated based on several essential
yardsticks. A comprehensive and up-to-date
curriculum covering
fundamental and advanced
topics in fisheries sciences are
the prerequisites. More
importantly, highly qualified
faculty with expertise in
diverse areas of fisheries
sciences who are actively engaged in
research, publication and collaboration with
industries are other essential requirements.
Over 30 Fisheries Colleges are operational in
our country which are running
UG and PG programmes as
per mandate of ICAR.
However, only a few of these
colleges are comfortable to
have adequate faculty as per
the suggested norms of
ICAR:7 departments with 38 faculty positions.
Situation is very pathetic in many colleges
where permanent faculties are in acute
shortage. It is agonizing to note that formal
accreditation to most of these colleges are
granted by the ICAR despite paucity of
required faculty in various
departments.Indeed, this is a major setback
to match the basic requirements of quality
education. Compliance of ICAR norms should
be mandatory within a reasonable period of
time once a college is created by the central
or state agricultural university.However, such
discrepancies are overlooked by ICAR for no
obvious reason. Needless to state here that
fisheries colleges are established by the
governments with statutory provisions by
gazette notification. Thus,simultaneous
necessary support of financial liabilities for
infrastructure and faculty positions is self
implied. On the contrary, there are colleges in
existence for more than a decade where the
required number of faculty are either not
sanctioned at all or recruitments are not
made for some or other reasons. ICAR
should seriously look into this matter for
compliance of the provisions made by the
Deans committee.
At many places availability of research
opportunities for students, including access to
laboratories, fieldwork, and participation in
ongoing research projects are rather limited.
State-of-the-art infrastructure, well-equipped
laboratories, access to libraries, computer
facilities, and specialized equipment for
practical learning are key issues for quality
education. Track records of graduates
securing jobs in the field or pursuing further
education need to be maintained for
demonstrating the effectiveness of the
ongoing academic program in preparing
students for their careers. Evaluation based
on these yardsticks can help gauge the
quality of higher education in fisheries
sciences.
Happy New Year! Sending all our good
wishes to our readers.
-Dr L. L. Sharma (Founder Editor), Ex Dean and
Dr S.K.Sharma (Assoc. Editor),Ex Dean, CoF, MPUAT,
Udaipur
Rajfisheries Newsletter :January, 2024 1

Personality:
Dr.Syed Zahoor Qasim
Dr. Syed Zahoor Qasim (31 December 1926
– 20 October 2015) was an Indian marine
biologist. He helped lead
India's exploration to
Antarctica and guided the
other seven expeditions
from 1981 to 1988. He was
a Member of the Planning
Commission of India from
1991 to 1996. He was the
Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia from
1989 to 1991 and an Honorary Professor of
universities including Aligarh Muslim
University, Madurai Kamaraj University,
Annamalai University, Indian Institute of
Technology Madras, and Jamia Millia Islamia.
Dr Syed Zahoor Qasim was born on
31stDecember 1926 at Allahabad. He began
his schooling from Majidia Islamia
Intermediate College Allahabad. He took his
B.Sc. in 1949 and M.Sc. degree in Zoology in
1951. He stood first in the order of Merit for
which he was awarded the University Gold
Medal.
For a few years, he was a lecturer in the
Department of Zoology at Aligarh before
proceeding to the United Kingdom for higher
studies in 1953. He returned to India in
December of 1956 and joined the Department
of Zoology of AMU as a Lecturer. He became
Reader in 1957 and started a new laboratory
of Fish and Fisheries in the Department.
In 1962, he joined the Central Institute of
Fisheries Education, Bombay (Mumbai) as a
Professor of Fisheries Biology and in 1964,
moved to Cochin as Assistant Director in the
Directorate of International Indian Ocean
Expedition (IIOE) under the Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Here he extensively worked on biological
oceanography especially on the primary
productivity of Kerala Backwaters and on the
atolls of Lakshadweep. From 1970 to 1973,
Dr. Qasim was the Director of the Central
Marine Fisheries Research Institute at
Cochin. He also held the additional charge of
the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology,
Cochin for about one year. Here he promoted
new lines of work in Fisheries Biology and
initiated the development of mussel culture
and pearl culture techniques for the first time
in India. This work earned him the prestigious
award of "Padma Shri.". In January 1974, he
took over as the Director of the National
Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa. In
February 1976 he was responsible for the
commissioning of the first Oceanographic
Research Vessel Ganeshani for NIO. He
initiated many new programs on the
productivity of the Arabian Sea and Bay of
Bengal.
In May 1981, Dr. Qasim was appointed
Secretary to the Government of India in the
Department of Environment (DOE) and within
a year (April 1982) he took over as Secretary
of the newly established Department of
Ocean Development. He has been
responsible for the acquisition of a second
Oceanographic Research Vessel "Sagar
Sampada" for Indian Oceanographic
research. Dr. Qasim led India's First
Expedition to Antarctica and successfully
organized and guided the other seven
expeditions to the frozen continent from 1981
to 1988. His work on Fisheries Biology,
primary productivity, mari-culture particularly
mussel and pearl culture, estuarine ecology,
environmental pollution and Antarctic
research will always be quoted profusely. He
has published more than 200 original
research papers in national and international
journals. For his original work and
distinguished services, he won many honors
and awards. He led many delegations of India
in several international conferences and
meetings.
Dr. Qasim is a Fellow of the Indian National
Science Academy, New Delhi, Indian

academy of Sciences, Bangalore, National
Academy of Sciences, Allahabad, among
many others. Under his guidance nearly 40
students obtained their Ph.D. degrees from
various universities in India. He is Editor for
several journals and member of the Editorial
Boards of many national and international
scientific journals. he was an Honorary
Professor of several Universities including
Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai in Tamil
Nadu, Annamalai University, Chidambaram in
Tamil Nadu, Indian Institute of Technology,
Madras (Chennai) in Tamil Nadu, Aligarh
Muslim University, Aligarh and the Jamia
Millia Islamia(University) in Delhi.
Dr. Qasim played a key role to establish Dr.
D. Swaminadhan Research Foundation
(DSRF) with the help of his colleagues Prof.
Dr. D. Swaminadhan and Dr. Jayant Patil. Dr.
D. Swaminadhan Research Foundation
(DSRF) is a non-profit and non-governmental
forum established in 1995 with the laudable
objective of contributing towards development
based on eco-friendly, pro-poor and gender
equity parameters. It is registered as a
Society and as a Trust under Indian Societies
and Trusts acts. Social Action, sustainable
development, social empowerment,
application of advancements in science &
technology for rural development and
promotion of human values are the focus.
The Foundation has been recognized by the
Department of Scientific & Industrial
Research, Ministry of Science and
Technology, Govt. of India as a Scientific and
Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) and
by the Ministry of Finance for the purpose of
Income Tax Exemption. DSRF is also
registered with the Ministry of Home Affairs,
Govt. of India under the Foreign Contributions
(Regulations) Act of 1976.
Awards and Honors:
- Padma Shri (1974); Rafi Ahmed Kidwai
Award (1978); Lal Bahadur Shastri Award
(1988); Padma Bhushan (1982) ; Oceanology
International Lifetime Achievement Award,
UK (1999); First National Ocean Science and
Technology Award by Government of India
(2003–04); Asian Society Gold Medal (2005);
SOFTI Biennial Award (2007); Lifetime
Achievement Award, Indian Science
Congress (2008)
Books Authored
1.The Indian Ocean: Images and Realities
2.Indian Estuaries
3.Biodiversity of Mangrove Ecosystems
4.Living Resources of India's Exclusive
Economic Zone
5.Indian Ocean in the 21st Century: Linkages
and Networking- Proceedings of an
International Seminar Held in New Delhi on 9
and 10 February 1998
6.Glimpses of the Indian Ocean
7.India's Exclusive Economic Zone:
Resources, Exploitation, Management
8.Sardar Patel Memorial Lectures, 1989,
Ocean - The Future Hope of Mankind
(My memory goes back to 1980 when Dr
Qasim was my external examiner for my PhD
thesis. He was invited to conduct my
Viva-voce but owing to his preoccupation as
leader of the first Indian expedition to
Antarctica. He expressed his inability and
suggested to contact second examiner Dr S.
N. Dwivedi, the then ex Director, CIFE. Prior
to this, when I led the educational tour of
fisheries students in the year 1980, I had the
opportunity to personally meet Dr Qasim
when he was Director of NIO, Dona Paula,
Goa. On my request he generously
addressed our students with his kind words:
Dr L. L. Sharma).

How Animals help in fishing ?
V. S.Durve, Retired Professor of Limnology
and Fisheries, Rajasthan College of
Agriculture, Udaipur
There are several animals which help in
freshwater sport, aquaculture and saltwater
capture fishery. They range from fish baits to
horses and dogs. In the
freshwater sport fishery, the
most popular live baits are the
minnows besides, freshwater
bivalves and pulmonates,
insects, annelids, freshwater
shrimps and crabs. With
these, one can catch any
carnivorous fish like catfishes . Marine clams
including mussels, crabs are used for
catching marlin, swordfish and salmon in
marine sport fishing.
Use of live baits is very important in
aquaculture as well. The removal of predatory
fishes from the ponds is done by angling or
by laying the long-line with live bait in large
aquaculture ponds.In marine capture
fisheries, several live bait fishes are used in
Tuna fishing especially of Skipjack Tunas
(Katsuwonus pelamis and Euthynnus
pelamis). One of the big islands of the
Lakshadweep is called the Minicoy island
which is very well known for its Tuna fishery
done by Pole and line fishing. The live bait
fishes in this fishing are Daya jardoni and
Casio sp. These are collected from the
lagoons around the island and maintained in
the tanks in the fishing boats. Besides
attaching the live bait with the hook (attached
to the operculum), the live bait is thrown by
hand in the sea when the shoals of Tuna are
sighted. During the struggle of tuna to eat the
thrown out bait fishes , the pole with baited
line is cast in sea and the fish Tuna gets
entangled.
When the above bait fishes are not available ,
the freshwater fishes found in the ephemeral
ponds over the island are collected for the
use. Here, the principal fishes are Apogon
and killifish Panchax panchax. These too are
stored on the boat in wooden tanks. Central
Marine Fisheries Research Institute of
I.C.A.R. attempted to introduce Tilapia
fingerlings as bait fish but it did not receive
favour from the fishermen in the early sixties.
The present situation is not known.
Well-built horses have been in use for
shrimping or shrimp fishing around the village
Oosduinkerk in Belgium since the last 700
years. Here, the horse with two baskets
suspended on both the sides of its back is
made to pull a long net similar to our fish fry
catching net with gamcha in the inshore
waters. It has boards like the otter boards of
the trawler. The horse stands in about 4 feet
of water and pulls the net along the bottom
towards the shore. The shrimp catch is stored
in the baskets. The net is operated every
hour or so. Once upon a time hundreds of
such horses used to fish on the shores of
this village and surrounding area. Later, with
the advance of fishing technology and
mechanisation of fishing boats, this method of
fishing ceased. However, the Belgian
Government has still maintained it as a tourist
attraction.
The dogs are known to be good swimmers.
They cannot catch anything with their limbs
but use their jaws to hold the prey etc. In
Europe and the U.S., the dogs are trained to
go into the freshwater ponds and shallow

lakes, rivers to catch the fish with their jaws
and bring the fish to their masters. They
catch large Salmon and catfish.
Fishing through using several Otters in a flock
has been in vogue from the 6th century in
China, central Europe, South East Asia,
Scandinavia, India and South America. In
India, it is still practised on Coromandel
Fish being taken out from Cormorant’s beak.
coast, Indus (now in Pakistan) and Ganga
river in Sundarban area of Bengal and
Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, the fishermen
breed Otters and train them to chase the fish
schools to the already laid out fishing nets in
the rivers. This fishery is very common in
districts of Nariel and Khulna of
Bangladesh, and huge catches are landed.
Otters being fed after the good catch
Using the aquatic bird Cormorant for fishing
is a traditional fishing technique in China,
Japan, Europe and Peru. This is done in
rivers. The domesticated Cormorants are
trained in catching large fishes which get
lodged in the pouches of their lower beaks.
These are then vomited out before the
fishermen. This way fishermen get good
catches from several cormorants on one
fishing trip. The Cormorant is prevented from
swallowing the fish by tying a snare around
its neck.
Shrimping by horse
Fishing of turtles and fishes has been done in
the past by using Remora (Echinus) The
herd of Dolphins chase the schools of fishes
towards the shore thereby giving the
fishermen the existence of fish and when to
fish. Octopuses and porpoises are also useful
in finding the fishes and fishing.In general,
wherever there are a good number of aquatic
and fish eating birds, the water contains good
fish catch. The birds
Nile Tilapia invaded Udaipur
lakes
In a recent survey of Udaipur lakes namely
Fateh Sagar,Pichhola and Govardhan sagar,
Nile Tilapia has been recorded in the
commercial landings.Earlier this fish has
already invaded Jaisamand and Udaisagar
lakes.From growth and size this fish is
attaining in Udaipur lake system, it is evident
that the new habitat is very much congenial
for rapid growth and proliferation of nile
tilapia. It is further to state that nile tilapia
occurrence has been also noticed earlier in
the ganga river system. Thus, probably up
migration of nile tilapia is gradually invading
all the tributaries of the ganga river. Notably
Ahar-Bedach rivers of Udaipur being integral
part of the ganga river system, are

interconnected to the rivers
Banas,Chambal,Yamuna and Ganga.It might
be escaped from the farmers ponds, since
farmers bring GIFT tilapia for culture in the
state.
Biology of nile Tilapia:
The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is a
freshwater fish species native to Northern
and Eastern Africa but widely distributed due
to its aquaculture popularity.
Morphological Features:
Size: Adults typically range from 20-40 cm in
length, but some can grow larger.Body:
Oval-shaped body covered in ctenoid scales,
generally laterally compressed.Coloration:
Varies from light gray to yellowish, sometimes
exhibiting iridescent blues and greens.Fins:
Dorsal and anal fins are elongated, with
spines at the front.Mouth: Terminal mouth
with well-developed teeth adapted for feeding
on a wide range of food.
Nile Tilapia (1 kg) from Govardhan sagar
lake,Udaipur,max.weight 2.5 kg
“For sure it is nile Tilapia Oreochromis
niloticus. See the band's in its tail. When we
sampled in 2003-2004, we got specimens
upto 1.5 kg. In Jaisamand lake, big big tilapia
are there.It is possible that any progressive
fishermen make tilapia filet and sell it in Delhi
market. The flesh of naturally grown tilapia is
tastier. It can be good for making grilled fish.
Hotel people can use it.The flesh is good and
nutritious also.If some good entrepreneur is
there, he can ice the fish and can take it to
Delhi also.My best suggestion is value
addition of tilapia.College of fisheries,
Udaipur can try this and sell to
hotels.Suggest it to college colleagues”.
-Dr V.S. Basheer, Principal Scientist,
NBFGR, Kochi entre
Often distinction between two species is not
clear and leads to wrong
identification.Morphological differences
between Tilapia mossambica and Tilapia
nilotica are given here.These morphological
differences between Tilapia mossambica
(Mozambique tilapia) and Tilapia nilotica (Nile
tilapia) are subtle but distinct:
Tilapia mossambica (Mozambique tilapia):
Size and Body Shape: Typically smaller in
size, reaching lengths around 20-25 cm.
Max.reported weight 1.1 kg.The body is more
elongated and streamlined compared to Nile
tilapia.Coloration: Generally, Mossambique
tilapia exhibit a mottled or spotted pattern on
their bodies, which can vary in intensity and
color. Their coloration is often more vibrant,
displaying shades of blue, green, and
orange.Dorsal Fin: The dorsal fin of
Mozambique tilapia is shorter and rounded
compared to Nile tilapia.Vertical bands on
caudal fin are indistinct. Habitat:
Mossambique tilapia are commonly found in
both freshwater and brackish water habitats,
showing a higher tolerance for varied salinity
levels.
Tilapia nilotica (Nile tilapia):
Size and Body Shape: Nile tilapia tend to be
larger, reaching lengths of 20-40
cm.Maximum reported weight 4.3 kg(some
times upto 5 kg). They have a more
oval-shaped body, often laterally
compressed.Coloration: Nile tilapia typically
have a more uniform coloration, ranging from
light gray to yellowish. While they can display
iridescent hues, it's usually less pronounced

compared to Mozambique tilapia.Sexual
Dimorphism: Males often brighter colors and
more elongated dorsal fins compared to
females. Breeding males may also develop
nuchal humps. Dorsal Fin: Nile tilapia's dorsal
fin is longer and sometimes more pointed
than that of Mozambique tilapia.Most
distinguishing feature is presence of
distinct vertical bands on caudal
fin.Habitat: Nile tilapia are more commonly
found in freshwater habitats, although they
also exhibit a degree of tolerance for varying
water conditions.These differences in size,
body shape, coloration, fin characteristics,
and habitat preferences help distinguish
between Tilapia mossambica and Tilapia
nilotica.
Electric Fishes
V.S.Durve, Retired Professor of Limnology
and Fisheries, Rajasthan College of
Agriculture. Udaipur
Unique amongst the vertebrates is the
occurrence of electrical fishes. In no other
phylum of the vertebrate kingdom electric
animals exist. Around 250 species of fishes
or even more have these electrical properties.
These fishes are often unrelated and have
varied habitats. They are from both marine
and freshwater ecosystems.
They belong to both the major groups of fish
kingdom viz., Elasmobranchs and Teleosts.
From amongst the Elasmobranchs, the
typical examples are Torpedoes, rays and
skates. To the group of Teleosts belong the
fresh water Mormyrids ( 200 species ) of
Africa and electric eels (not actually eels.
They are more related to the Cyprinids).
There are two genera of electric eels viz.,
Electrophoresus and Gymnodotus. These are
also called knife fishes and have 150 species.
They inhabit the Amazon river and the basin
of Orinoco river in South America. Electric cat
fishes (Malapterurus) of Africa are again
purely fresh water fishes. They inhabit the
fresh waters of all types from lakes to small
streams. The fishes called marine star-gazers
of Mediterranean sea ( Uranoscopus spp. )
which remain in shallow waters with sandy
bottom also have electrical properties.
In India, the electric fishes are restricted to
Elasmobranchs. Torpedoes are the most
common. However, the Zoological Survey of
India scientists have discovered in 2019 a
new species of brackish water eel from
Odisha. It is not known whether it has
electrical properties. This has been named as
Pisodonophis kalinga.
The electrical organs in the above stated
electric fishes differ greatly but have the
same microscopic structure. Each organ has
a series of plate-like multinucleate cells called
electroplates (also called electrocytes). These
electroplates are embedded in a jelly like
substance and bound together by connective
tissue into a tube-like structure. In Torpedoes,
these plates themselves are arranged in
tubular shape and structure. In the case of
African catfish, the electrical organ is diffused
and spread over much part of the fish body.
Such smaller modifications are present in
different fish species depending on the
degree of voltage produced. Thus, there are
differences in the size and locations of the
electric organ on the fish body. The smaller
sized electric organs normally produce lesser
electric voltage. In the case of electric eel,
there are three such organs on each side and
one out of three is always larger. In fact,
almost half of the body mass of the eel is
formed by these electric organs. These
organs are richly supplied with nerve fibers.
The electrical charge is produced through a
complex physiological reaction. The polarity
of the electric current also differs in some
fishes. For instance, in the case of eel
Electrophorus, it is from head to tail while it is
from tail to head in the case of Malapterurus.

The potentials of electrical discharges are
either large or small. The large discharges
are emitted by electric eel Electrophorus,
Torpedo and Malapterurus while small
discharges are produced by skates,
Gymnotus and Uranoscopus. In the case of
eel Electrophorus, the discharge is produced
by both the organs. In other fishes it is
produced by one organ at a time.
As stated above, the fishes which produce
discharge of large potential are Torpedo,
Electrophorus and Malapterurus. Those
producing discharge of small potential are
skates (Raja cavata) and Gymnotus.
Electrophorus electricus produces a
discharge of 650 volts. American scientists
have very recently discovered a new species
of electric eel producing a discharge of 860
volts from the Amazon basin. Malapterurus
(electric catfish) discharges 350 to 450 volts
and star-gazers (Astroscopus and
Uranoscopus) give out 50 volts. The electric
ray Torpedo discharges 40 to 50 volts and
another ray called Narcina gives out the
discharge of 35 to 37 volts. The lowest
discharges are by skate (Raja spp.) which
stand at 4 volts and Gymnotus at 0.5 to 1.0
volt. In the evolution of electric organs, it is
said that in general, one duplicate of sodium
channel genes in the muscle cells got
converted into the electric organ cell.
However, each fish species evolved this
independently.
The use of electric organs to any fish is
primarily for defense. However, it is also used
for the procurement of food (small fishes,
crustaceans etc). Some low potential electric
fishes do this hunting in groups thereby
producing added large electric potential killing
or stunning small schools of prey fishes. The
electric discharge is also used for recognizing
species, enemies. It is said that the electric
fishes have weak territorial behavior and the
electrical discharge gives them the ability to
recognize their territory. These organs also
work as electro-locators.
The electric eel, electric catfishes and
stargazers are edible but the electric eel
being extremely bony, has very low
preference for consumption by humans. The
death of humans by the shock of electric eel
is very rare but in shallow waters, the shock
drowns the victim and the death is by
drowning. This is probably because the
freshwater in which these fishes reside has
low electrical conductivity.

Literature consulted
1. A history of fishes by Norman, J. R. and
Greenwood,P.H. Pb. Ernest Benn limited,
London.
2. The Phylum Chordata, by Newman,H.H.
Pb.The Macmillan Company, New York.
3. Encyclopedia Britannica
4. Wikipedia
5. 2022 Records of Indian Museum,
zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
6. Google
Fishes of Rajasthan:
Tor Khudree (Deccan Mahseer)
-Nayan Chouhan and Bhavesh Choudhary
College of Fisheries, Central Agricultural
University (Imphal), Lembucherra, Tripura
email: nayan101chouhan@gmail.com
Introduction
South Asian river mahseer fishes are
recognized for their size, strength, and
beautiful colors. It enhances aquatic
Courtesy:Google image
biodiversity in freshwater situations as a sport
fish. The fish is silvery-blue with blood red or
bluish fin tips. The fish was formerly
exclusively found in Maharashtra, Telangana,
and Karnataka, namely in the Krishna River
system and its tributaries, the Indrayani, Mula
Mutha, Koyna, Krishna, Tungabhadra, and
Panchaganga rivers. The species lives in
peninsular India's river systems west of the
southern Western Ghats. In Rajasthan Tor
Khudree mahseer, named from the Marathi
word 'Khudis or Khadshi', is flourishing well in
the Chambal River and its tributaries.In
southern Rajasthan this fish occurs
abundantly in many waters such as
Harchand,Sai dam and Amarchand
reservoirs.
The IUCN earlier classified T. khudree as
'Endangered' because of indirect indications
of a population decline,however,now it is
listed as ‘Least Concerned’ by IUCN.
The mahseer thrives in fast-flowing alpine
streams and rivers with well-oxygenated
water and rocky riverbeds. The size, taste
and look of fish make it popular in hilly areas.
The fish is strong and may fight off the fishing
line. Thus, it is considered an ideal species
for sport fishing, offering fisherman
unmatched delight and eco-tourism
prospects. Poor aquatic biological conditions,
unselective hunting of breeding individuals
and human-induced habitat changes are the
main reasons for reduction in its population.
Destructive fishing methods including
dynamite, poison, electricity, and obstructions
along natural migratory patterns restrict
breeding migration.
Feeding
It exhibits omnivore feeding behavior during
its larval stage, carnivorous feeding behavior
during its juvenile stage, and herbivorous
feeding behavior during its adult stage. The
creature has a mouth that is well-suited for
scraping off encrusted organisms and
eliminating algal slime on rocks and boulders.
These fish mostly consume vegetation,
insects, shrimp, and mollusks, and can be
cultivated in ponds easily.
Age & Growth:
The fish's life cycle traits, such as its lengthy
lifespan and modest growth rate with
population doubling period of 4.5-14 years,
render it very susceptible to overexploitation.

The cyprinid is characterized by its lengthy
lifespan. The head is around 4 to 5 inches in
length, while the widest point of the body is
located at a distance of 4.3 to 5.5 inches from
the snout. In moderate-sized specimens, the
eyes are positioned around 6.25 to 7.5 inches
behind the nose. The highest documented
weight reported was 2.8 kg, but larger fish
over a meter and weighing 45 kg have been
documented in the past.
Biology
The organism has a tiny aperture for gills and
has decreased gill size, so it requires water
with dissolved oxygen levels over 7 parts per
million (ppm). The lips possess a substantial
thickness and have a continuous crease
along the lower jaw. Additionally, in some
individuals, both the upper and lower lips
extend towards the centerline. The maxillary
whiskers are longer than the rostral ones and
protrude under the lower portion of the eye.
The dorsal fin is located on the underside of
the body and has a height that is 75% of the
body's height.
Reproduction
Two distinct spawning behaviors have been
documented. One scenario involves the
female swimming leisurely beside the
streams, depositing eggs, while the male
closely follows to fertilize them. In the
alternative scenario, the male excavates a
shallow depression in the gravel of the
substrates, where the female subsequently
places the eggs while they are fertilized by
the male. The female persistently deposits
eggs in various sections of the streams over
a span of many weeks. The survival rates of
fry are reported to be low as a result of
siltation. This fish spawns mainly in the
months of July and August, with occasional
appearances in September, particularly in the
Walwhan and Shirwata lakes located near
Lonavala. Optimal water oxygenation,
together with a water temperature ranging
from 21°C to 26°C, has been shown to be
very efficient for the final maturation process.
This facilitates a suitable reaction to stripping
and ultimately results in the release of eggs
(ova). Fully developed fish in a mature state
are valuable for the purpose of artificial
fertilization, successful hatching, and
subsequent reproduction. It is now known
that the eggs are heavy and demersal.
Spawning
Sexually mature fish migrate to an elevation
between 800-1800 meters above mean sea
level (MSL), covering a considerable
distance, and exhibit a preference for
unpolluted water for the purpose of
reproduction. During floods, the stream
expands as a result of monsoon rains. The
newly flooded area acts as a nursery and
provides a safe location for the young ones.
They tend to prefer the marginal upland area
with constantly flowing water over the faster
currents found in the lower parts of the river.
The spawning of this organism is influenced
by several parameters such as water
temperature, velocity, pH, turbidity, and
rainfall.
Artificial Propagation
Cryopreservation of mahseer sperm allows
for the formation of a gene bank for the
endangered species. Ranching of
hatchery-produced seed has been
successfully attempted for ex-situ
conservation in several parts of India
Including Rajasthan.
To stimulate spawning in the brooder, a
synthetic hormone called Wova-FH is injected
intramuscularly. The female brooder receives
a single dosage of 0.8 ml/kg of body weight,
while the male brooder receives a single dose
of 0.4 ml/kg of body weight. If the couple fails
to reproduce within a time frame of 6-12
hours, the process of stripping is initiated.
The artificial spawning process involves the

extraction of eggs, which are then gathered in
plastic trays. The milt from the male is then
placed over the eggs, as is often done in the
fertilization of trout and salmon eggs. The
fertilized eggs are benthic, exhibiting a lemon
yellow or brownish golden colour. The
diameter of the eggs ranges from 2.8 to 3.2
mm.
Incubation
The disinfected fertilized eggs are put in
rectangular FRP hatching trays of 75 cm x 50
cm x 10 cm. The bottom and sides of the
trays are equipped with wire mesh that has a
mesh size of 1 mm. Two hatching trays are
positioned within a fiberglass reinforced
plastic (FRP) tank of 200 cm x 60 cm x 30
cm. The tank is elevated on a platform that is
90 cm tall. The trays are designed with
separate inlet and outlet openings located at
opposing ends. This arrangement ensures
that the pace at which water drains from the
trays matches the rate at which water enters.
The inlets are specifically constructed to
disperse the incoming water. The entering
water should undergo a process of
purification and filtration, ensuring a dissolved
oxygen concentration of at least 5 ppm. The
water level in the tank is regulated to ensure
that it reaches a height of 4 cm in the tray.
The tank is supplied with a constant flow of
freshwater, and the optimal rate of water flow
for incubation is 0.5-1 liters per minute. The
capacity of each tray ranges from 15000 to
30000 eggs, mostly determined by the quality
of the water. The eggs are evenly dispersed
around the tray to prevent overcrowding,
fungal contamination, and blockage. When
placed in appropriate hatching trays with a
direct water sprinkling system, they require
60 to 96 hours to hatch, however this time
may be longer depending on the water
temperature, which may range from 20°C to
28°C with a hatching rate of 80-85%. The
process of yolk absorption is typically finished
during a span of 10 to 12 days after hatching.
Appreciation to Dr. Pawan
Kumar Sharma
Dr. Pawan Kumar Sharma, a native of Chandsen
village of Lalsot area, was
selected as a Scientific Committee
Member in the 10th International
Conference on Fisheries and
Aquaculture organized in Bali,
Indonesia. As a member of the
Scientific Committee, Dr. Sharma
screened research papers for presentation
during the International Conference.
Best extension scientist award.
Best Extension Scientist Award was given to Dr.
Pawan Kumar Sharma, in a ceremony organized
on World Fisheries Day. This
award competition and ceremony
was organized by the Fisheries
and Life Sciences Committee,
Mangalore, Karnataka. Dr.
Sharma was given the best
award for the work done in
research and extension related
to fisheries and aquatic agriculture.Dr. Pawan
Kumar Sharma is currently working on the post of
Scientist, Fisheries in Krishi Vigyan Kendra Jale,
Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural
University, Pusha Bihar.
Comments from our esteemed
readers:
Thanks for sharing the Rajasthan Fisheries
Newsletter. The newsletter will be very helpful
to the fisheries fraternity of Rajasthan as well
as other states. This is a good effort from
your side. Earlier, we have been getting such
information from Prof. Durve Sahab. I have
already seen the video of your college. It is
nicely prepared.
Regards.
Dr. Sudhir Raizada, Ex ADG (Inland
Fisheries) ICAR

Bhavesh and Nayan attended
National Workshop
Bhavesh and Nayan attended National
Workshop Bhavesh
Choudhary and Nayan
Chouhan attended One day
National Workshop on "Recent
advancements in Molecular
Biology Techniques and its
Applications'' at College of
Fisheries, Kishanganj, BASU
on 24 November 2023. This workshop mainly
focused on various molecular biological
techniques related to fisheries and life
sciences. In this workshop a
special lecture was delivered
by Dr. J. K. Sundaray
(Principal Scientist, and Head,
ICAR-CIFA) on High
throughput next generation
sequencing and its application.
Other invited lectures include
Quantitative Expression analysis and its role
in disease diagnosis, Various molecular tools
used in fisheries science by the Scientists.
Both the participants expressed sincere
gratitude to Dr. V. P. Saini, Dean, CoF,
Kishanganj and faculty members Dr. Mamta
Singh and Dr. Naresh Raj Keer for providing
academic and logistic support during this
enlightening workshop.
Rajfisheries Group Members
Profile
1.Arun Kumar Purohit
Ex Dy. Director, Dept. of Fisheries
Arun Kumar Purohit son of Shri K.L. Purohit
was born on 7th April, 1950 in
Bhilwara, Rajasthan. He
completed his BSc from
Government College, Bhilwara
in 1969 and MSc Zoology (Fish
& Fisheries) from Government
College of Kota in 1971. Later
on, in the year 1975 after joining government
service he was sent to Mumbai for DFSc.
Prior to this, in 1973 he joined the
Department of Fisheries as Assistant
Fisheries Development Officer and worked at
various places such as Bhilwara, Jaipur and
Udaipur. After promotion to the post of
Fisheries Development Officer, Sh. Purohit
was posted at Banswara, Chittorgarh, Sawai
Madhopur, Bhilwara, Udaipur, Jaipur and
Rawatbhata. After promotion to the post of
Assistant Fisheries Development Officer in
the year 1975 he worked at Kota, Ajmer,
Udaipur and Bhilwara. As FDO. Purohit
undertook construction of Sagrod fish farm at
Banswara. Shri Purohit was further promoted
to the post of Deputy Director Fisheries and
posted at Udaipur division from where he
retired from government services in the year
2005. Purohit along with late Sh. B.M.Mathur,
(AFDO), prepared a survey report which
resulted in establishment of the first FFDA in
Rajasthan at Bhilwara. Under his supervision
the Guwadi fish farm at Bhilwara was
constructed. In Bhilwara district dry bundh
breeding was initiated under his leadership
at Kamalpura dry bundh from where large
numbers of fingerlings were raised and
stocked in different reservoirs. Likewise,
renovation of Rawatbhata fish farm was
undertaken with an investment of Rs 1 crore
where a Chinese hatchery complex was
constructed from here fish seed of Rs 3 lakh
was sold for the first time. As Assistant
Director Fisheries, Udaipur, Sh. Arun Purohit
was also involved as Co-Investigator in
Thermal Ecological Studies conducted on
Rana Pratap Sagar which was a DAE-BRNS
sponsored research project. As Survey &
Investigation Officer, he conducted studies on
fish productivity in many reservoirs of
Rajasthan and prepared a detailed report.
While working in Rajasthan Tribal Area
Cooperatives Federation(RTADCF) Udaipur,
in 1987-88 the federation received the
second best productivity prize at National

level. Entire team of fisheries section of
RTADCF was felicitated by the then president
of India Honorable R.Venkatraman.
2.Dr Anil Kumar
Scientist ‘C’, Dr. Syama Prasad
Mookerjee National Institute of Water and
Sanitation, Kolkata.
Dr. Anil Kumar belongs to district Bilaspur,
Himachal Pradesh. He did his Graduation in
Science from Himachal Pradesh University,
Shimla in the year 2000 and
Master’s in Limnology: Aquatic
Environmental Science from
Barkatullah University, Bhopal,
Madhya Pradesh in the year
2002. He did his Master’s
thesis on “Ecological Study of
Pong Dam: A Wetland of Himachal Pradesh”
in collaboration with the Directorate of
Fisheries, Government of Himachal Pradesh.
Dr. Anil Kumar Joined College of Fisheries
(erstwhile Department of Limnology &
Fisheries, Rajasthan College of Agriculture),
MPUAT, Udaipur in November, 2002 as
Senior Research Fellow (SRF) in the
research project of Department of Atomic
Energy-Board of Research in Nuclear
Science (DAE-BRNS) on “Biodiversity of
Rana Pratap Sagar: A Thermal Ecological
Study'' under the supervision of the Prof (Dr.)
L.L. Sharma, Principal Investigator and
worked in this collaborative project with
Environmental Survey Laboratory (ESL),
BARC, Rawatbhata till March, 2006.
Simultaneously, he also did his Ph.D. from
College of Science, MLSU, Udaipur under the
guidance of Prof. N.C. Aery, College of
Science and Prof. L.L. Sharma, College of
Fisheries and was awarded the Ph.D.
Degree in the year 2009 on “Use of Diatoms
as Indicator of Water Quality and Trophic
Status in Certain Water Bodies of Rajasthan”.
Dr. Anil Kumar worked in various capacities
with WSSO, PHED, Government of
Rajasthan from 2006 to 2013 and WSSO, Jal
Shakti Vibhag, Government of Himachal
Pradesh from 2013 to 2018. Presently, Dr.
Kumar is working as Scientist ‘C’ in Dr.
Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute
of Water and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS) under
DDWS, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of
India at Kolkata and also entrusted with
additional charge of Administrative Officer of
the aforesaid national Institute. He joined
SPM-NIWAS in the year 2018. He has
extensive expertise in training & capacity
building, research and development in the
field of water quality, environmental sanitation
and aquatic biodiversity.
Dr. Anil Kumar has presented research
papers in national & international
conferences/ symposia, published 12
research papers on water, sanitation, aquatic
biodiversity in various journals/ newsletters,
edited/ compiled following manuals:
1.Integrated Water Resources Management”
published by WSSO, Rajasthan,
2.Uniform Drinking Water Quality Monitoring
Protocol published by DDWS, New Delhi,
3.Developed IEC material for outreach and
awareness on water quality and
environmental sanitation, trainer on Training
Needs Assessment (TNA) and held the
position of Associate Editor for newsletter
“Nirmal Jaldhara” published by IPH, Himachal
Pradesh.
He was also associated with the team of
officers of IPH, Himachal Pradesh in
installation of Water ATMs in the State- a step
towards quality water in Himachal Pradesh.
Dr. Kumar belongs to a farmer’s family in hilly
State of Himachal Pradesh and looking into
his hard work and achievements, he is an
inspiration to others too.

3. Arushi Arya
PhD student, Department of Aquaculture,
CIFE, Mumbai
Born in Udaipur, Rajasthan on May 5th,
1998. Completed 10 th in the year 2014
from RBSE Board, school - the Universal Sr.
Sec. School. 8 old fatehpura
Udaipur, secured 72.17 %.
12th in the year 2016 from
RBSE board, School - Ascent
International Sr.Sec School
and secured 74.40%, and
Graduation:(Bachelor’s degree) : B.F.Sc.
from College of Fisheries, MPUAT, Udaipur
(2017-2020) and got 80.60% , OGPA - 8.06,
felicitated by gold medal in UG.
(Master’s degree : M.F.Sc. in aquaculture
from College of Fisheries,MPUAT, Udaipur
with an OGPA of 7.72 (2021-23).
Research Paper publication : Arushi Arya,
M L Ojha, B K Sharma, S K Sharma and
Amit Trivedi. 2023. Effect of processed
kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris - Pinto
group) seed meal on water quality
parameters of the Cyprinus carpio
(Linnaeus, 1758) fingerlings:The Pharma
Innovation Journal; 12(10): 1204-1209,
ACHIEVEMENTS
-Participated in all India English essay
writing event, 2018 organised by Shri Ram
Chandra Mission and by the UN
information centre for India and Bhutan
and secured 6th position all over in the
Rajasthan state.
-Felicitated by gold medal in UG (BFSc) by
honourable Governor of Rajasthan Shri
Kalraj Mishra in the year 2021.
-Recently cleared the ICAR- PhD/SRF exam
and got all India 10th rank and allotted a
PhD seat in the Department of
Aquaculture in the Central Institute of
Fisheries Education a renowned
institution of higher learning for fisheries
science in Mumbai. Home Address : 120,
Dewali, Udaipur (Rajasthan) Phone
number. E Mail ID
arushiarya5598@gmail.com
4.Ashok Kumar
Sales Officer(Rajasthan) Cargill India,Pvt. Ltd
Ashok Kumar s/o Sh. Bhani Ram born on
01.06.1995 at
Bhadra,Dist.Hanumangadh.He
passed 10th from Govt Sec.
School, Gheu in 2010 and did
12th from Gram VP SR SEC
School, Sangaria in
2012.Ashok Kumar completed
BFSc from College of
Fisheries from MPUAT,Udaipur in
2017.Ashok Kumar informed that soon after
doing BFSc he joined the private sector at
Navsari,Gujarat for 1 year and worked on
Shrimp farming. For the last 2 years he is
now working (Cargill India Pvt Ltd) in the
western Rajasthan mainly dealing with
shrimp culture farms which are running with
the use of borewell water having salinity of 10
to 35 ppt. He is mainly operating in places
like Rajgarh, Churu and Salasar in the
Western Rajasthan. Some new areas of
shrimp farming may come up in future in the
adjoining areas of Shivani, Churu, Rawatsar
and Bhadra. The market of Shrimp was good
earlier at Rs 600 per kg for 50 grams of
shrimp. However, there was a setback to
Shriram trade and the rates reduced Rs.150

to 200 per kg. Market has regained again
presently.In Rajasthan presently 700 acres of
area is operational for shrimp farming
wherein 150 farmers are engaged in this
venture.The present job of Ashok Kumar
mainly deals with supply of shrimp feed of
four types according to size 1,2,3 and 4 mm
which is supplied at the present rate of
rupees 95 per kg at pondside. Sometime
disease problems are also there in Shrimp
farming especially the white faecal disease
and EHP are very commonly observed. In
Rajasthan shrimp CD seed is procured from
distant places like Chennai and Hyderabad at
the cost of 60 paise per seed of grade 7 PL.
New Research Papers:
1.N. C. Ujjania 1
, L. L. Sharma 2
, Sanchita
Rose 3
and S. D. Prajapati 1
.2023
Scale Morphology and Population
Differentiation in Exotic Fish Tilapia
(Oreochromis mossambicus P. 1852) from
Some Major Water Bodies of Western India
1 Dept. of Aquatic Biology, Veer Narmad
South Gujarat University, Surat, Gujarat (395
007), India
2 College of Fisheries, Maharana Pratap
University of Agriculture and Technology,
Udaipur, Rajasthan (313 001), India
3 DAV College, Maharshi Dayanand
Saraswati University, Ajmer, Rajasthan (305
009), India. International Journal of
Bioresource and Stress Management
14(10):1370-1377
2.Chinthamani Abisha a
, Ranjeet Kutty b
, Udai
Ram Gurjar a
, Ashok Kumar Jaiswar a
,
Geetanjali Deshmuke a
, Abhilash Sasidharan
b
, K.A. Martin Xavier a,c
,* 2024
Microplastic prevalence, diversity and
characteristics in commercially important
edible bivalves and gastropods in relation to
environmental matrices.
Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances
13,100392
a ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries
Education, Versova, Mumbai, Maharashtra
400061, India
b Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean
Studies (KUFOS), Panangad, Kochi, Kerala
682506, India
c Quality Assurance and Management
Division, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries
Technology, Matsyapuri P.O, Kochi, Kerala
682029,
3.S. D. Prajapati and N. C. Ujjania.2023.
Veer Narmad South Gujarat University,
Surat-395 007, Gujarat, India.
Morphological variations in the Pacific
white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei
(Boone, 1931), reared in two different
culture ponds
Journal of the Marine Biological Association
of India, 65(2),91-94.
4.A. Singh1, M. PavanKalyan1, T. G.
Choudhury1, D. Kamilya2, M. I. R. Khan1,3,
N. Chouhan 1, 2023.
Supplementation of autochthonous potential
probiotic Bacillus subtilis COFCAU_BSP3 to
Labeo rohita feed: effect on
immune‑biochemical responses and
resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila.
*Aquaculture International* *(NAAS:
8.95)*doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-023-
01350-x
1 Department of Aquatic Health and
Environment, College of Fisheries, Central
Agricultural University (I), Lembucherra,
Agartala, Tripura 799210, India
2 Department of Agricultural and Food
Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology,
Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India
3 College of Fisheries, Choudhury Charan
Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar,
Haryana 125004, India
5.N. Chouhan1
, D. Dekari1
, B. Choudhary 1
,
A. Singh2
and T. G. Choudhury1
, 2023.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) technology:
Fisheries and aquaculture perspectives
Indian J Anim Health, 62(2)- *(NAAS:
5.25)*DOI:https://doi.org/10.36062/ijah.2023.
spl.02623.
1.College of Fisheries, Central Agricultural
University, Lembucherra- 799 210, Tripura,
India;
2.ICAR-Central Institute
of Fisheries Education, Andheri West,
Mumbai- 400061, Maharashtra, India
Request to our readers
Our esteemed readers of this newsletter are
requested to contribute short articles related
to Inland fisheries,news on academic
events,participation in academic activities
supported by suitable photographs for
inclusion in forthcoming issues of Rajfisheries
newsletter. As this newsletter is widely
circulated, let others also acquaint
themselves with the ideas, news and events
from different fisheries institutes.
Obituary
Entire Fisheries fraternity of Rajasthan were
deeply saddened to know the sudden demise
of Mrs Suhas Vinayak Durve
w/o Dr V.S.Durve, Ex Head,
Department of Limnology &
Fisheries, an esteemed teacher
and mentor of all Rajfisheries
Group members.Mrs Durve
was born on Dec. 14, 1937 in Mumbai,
graduated from Mumbai University. Her
presence as Prof. Durve's life partner and
support was undoubtedly invaluable. Madam
Suhas was not just a spouse but an
embodiment of grace, kindness, and
unwavering support. Her fervor and affection
touched the lives of many, extending beyond
the walls of her home to the hearts of
everyone fortunate enough to know her. Her
dedication to family, her strength in
supporting Prof. Durve's family, and her
selflessness in nurturing the aspirations of
countless students will always be
remembered. Her legacy of kindness and
compassion will continue to inspire us.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Prof.
Durve's family.
Email ID Prof. Durve:
vinayak.durve@gmail.com
Photogallery
Summer Institute on Intensive Freshwater Fish
Culture :Barrackpore 15-29 June,Cuttack 1-14
July,1975. Seating left 4th Dr V.R.P. Sinha,Dr H.L.
Chaudhuri,Dr P.V.Dehadrai,Ms Suji,Dr P.Das,Dr
T.Franklin. Back row standing in middle Dr
J.R.B. Alfred.
___________________________________
Published for Rajfisheries Group for internal
circulation by Dr L.L.Sharma, Prof.&
Dean(Retd.);Address:207/13,Ashok Nagar,
Udaipur,Rajasthan, 313001.(M)9829230343
Email:llsharma.206@gmail.com

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