The prime requirement for producing quality fish seed in
the hatchery is the availability of good quality parental stock.
A good quality seed is one which will have-
1) Faster growth rate better feed efficiency
2) High disease resistance and 3) Better adaptability to wide fluctuations in environmental factors such as temp., dissolved oxygen and stress conditions. Multiple breeding of Major Carps In simple terms, utilizing the same brood repeatedly in the same year to get maximum number of progeny is known as multiple breeding.
Scientists have successfully induced the same fish
to breed four times in an year twice in pre monsoon months (March-May) at an interval of 40-45 days, and once in late monsoon months (August and September) in addition to monsoon months (June– July). Thus, a given brood fish can be bred four times twice during pre monsoon, once during monsoon and once during late monsoon.
This was achieved through careful pond
management, selection of brood stock and scientific feeding practices. Selection of brood stock for multiple spawning
Breeders that have bred atleast once during the
previous season are selected.
Such breeders are named as professional
breeders.
Age of fish should be in between 2 to 5 years as
overaged breeders do not respond well to inducing agents. They are stocked @ 10000kg/ha and fed @ 1-2% of the body weight.
25-30% water is replenished atleast once in a
month.
Handling of breeders should be such as to cause
least stress.
As soon as spawning is over, spent must be
removed from breeding pool and dipped in 5ppm KMNO4 Pre monsoon breeding The spawn yield is reported between 0.5 to 0.6 lakh spawn/kg body weight
The spent breeders are maintained for 40-45 days
and used again for induced spawning when the production was reported 1-1.5 lakh spawn/kg body weight Monsoon spawning After a lapse of 40-45 days of second spawning, a third crop can be obtained in June July.
This is natural spawning and the production was
1.5-2 lakh spawn/kg body weight Late monsoon spawning In a stress free environment and following precautionary measures the yield of spawn is 0.4-0.5 /kg body weight
It has been observed that percentage of
rematuration of individual for 2nd, 3rd and 4th breeding was 100%, 79-100% and 11-30% respectively in catla. Care of larvae in multiple breeding Proper feeding after yolk sac absorption
Intermittent sprinkling of prophylactics
Yield of spawn per kg body weight is increased 3-4
fold than in single breeding and cost of seed production is also reduced. Cryopreservation Gametes of improved stock are cryopreserved and utilized for quality seed production as well as upgrading the brood stock of carps.
Cryopreservation of fish spermatozoa and embryos can
have a profound effect on aquaculture by allowing the maintenance of a large gene pool for genetic manipulations and increasing the fish production by timely supply of quality fish seed, decreasing the aquaculture cost by reducing the facilities needed and long period of storage of gametes without change of native character. Its the most useful method to attain long period storage without change of property is ultra freezing (cryopreservation).
Protocol for cryopreservation of Indian major
carp spermatozoa has been standardized at CIFA, Bhubaneswar. The general protocol of cryopreservation includes,
i) preparation of extender with an isotonic salt
solution,
ii) preparation of diluent, which is a combination of
an extender and cryoprotectant (Dimethyl Sulphoxide),
iii) equilibration for 30-45 minutes,
iv) ampouling of the diluted samples in visotubes or
French straws, v) freezing (-15ºC/min) in programmable cryofreezer or by manual means with liquid nitrogen,