Effect of Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch) larvae age at the time of stocking on rearingperformance during fingerling production

摘要

Ompok bimaculatus (Siluridae), commonly known as Indian butter catfish, is a freshwater species in high demand because of its great flavor and competitive price (Talwar and Jhingran 1992). The fish is native to South-east Asia and covers a wide geographical distribution in India, including West Bengal, Bihar, and the north-eastern states (Banik et al. 2011). O. bimaculatus is a piscivorous and carnivorous fish that inhabits lakes, ponds, and rivers at elevations of 100-2500 m (Sridhar etal. 1998). Due to heavy exploitation, it remains a near threatened (NT) fish species (IUCN 2012). Rearing patterns vary from species to species. Stocking O. bimaculatus larvae in nursery tanks at a precise time may reduce the pressure of larval rearing in the hatchery phase. Information regarding the performance of catfish larvae during nursery rearing is scarce. Therefore, in this study, we explored the potential of rearing different age groups of O. bimaculatus larvae and evaluating growth performance during fingerling production in the hatchery phase.