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1. THEORETICAL BASES OF NATURAL SCIENCE
EDUCATION II
ONLINE ASSIGNMENT
TOPIC: PISCICULTURE
Submitted By: JAYALEKSHMI. V.G
Natural Science
` KUCTE Anchal

2. INTRODUCTION
Pisciculture is defined as the method for culture and rearing of fish and
shell fish. the word pisciculture is devide from the Latin word ‘piscics’ which
means “fish’. Pisciculture is now carried out in freshwater ponds. Paddy fileds,
lakes and even in artificial tanks and reservoirs. The species of fish which can be
kept successfully in captivity throught out their lives from egg to adult is
exceedingly limited in number. Pisciculture providing large scale employment
opportunities, improving rural economy and protein rich food .
India has a vast area of natural and artificial water bodies as paddy fields,
lakes, ponds river, swamps, irrigation channels and reservoirs. Most of these
holdings water throughout the year or for grater part of the year, are suitable for
fish culture. The advisory board of the Indian council of agriculture research
commenced sponsoring may culture schemes, for promoting fish culture methods.
Today in many states of India especially West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Orissa and
Kerala pisciculture is carried out on commercial scales.
PISCICULTURE
Pisciculture is a method for culture and rearing of fish and shell fish.
Consequently there are two main types of pisciculture to be distinguished:
1) The rearing in confinement of young fishes to an edible stage and
2) The stocking of natural waters with eggs from captured breeders.
Fish farming is the principal form of agriculture, while other methods may fall
under mariculture. Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or
enclosures usually for food. A facility that releases juvenile fish into the wild for
recreational fishing or to supplement a species natural members is generally
referred to as fish hatchery.

3. IMPORTANCE OF PISCICULTURE
The main importance in pisciculture are;
1. Pisciculture has a vital role in augmenting food production as the world
demand for fish products is increasing steadily .
2. It helps to utilize the vast areas like paddy fields can be used for culturing
of fishes.
3. Culture of selected varieties of fish will help in a good yield of commercial
forms.
4. Artificial feed enhances the growth ratio of fishes and therefore helps in
early harvest.
Pisiculture generate employment for many people especially in the rural areas of
developing countries
CHARACTERISTICS OF PISCICULTURE FARMS
Certain natural amenities are required in selecting a site for pisciculture. They are:
1. Water is an essential medium for the culture of fish,
2. The depth of the pond has an important bearing on the quality of water. In
shallow ponds, sunlight penetrates up bottom thus faciliting increased
productivity, hence depths greater than five meters are rare in fish ponds.
3. Temperature is another important physical factor of the water. As fishes are
cold blooded, their activity depends on the temperature of the environment.
All activities in fishes slow down with fall in temperature: so growth of the
fish thus depends much on the temperature.
4. The chemical conditions of water such as dissolved gases, PH, inorganic
compounds etc. are also very important in the productivity of a pond.

4. Alkaline or natural water is more productive than acid water. (PH between
6.5 to 9)
5. Plants are essential for a fish farm, but is necessary to check their growth
and speeding beyond a limit.
6. Care should be taken against carnivorous fishes and water beetles in fish
farms.
7. Water pollution should be controlled.
COMMON FISHES USED FOR CULTURE IN KERALA.
Kerala has a vast area of water bodies, as ponds, rivers, paddy fields etc.
Today in many parts of kerala fish culture is carried out in commercial scales. In
India first of all the fish culture was started in west Bengal. Techniques of fish
culture involves collection of fish eggs and hatching, nursing of juveniles,
maintenance of nurseries, manuring, feeding and harvesting.
The culturable fishes are mainly of three types.
1. Fresh water (Indigenous or native)
2. Saltwater fishes
3. Exotic fishes (imported from other countries)
The common fishes used for culture in Kerala are the following.
1. Carps (catla catla)
Catla is the largest Indian carp attaining a maximum length of about a meter. It
is one of the fast growing freshwater food fish of India. The body is broad and
stout with a broad snout. The head is large with very prominent lips. The colour of

5. the body is blackish gray on the outside and silvery on the sides. In recent years
catla catla species is crossed with other culture fishes to obtain hybrid forms. The
important hybrid form of catla catla are catla rohu, catla-calabasu, catla marigal
etc.
2. Etroplus suratensis
It is a popular and delicious table fish popularly called ‘peal spot’ and in
Malayalam as ‘karimeen’. Though the natural habitat is the brackish waters, they
enter rivers and canals adjoining backwaters. The colour is greenish or deep purple
with eight vertical bands across the body. Etroplus breds throughout the year with
two peak periods, one during December – February months and the another
duringvMay – June months.
3. Mugil cphalus (Gray mullet)
Mullet live in shallow water and move in shoals. Usually they are found over
sandy of muddy botton containing detritus. Mugil cephalus is the largest of gray
mullets and most widely distributed along coastal waters.
4. Tilapia mossambica
It is an exotic species introduced in Indian in 1952. It is found sufficient
numbers in all the backwaters, rivers and ponds of kerala. It grows to a maximum
length of 36 cms. It breeds through out the year.
Carp culture
Carp have proved to be best culturable fish in india having following qualities.

6. 1. Carps feed on zoo an phytoplanktons, decaying weeds, debris and other
aquatic plants.
2. Carps can survive under some whats higher temperatures and also in turbid
water,
3. Carps can tolerate oxygen variation in water.
4. Carps can be transparted from one place to other easily.
5. The flesh of carp is mostly palatable and much nutritive.
Carp is cultured in fresh water ponds. The pond is fertilized with cowdung and
malwa cake which will increase the plankton growth in the pond which in turn will
murish the fishes. Artificially feed is given.
Shrimp culture
The process of growth the baby shrimps up to a marketable size in an
enclosed water body can be termed as shrimp farming. In traditional system of
shrimp farming, the incoming tides are trapped along with the young ones of
shrimps, fishes and other organizations that co-exist in the environment into the
already existing impoundments adjacent to estuaries and backwaters.
The extensive system of shrimp farming is an improved method of
traditional farming, involving comtruction of new ponds ranging from 1 to 5 ha, in
size, selective stocking with fast growing prawn seeds at a comparatively lower
density ranging from few thousands to 100000 seeds per ha. Without much
supplementary feeding and the water quality is maintained through the natural fall
and rise of tides.

7. The best species for culture in India are the tiger prawn, white prawn, flower
prawnand banana prawn.
Shell fish culture
Among the shell fish for food , mussels are the most important. The
mussels are gregarious sessile bivalve molusks. The green mussel and brown
mussel are two specious used in India for culture mussels are cultivated by
collecting the young mussels called the “sees mussels” or mussel spat”. The seeds
is collected mussel beds in coastal water where they are present in abundance
during spawning seasons.
In modern age, keeping ornamental fishes in the aquarium has become a
status symbol for many people. There are fresh water ornamental fishs and marine
ornamental fishes. The common freshwater ornamental fishes are gold fish, angel
fish, black molly, guppy, sword tail, dwarf gorami, giant goueami etc. some
common marine aquarium fishes are butterfly fish, sea horse, catfish, b lue damsel
fish etc.

8. CONCLUSION
The culturing and rearing of fish and shell fish is known as pisciculture. Indian
has a vast area of natural and artificial water bodies as paddy fields, lakes, ponds,
rivers, swamps, irrigation channels and reservoirs. Fish faming involves raising
fish commercially in tanks or enclosers, usually for food. The most important fish
species used in fish farming are carp, salmon, tilapia and cat fish. There is an
increasing demand for fish and fish protein, which has resulted in widespread
overfishing in wild fisheries. Fish meal and fish oil are of greater economic
importance. So psiciculture has greater economic importance,
REFERENCE
1. Physiology and applied zoology – P.T Philip
2. Wikipedia