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Study on Food, Feeding Habit and Breeding Biology of Commercially Important Cuchia Species (monopterus Cuchia)

Nilufa Begum
Senior Scientific Officer
Floodplain Sub-station, Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute, Santahar, Bogra

Md. Mehedi Hasan Pramanik
Scientific Officer
Floodplain Sub-station, Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute, Santahar, Bogra

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Maturity of cuchia in the pond with water hyacinth and PVC pipes was better (Avg. gonad wt.11.33gm) than the pond of submerged vegetation (Avg. gonad wt. 8.10 g), and cistern with mud, water hyacinth, PVC pipes gave better results (Avg. gonad wt7.73g) than the cistern with mud and water hyacinth (Avg. gonad wt 7.40g). The mean GSI of female was minimum (2.78) in the month of December and January and the mean GSI of female was maximum (5.00) in the spawning stage of maturation with one pick in April to June. The variation of mean GSI only occurred in mature fishes and the peak would be indicative of the peak period of spawning. After evaluation of ripe eggs, the gonad suddenly reduced in size. The percentage of GSI declined rapidly after spawning to minimum indices during December and January. The maximum fecundity was observed from a fish measuring 550 g weight and 74 cm in total length in the month of April to June compare to other months and ova present maximum 5.50/g body weight and the minimum from a fish 280 g weight and 58 cm in total length and ova 4.25/g body weight.

Keywords: Feeding habit, Breeding biology, Cuchia

Location: Santahar, Bogra

Start Date: July 2011

End Date: June 2014

Program Area: Animal Health and Management

Commodity: Aquatic animal

Objectives:

1. To study the life cycle and all biological aspect especially food and feeding behaviour, fecundity, fertilization & hatching rate of Cuchia (Monopterus cuchia);

2. To develop natural and artificial breeding technique of Cuchia (Monopterus cuchia) ;

3. To comparative growth studies of native eel and Chinese ell (M. albus) under quarantine condition; to develop aquaculture technology of Cuchia.

Methodology:

As M. cuchia is a mud eel, the pond bottom was furnished with 3-4 inch layer of mud. Live M. cuchia was collected from the wild sources of various locations and stocked in the ponds of Floodplain Sub-station. In all the ponds, water depth was maintained up to 1 m and fertilized with cow dung at the rate of 750 kg/ha/15 days interval. The ponds were stocked with stocking densities 10/m3. Water hyacinth and PVC pipes were set in one pond and another with submerged vegetation. Two cisterns were stocked with cuchia; one cistern was provided with mud and water hyacinth and another with mud, water hyacinth and PVC pipes as shelter because this fish needs shelters for their proper growth. They were supplied with live and dead small fishes as feed at the 5% of estimated body weight. Food habit and feeding behavior of M. cuchia were studied keeping them in cisterns and 116×45×45 cm³ size aquariums for direct eye observations. They fed on different types of feed such as live and dead small fishes, small prawns, earthworms, snails etc. at the rate of 6-4% body weight. Some fishes were sacrificed for microscopic observation of their gut content to find out the food habit. A total of about 20 fresh fish ova were taken randomly from the anterior, middle and posterior regions of each ovary and preserved to a vial that is filled with Bouin’s fixative and which was used for the study of maturation stages of ova.

Source of Information: Annual Research Program 2012-13, BFRI, Mymensingh

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1. Government

Budget: Seven lakh Fifty thousand

Total Budget (Tk.) : Seven lakh Fifty thousand

Achievement/Findings:

Gene pool of M. cuchia was conserved through culture of this species and domestication of cuchia could be achieved. Mass production of M. cuchia will be helpful to earn foreign exchange.

Knowledge Management: Report/Proceedings