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Recent Trends in Breeding and Trade of Ornamental in

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Alok Kumar Jena Pradyut Biswas Central Institute of Fisheries Education Central Agricultural University

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The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Recent Trends in Breeding and Trade of Ornamental Gourami in India Alok Kumar Jena, Pradyut Biswas and Sandeep Shankar Pattanaik

FIGURE 2. Blue gourami trichopterus (Left) and Trichogaster leeri (Right).

FIGURE 1. Banded gourami Colisa fasciatus juvenile.

TABLE 1. List of indigenous to India.

Common Name Scientific Name Rainbow gourami/banded gourami Colisa fasciatus /lily gourami Colisa lalia Colisa chuna

FIGURE 3. Preparation of by a male gourami.

The ornamental TABLE 2. List of gouramis exotic to India. farms located in the country industry is considered to be a and are in high demand in sleeping giant in India because Common Name Scientific Name domestic markets. the country is blessed with a Blue gourami Trichogaster trichopterus The of this family rich biodiversity of freshwater Pearl gourami Trichogaster leeri grow to around 15 cm and ornamental fish and has a Thick-lipped gourami Colisa labiosa have the remarkable ability to large availability of freshwater Trichogaster pectoralis breath in two ways, through resources and suitabile agro- Helostoma temmicki gills and by a cavity in the climatic conditions for captive osphronemoides head called a labyrinth. This breeding of many native Trichogaster microlepis lung-like labyrinth organ ornamental fishes throughout goramy allows gouramis to gulp air the year. In India, the number and use atmospheric oxygen. of people keeping an This organ plays a vital role in either at home or work place has allowing gouramis to inhabit grown manifold during last two decades (Jain et al. 2016). shallow, oxygen-poor water. Many gouramis have an elongated Gouramis are a diverse group of freshwater perciform fishes feeler-like ray at the front of each of their pelvic fins. Many in the family Osphronemidae. Currently, about 133 species are show parental care; the male prepares a bubble nest (Fig. 3) to hold recognized, placed in four subfamilies and about 15 genera. They laid by a female and then provides further larval care. are widely distributed in tropical and sub-tropical areas, mainly in Gouramis are omnivorous, feeding on plants and Asia and Africa. They are found in the ponds, tanks, streams and such as some aquatic plants, weeds, , earthworms, rivers of tropical areas. In India, most gouramis are found in the and sometimes dead animals, detritus and debris. They prefer to rivers, tanks and streams of north-east states and the Western Ghats. feed on a wide variety of natural live food including , Many indigenous varieties are available in India (Table 1) and the mosquito larvae and worms such as blood worm (Chironomids), species has high export potential. They are colorful and flamboyant sludge worm () and glass worm (Fig. 4). The nutritional (Figs. 1 and 2) and are attractive to hobbyists of all ages. There are requirements of gouramis varies with size, growth stage and many colorful exotic varieties (Table 2) that are available in different (CONTINUED ON PAGE 62)

WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2019 61 environmental conditions longer fins than the female. (Table 3). In general, gouramis During the breeding season, require 30-45 percent protein, mature males develop a dark 4-9 percent lipids and 30-40 coloration and pointed fins, percent carbohydrates in their while females show bulging diets (Table 4). In addition, the abdomens. When choosing diet should contain carotenoids a breeding pair, care must such as astaxanthin, zeaxanthin be taken to select a mature or lutein for attractive female that is ready to . coloration, and binding agents Otherwise the aggression of and preservatives to improve males can result in death of the quality and shelf life of the the female if she is not ready diet. Gouramis also accept a to breed. Gouramis breed wide range of supplementary throughout the year, but there manufactured pelleted and is a seasonal peak during the granular feeds, including FIGURE 4. Chopped tubifex (sludge worms) as feed for larval gouramis. monsoon season from April freeze-dried foods available to August/September on the in the domestic ornamental Indian sub-continent. market trade (Fig. 5). An aquarium or small plastic tank of 50-80 L Breeding capacity, with a water level Gouramis become of up to 25 cm can be used sexually mature in six months for breeding. Because they and so young fish can be are bubble nest builders, the used for breeding purposes. tanks must be provided with Usually, males are brilliantly one or two pieces of surface colored with a pointed dorsal vegetation, such as water fin, while females are dull hyacinth or banana leaves. with a rounded or curved This helps in providing . The male has much FIGURE 5. Freeze-dried live feeds. stability to the bubble nest.

TABLE 3. Size of live feed organisms and stages of preferences.

Name of the live food Size Stage of uses Important features

Infusoria 0.05-0.3 mm Larvae (newly hatched) Tiny and unicellular; ideal for larvae starter food Zooplankton 0.2-3.0 mm Larvae/Fry Rich protein (60-65%) sources for early stage Artemia nauplii 0.4-0.5 mm Larvae/Fry Filter-feeders, can be enriched with PUFA, vitamin C etc. and provided to larvae and fry Beer Worms Up to 1.2 mm Fry/Fingerlings Highly digestibility and very good food after and rotifer feeding

Chironomid larvae 10-20 mm Fry/Fingerlings/Adult Rich in iron and pigments (Blood Worms) (contains haemoglobin)

Tubifex Up to 20 mm long Fry/Fingerlings Rich in iron and pigments (Sludge worm) (contains haemoglobin)

Earthworms Size varies according to species Adult/Brood stock Rich protein (60-65%) and fats (9-10%) sources

62 MARCH 2019 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG After tank preparation, one week of rearing, larvae a mature male is stocked into are fed Artemia nauplii, the tank first. Soon after the blood worms, sludge worms male makes a bubble nest, a or mixed zooplankton until mature gravid female is stocked they reach stocking size. into the tank, which should The 10-15 d old larvae may be covered with a hard board be stocked into other tanks to create humid conditions in to enable them to attain the tank. Soon after stocking marketable size within the female, both the male 3-4 months. Periphyton and female begin courtship can also be developed in behavior (e.g. chasing each the larval rearing tank other). During this period, through introduction of FIGURE 6. Larval rearing in circular fiberglass tanks. the male bends around the various types of artificial abdomen of the female near substrates such as plastic the bubble nest, stimulating strips and aquatic plants the deposition of about 500- that serve as feed for young 3,000 eggs in the bubble nest larvae. In case live feed is by the female, which are then not available, freeze-dried fertilized by the male. The or refrigerated live food male also collects eggs and organisms can also be used. deposits them in the bubble Feeding should be done 3-4 nest. Soon after release of times per day for optimal eggs, the female should be growth and survival. Green removed from the breeding water is also very useful for tank. Inasmuch as this species larval rearing of gourami. is found in tropical regions, In this type of production hatching requires no more than system, specific varieties three days (24-36 hr). Within of phytoplankton (e.g. 3-5 days of hatching, hatchlings FIGURE 7. Larval rearing in plastic tubs. Spirulina, Chlorella) are develop into free-swimming cultured in a nutrient-rich fry. Males guard eggs and larvae for 2-3 weeks in the wild, but media and used to feed larvae. larvae can be removed once they are free swimming. Best management practices for breeding include: • Avoid aeration in breeding tanks because it will disturb Larval Rearing nest formation. Free-swimming larvae or fry are stocked into a rectangular • Keep mature males separate in small containers because aquaria or plastic tanks that are provided with diffused aeration males are aggressive in the presence of a female. and filtration of suitable size (Figs. 6 and 7). Larvae are fed with • Select healthy males for breeding because they will make live food immediately after yolk-sac absorption. They are provided larger bubble nests. with sufficient quantity of infusoria or rotifers for one week, • The size of the bubble nest is managed by placing small ensuring that minimum effort is required to search for food. After (CONTINUED ON PAGE 64)

TABLE 4. Nutrient requirements of ornamental gouramis at different life stages.

Nutrients Young stage Brood stock Sources

Protein 40-45 30-40 Fish meal, Squid meal, shrimp meal, soyabean meal, mustard meal, groundnut meal, wheat/ maize meal etc. Lipid 4-6 6-8 Fish oil, vegetable oil (sunflower, soyabean oil etc.) Carbohydrate 40-45 40-45 Corn flour, rice bran, wheat bran Vitamin-Mineral 1-2 1-2 Synthetic forms

WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2019 63 TABLE 5. Optimal levels of water quality for TABLE 6. Maximum retail price for gourami in the gourami breeding. Indian market.

Parameters Optimum Range Species Rupees per piece Temperature 24-30 C Blue gourami 15-50 Dissolved oxygen > 5 mg/L Kissing gourami 10-50 pH 6.5-8.5 Golden gourami 15-60

Total hardness 50-200 mg/L as CaCO3 Dwarf gourami 10-40

Total alkalinity 40-200 mg/L as CaCO3 Pearl gourami 50-200 Nitrite Nil Giant gourami 50-200 Ammonia Nil

CO2 < 15 mg/L Total suspended solids < 50 mg/L Conclusion Ornamental fish breeding and culture provides opportunities for a lucrative business in urban and rural areas. These fishes are pieces of plant leaves on the water surface, which are trapped in fancied by people all over the world and aquarium fish keeping the air bubble nest, providing it with stability. has been developed as a hobby by many. The nest-building • Manage and maintain optimum water quality (Table 5). ornamental gouramis are fascinating for their brilliant and attractive coloration, tiny size and their ability to adapt in confined Health Maintenance aquaria. They also fetch good prices in domestic and international Active, healthy and colorful fish enhance the beauty markets. With technical knowledge and practical experience, of aquaria, and only such fish can withstand the stress of aqua-entrepreneurs can work on the sustainability of these species transportation and have market value. In general, ornamental fishes and have a profitable enterprise with minimum investment. are susceptible to various diseases because of limiting factors that include water quality, overcrowding, nutritional imbalance and Notes poor husbandry practices. Therefore, ‘prevention is better than Alok Kumar Jena*, Pradyut Biswas, Department of Aquaculture, cure’ is the major strategy of health management at ornamental College of Fisheries, Central Agricultural University (I), fish production farms. So, regular water quality management in Tripura-799210 the aquarium and timely implementation of various preventive and * Corresponding author email: [email protected] biosecurity measures can reduce the disease risk in ornamental Sandeep Shankar Pattanaik, Department of Aquaculture, Central fish rearing. The application of various prophylactic measures, Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai- 400 061 involving treatment of fish with common salt, methylene blue and potassium permanganate, helps prevent the occurrence of disease. References Ayyappan, S. 2011. Handbook of Fisheries and Aquaculture. Marketing Trade Indian Council of Agricultural Research publication, New The existing scenario of the ornamental fish trade in India has Delhi. India. triggered a cyclic relationship between hobbyists and producers Jain, A.K., V.P. Saini and V.I. Kaur, editors. 2016. Best and traders of inputs, including ornamental fish and accessories. Management Practices for Freshwater Ornamental Fish India contributes only 0.32 percent to the total value of world Production. National Fisheries Development Board, Hyderabad. ornamental trade of US$ 362 million (Jain et al. 2016). In India, India. ornamental gouramis fetch attractive prices in the ornamental Joshi, A.K. 2016. Giant gourami – a less known but economically fish trade (Table 6). Besides export, major cities such as Kolkata, important . Matsya Bharat, Newsletter of the Chennai and Mumbai are the leading cities that deal with National Fisheries Development Board 8(1):17-20. ornamental gourami fish breeding and its propagation; however, Mathur, S., L.L. Sharma and A.K. Mathur. 2006. Handbook the farming and breeding of banded gourami, lily gourami and of Freshwater Ornamental Fishes. Yash Publishing House, honey gourami are well established in Kolkata and nearby areas. Bikaner, Rajastan, India.

Ornamental fish breeding and culture provides opportunities for a lucrative business in urban and rural areas. These fishes are fancied by people all over the world and aquarium fish keeping has been developed as a hobby by many. The nest-building ornamental gouramis are fascinating for their brilliant and attractive coloration, tiny size and their ability to adapt in confined aquaria. They also fetch good prices in domestic and international markets. With technical knowledge and practical experience, aqua-entrepreneurs can work on the sustainability of these species and have a profitable enterprise with minimum investment.

64 MARCH 2019 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG

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