Mrigal carp

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Mrigal Carp
(Cirrhinus cirrhosus)
Group No 04 Level III Semester I
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Contents

• Scientific Classification
• Morphology, Habitat Biology of Cirrhinus
  cirrhosus
• Special environmental demands.
• Type aquaculture system required.
• Market and trade.
• Status and trends
• Polyculture of mrigal
• Advantages in polyculture mrigal
• Cirrhinus cirrhosus as a food source
• Refferences

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Scientific Classification

• Kingdom                 Animalia
• Phylum                   Chordata
• Class                     Actinopterygg
  i
• Order                      Cypriniformes
• Family                      Cyprinidae
• Genus                     Cirrhinus
• Species                  C. cirrhosus
• Scientific Name              Cirrhinus cirrhosus

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Morphology, Habitat Biology of Cirrhinus
cirrhosus(mrigal)

• Morphology
• Body bilaterally symmetrical and streamlined.
• Depth about equal to length of head.
• Cycloid scales, head without scales.
• Snout blunt.
• Mouth broad, transverse.
• Upper lip entire and not continuous with lower
  lip, lower lip most indistinct.
• Single pair of short rostral barbells
• Pharyngeal teeth in three rows
• Origin of dorsal fin nearer to end of snout

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1. Habitat

• Hatchlings of mrigal normally remain in the
  surface or sub-surface waters
• fry and fingerling tend to move to deeper water.
• Adults are bottom dwellers.
• It is an illiophage in its feeding habit and
  stenophagous detritus and decayed vegetation
  form its principal food components, while
  phytoplankton and zooplankton comprise the rest.

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Biology

• Mrigal is eurythermal, appearing to tolerate a
  minimum temperature of 14 ºc.
• In culture, the species normally attains 600-700
  g in the first year, depending on stocking
  density and management practices.
• Among the three indian major carps, mrigal
  normally grows more slowly than catla and rohu.
• The rearing period is usually confined to a
  maximum of two years, as growth rate reduces
  thereafter.
• Mrigal is reported to survive as long as 12 years
  in natural waters.
• Maturity is attained in two years in captivity.
• As mrigal needs a fluviatile environment for
  breeding it does not breed in ponds.
• Mrigal is a highly fecund fish.
• Fecundity increases with age, and normally ranges
  from 100 000-150 000 eggs/kg.
• Back side is gray colored.

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Type aquaculture system required.

• Preparation of ponds
• The ponds weed and predator-free and generating
  adequate natural food for the survival
  and growth of fishes.
• Control of aquatic weeds, removal of undesirable
  flora and fauna and improvement of soil and
  water.
• Weeds have to be removed from the ponds first,
  after which the tank is fertilized with both
  organic and inorganic fertilizers
• The pH of pond water should be 7.5 8.00.
• The lime increases pH and also helps in
  eradicating fish parasites.
• The organic fertilizer in the form of raw
  cow dung is added in the tank .
• This is followed by the application of inorganic
  fertilizers like super phosphate.

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•   Nursery ponds 
• Constructed to rear carp fry or larvae.
• A normal sized nursery pond measures 5 x 10
  m, with a depth of 0.5 m.
• Before filling up water the pond should
  be cleaned thoroughly to get rid of predators and
  parasites that may be destructive the larvae.
• About 1,500 to 3,000 fries can be stocked in the
  nursery pond
• Fed with milk, wheat flour or boiled egg yolk by
  spreading it on the water surface. 
• This feed can be supplemented with rice bran,
  bread crumbs or fish meal, which can be
  given twice a day, in the morning and in the
  afternoon.
•              

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• Rearing ponds
• Adult carps are cultured until they
  reach marketable size, are needed, which have
  dimensions of 15 x 50 m and depth of 1.5 to 2
  m.  
• Rearing ponds should also be thoroughly cleaned
  before filling them with water.
• This is done by exposing the bottom and letting
  it dry thoroughly.
• Next step involves application of fertilizers,
  which encourages growth of aquatic plants, moss
  and algae, which are important natural food and
  also lead to growth of micro fauna.
• Manure in the form of chicken dropping is the
  most commonly used being cheaper and more readily
  available in large quantities. 
• When carp fry reaches the length of about 5 to 7
  cm, they are transferred from the nursery pond to
  the rearing pond and allowed to grow to adult
  stage.

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Special Environmental Demands

• Freshwater brackish
• Benthopelagic
• Potamodromous
• Mrigal is eurythermal , appearing to tolerate a
  minimum temperature of 14 ºc.
• Mrigal usually breeds at 24-31 ºc.
• Pre-stocking nursery pond preparation includes
  control over predatory and weed fish, and
  insects.
• Adults inhabit fast flowing streams and rivers.
• Mrigal needs a fluviatile environment for
  breeding it does not breed in ponds.
• A very active fish that thrives in ponds but
  spawns in swift rivers.
• Tolerate for high levels of salinity.
• Spawning occurs in marginal areas of the water
  body with a depth of 50-100 cm over a sand or
  clay substrate.
• Fingerlings are in great demand for stocking
  ponds between July and November.

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Market and Trade

• Mrigal is consumed in the local market.
• Being the least preferred among the three indian
  major carps, mrigal fetches comparatively low
  market prices, usually fetching 10-20 percent
  less than rohu or catla.
• The prices obtained for these species always
  higher than those for common carp and chinese
  carps.

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Status and trends

• Several factors have enhanced the status of the
  farming of the Indian major carps
• Improvements in induced breeding and seed
  production, which have removed the reliance on
  the capture of natural riverine seed.
• Improved grow-out technology.
• Improvements in feeding and health management.
• The inter-generic hybridization of mrigal, rohu,
  catla, grass carp and common carp has been
  attempted, the hybrids did not show any genetic
  advantage over the parent stocks
• Problems The adoption of intensive farming
  practices, unregulated use of inputs and lack of
  scientific know-how among the farmers has led to
  increased disease incidence

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Polyculture of mrigal

• Factors affecting species selection and stocking
  rates
• Water temperature.
• Market value of fish.
• Pond fertilization practices.
• Habitats of fish.
• Feeding habits of fish.
• Potential of uncontrolled spawning in grow-out
  ponds.

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• The compatibility of mrigal in polyculture
  systems with regard to habitat preference and
  feeding habits is good.
• The tendency of farmers to increase income per
  unit area has led to an excessive use of
  fertilizers, proteinaceous feeds and chemicals
  that may have detrimental effects on the
  environment.
• Being a bottom dweller, the harvesting of this
  species is a perpetual problem, especially in
  undrainable ponds.
• pond management becomes more difficult when
  stocking fish species having specialized feeding
  habits in the same pond.
• Polyculture is an effective way to maximize
  benefit from available natural food in a pond.

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• Culture of mrigal in polyculture systems is
  confined to earthen ponds and normal management
  practice includes predatory and weed fish control
  with chemicals or plant derivatives.
• Stocking of fingerlings at a combined density of
  4 000-10 000 fingerlings/ha.
• During which mrigal grows to about 600-700 g.
• Production is normally 3-5 tons/ha/yr, with
  mrigal contributing about 20-25 percent.

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Advantages in polyculture mrigal

• Efficiency utilize natural foods .
• Maximize production per unit area of pond
  surface.
• Improve pond condition.
• Easy to handle with minimum technical know how.
• Low capital and maintenance.

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Cirrhinus cirrhosus as a food source
Fresh
Preserved

1. Dried
2. Salted
3. Fermented
4. Fish sauce

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References

• FAO Fisheries amp Aquaculture - Cultured
  Aquatic Species Information Programme - Cirrhinus
  mrigala (Hamilton, 1822)
• www.google.com (images)

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Members of group 04