Captive Spawning of the Striped Murrel, Channa striatus (Bloch) Using sGnRH, in Gangetic Plains of India

Abstract

Captive breeding of striped murrel, Channa striatus was carried out by synthetic salmon gonadotropin releasing hormone (sGnRH), ovaprim in three sets of experiments to observe its breeding performance. In the first experiment (A), the fish was induced with ovaprim and kept in FRP tanks in the indoor conditions. In the second experiment, equal number of fishes after ovaprim injection were released in a pond (B-1) as well as kept in a hapa installed (B-2) in the same pond. In third system (C), the fishes, after injecting ovaprim, were released in the pond for mass production of seed. The fishes kept in the FRP tank (A) and hapa (B-2) did not breed even after 15 days, whereas, 50 and 62.5 % of the fishes released in the pond in B-1 and C experiments spawned naturally. The fertilization percentage in B-1 and C ranged between 76–81 % and 85–91 % whereas, hatching was recorded between 82–90 % and 88–92 % respectively. The larvae were reared both on live feed and artificial diets for 30 days and showed a survival of 48–56 % and 52–60 % respectively in case of B-1 and C experiments. The present mode of breeding this species in pond conditions and collection of eggs and rearing in indoor condition could provide a suitable platform for raising the seeds of this valuable prioritized fish for aquaculture and for conservation.