KOCHI: Scientists at the Kerala Fisheries University (KUFOS) have successfully developed technology for the captive breeding of the Indigo Barb (Pethia setnai), an exquisite ornamental fish native to western India, currently facing the threat of extinction due to rampant overfishing. Distinguished by its olive-grey body adorned with two distinctive vertical bands, this rare species was once exclusively found in the freshwater streams of Goa and Karnataka.
The international ornamental fish market values these unique fish at approximately $3 per seedling. However, due to high demand, the Indigo Barb has fallen prey to an unregulated aquarium trade, while its natural habitat has come under mounting pressure from tourism, urbanization, and agricultural pollution. Consequently, it has earned a place on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of threatened species.
In a remarkable collaborative effort between KUFOS and the Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (CCARI) in Goa, a two-year research initiative was undertaken to develop artificial breeding technology for the Indigo Barb. Spearheaded by Anvar Ali, an assistant professor in the Department of Fisheries Resources Management at KUFOS, the project received invaluable support from CCARI, which contributed by supplying brood stock fishes (parent fishes) sourced from the freshwater streams in the backwaters of Goa. The research team painstakingly developed the technology through a series of experiments conducted at the KUFOS hatchery.
The Indigo Barb was bred in captivity under various conditions, both with and without hormone induction, within indoor and outdoor systems, while the larvae were cultivated in mixed zooplankton cultures. This user-friendly technology can now yield an impressive 75-100 fishlings from a single mother fish. Anvar Ali emphasised that the seed production practices devised by KUFOS will offer alternative livelihood opportunities to local communities in Goa and, eventually, in other regions across the country.
This pioneering project received support from the Kerala government, with funding allocated from its plan fund. The research team included junior research fellow Melbinlal, alongside CCARI scientists Sreekanth G B and Trivesh Mayekar. The seeds generated at the KUFOS hatchery were formally handed over to CCARI Director Parveen Kumar by KUFOS Director of Extension, Daisy C Kappan, during a special event held on the campus this Tuesday.
BREEDING MODEL
The Indigo Barb was bred in captivity under various conditions, both with and without hormone induction, within indoor and outdoor systems, while the larvae were cultivated in mixed zooplankton cultures.