In India, rivers provide the majority of agriculture, water supplies, and grain. The Indian fishing sector employs approximately 14 million people, and freshwater aquaculture makes up nearly half of the nation’s total fish production and other half is salt water fish or sea water fish. The coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Kerala, Karnataka, West Bengal, Odisha, and Gujarat rely heavily on fishing. Fishing and aquaculture account for 1% of India’s total Gdp, with West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh possessing the nation’s largest fisheries. The Indus basin is home to many of the rarest and most delicious fish. This fish is well-known not only as a culinary delicacy but also for its medicinal properties. Here is given the list of the top 13 freshwater fish species quite popular in India.
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A guide to freshwater fish farming in India
Indian fishing industry is an important food-producing business that boosts export markets and supports around 14 million individuals in multiple activities. More than 50 different marine species and shellfish are exported to 75 distinct nations throughout the world. Ponds and containers are used extensively in freshwater farming.
Freshwater fish are those that live and thrive in freshwater, and they cannot exist in saltwater. In freshwater aquaculture, the pH water level is a significant consideration. Varied fish require specific pH levels in their water, and some flourish in an acidic environment. When two distinct types of species with different pH requirements are mixed, one of the fish species in the tank will die eventually.
Types of freshwater fish species best for farming
- Tilapia – They have a strong flavor and can withstand a broad range of water temperatures, including saline conditions, extreme heat, limited dissolved oxygen, and strong ammonia. They have a high disease and parasitic tolerance. The Nile and Blue Tilapia fish are regarded as the greatest as one of its species, offering it the most advantageous alternative for fish producers.
- Catfish – It has an excellent taste, and they are disease and parasite resilient, grow quickly, and are simple to farm in warm regions, making it the second most popular choice for freshwater fish farming. The catfish is known as “Magur” in Odisha, West Bengal, and Assam. Other common species include walking catfish and shark catfish.
- Carp – Due to its nutritional value and rapid growth rate, it has a high customer appeal. They’re strong, disease-resistant, and can adapt to changing water temperatures. The main carps “Catla,” “Rahu,” and “Mrigal” are excellent choices. Common carps, Silver carps, and Grass carps are among some of the exotic big carps that are popular in India.
- Bass – Tastes well, has a high commercial value, and is ideally adapted to aquaculture. They can survive, develop, and thrive in fresh water and can withstand a broad range of saltiness. The care of fingerlings is meticulous, and big and small species must be kept apart. Poor nourishment, hard handling, and strong lighting irritate them.
Types of freshwater fish culture system
The cultural system is built on old notions that have been around for a long time, yet new thoughts have made it distinctive. The open, semi-closed and closed culture systems are the three significant cultural systems.
- Open Culture System – For freshwater fish farms, open culture systems are indeed the traditional farming approaches used. Natural resources can be employed as an open culture system, and species must be cultivated in a body of water. In the open culture system, costs are very minimal, so there is less control than in the other systems. In terms of monitoring, there is a reduction in the amount of time required.
- Semi-Closed Culture System – Water is drawn from sustainable materials or groundwater and routed to specially built ponds and conduits in a semi-closed culture system. The system allows for more precise control of the growth conditions.
- Closed Culture System – No water is transferred in a closed water system, and the flow is exposed to intensive treatment. Under certain settings, very high species richness can be achieved.
1. Rohu – Labeo Rohita
Rohu is a carp variety found in streams across Northern India and widely utilized in aquaculture. In India, the huge silver-colored Rohu fish is widely consumed, and it is also regarded as a specialty in Bhojpur. The ‘rohu’ is most well-known and appreciated due to its flavor. The aquatic pond drains, channels, streams, and lakes are the most common habitats. Rohu, commonly known as Carpo fish, is rich in proteins, Omega 3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, B, and C.
2. Hilsa
Hilsa is a freshwater fish that is extremely popular in West Bengal, Odisha, Tripura, Assam, and Andhra Pradesh. It is named Pulasa in Andhra Pradesh and is seen in the Godavari river. It is one of the finest and most expensive of all the common fish species native to India. The Bengalis’ preferred monsoon dish is hilsa. The Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal are all home to the species. Hilsas, like salmon, spend a good deal of time in saline water before migrating to wetlands. The Indo-Gangetic region of India is where the Hilsa fisheries are gathered.
3. Catla
Catla is a prominent type of freshwater fish that may be spotted in India’s rivers and lakes. The big Asian carp is a product of northern India’s river basins, where it spawns in the riverine habitat. The fish has a big, wide head, a prominent lower jaw, and a mouth that turns up. Males and females cluster in deep marginal areas to mate. They can grow up to 182 cm long and weighs around 38.6 kg. In its second year, Catla reaches maturity and embarks on a reproductive migration during the rainy season.
4. Mahseer
They are the world’s toughest freshwater sport fish, gaining the label “water tigers.” Four species are currently categorized as endangered, and India is home to 15 of them. Mahseer has big, thick spines, sharp teeth, and protruding, often quite fleshy, lips that allow them to eat from the ground. Mahseer has a high commercial value and could be a good option for aquaculture. Mahseers are omnivorous, consuming plants, crabs, bugs, amphibians, and other fish, and they may be found in both rivers and streams.
5. Kajoli
Kajoli, also known as Gangetic ailia or Ailia Coila, is a huge freshwater plant that grows in extensive aquatic systems and related waterways. Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan are home to the catfish family. This type, which reaches a maximum size of 30 centimeters, is beneficial to local commercial fishing. The fish is incredibly delicate and delicious.
6. Tilapia
Tilapia are primarily freshwater fish that can be located in shallow streams, waterways, and lakes, as well as saltwater in India. Tilapia, together with carps and salmon, are some of the most popular fish in the ocean. Their adaptability to a wide range of circumstances, omnivorous eating habits, and prominence in the fisheries sector are all reasons why they should be imported into India to help with food production. In certain places of the Ganga and the Yamuna, the Nile Tilapia has become a superior species. They’ve even managed to enter ecological areas like the Andaman Islands and the Western Ghats.
7. Rani – Pink Perch
The Rani fish, also known as Pink Perch, is an aquatic gamefish that may be spotted throughout the Indian subcontinent. The Rani fish is a tiny fish that is widely available to buy in India. This fish, which is pink in color and little in size, has a distinctive taste when prepared. The fish is termed a lean fish since it has just approximately 5% fat mass and is therefore oil-free. It’s nutrient-dense and delicate, and it’s high in DHA.
8. Magur
The Magur is a standard size moving catfish that is native to the Indian subcontinent’s rivers. In the Indian states of Assam, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh, the omnivorous variety is a well-known specialty. Because of its propensity to walk or wiggle through the dry ground in looking for food or an appropriate environment, it is known as the “Walking Catfish.” This fish is found in ponds, marshes, tributaries, and rivers, as well as wetland rice fields, where it thrives in sluggish, often standing water. The fish’s ability to walk helps it to move about in different aquatic conditions. The body of the moving catfish is lengthy and primarily grey or greyish brown. Because of its embedded sting or clove defense mechanism buried behind the fins, this fish must be treated with care when caught.
9. Tengra
Tengra, also known as Tengna, is a tiny catfish that is one of Bengal’s most delicious fish. Tengra fish can be found primarily in freshwater habitats in the Indian states of Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Bengal. Lakes, reservoirs, riverbank areas, and trenches are all good places to look for the fish. They can also be found in ponds with a sandy or muddy substrate. The body is long and the color ranges from subtle olive-yellow to bright yellow. brown. The sides and abdomen are silvery-white in color. They are a carnivorous, slow-moving creature that eats bugs, larvae, worms, crabs, and tiny fish.
10. Rita – Rita
Rita is a catfish variety that is primarily found in the natural waters of West Bengal. Commercially, it is primarily caught for human utilization. It is classified as a giant and can reach a size of 150 cm. It’s a slow-moving, bottom-feeding catfish. They favor muddy to clean water and live in rivers and streams. It also likes tranquil eddies in the backwaters.
11. Karimeen
The Pearl Spots are another name for the Karimeen fish. The species are listed in the backwaters of Kerala. They are confined to the Indian Subcontinent’s coastal regions, where they thrive in saline water habitats. It is grown in wetlands in both coastal and freshwater conditions. It can be found in abundance in Kerala’s lakes, particularly Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam, Vembanad, and Vellayani in Trivandrum. Karimeen adults have an oval form and a small snout. It has dark striping and a patch at the base and is grey-green in tone. Vegetation, shrubs, and aquatic insects provide food for the fish. Besides Kerala, the fish is well-known in the Bengal and Odisha states.
12. Trout
Trout is a kind of freshwater fish that is strongly linked to Salmon and Char and it can be seen in India’s Himalayan region. German Brown and Rainbow Trout abound in the Indian subcontinent’s Himalayan region. The majority of trout, including aquatic species, reside in freshwater streams and ponds. Oily fish are what they’re called. Trout come in a variety of sizes and colors depending on where they live. These shades and styles are mostly used as a disguise, and they adjust as the fish travels through diverse areas.
13. Pabda – Ompok
Another notable freshwater riverside species in West Bengal is the Pabda Fish. Pabda fishes are mostly found in lakes, swamps, and paddy fields. They’re a kind of catfish. They want pure freshwater to thrive in. Pabda fishes are little fish that can be found in Asian nations. Pabda fishes have flat bodies on both sides. They don’t have any scales on their bodies. The color of their abdomen is silver. Pabda fish prefer to reside in the river’s upper layers. They eat everything. They devour protozoa, water bugs, crustasia, moss, and other similar organisms. However, as a complement to their diet, they enjoy fishmeal.