VPP 322: Aquatic Animal Diseases, Health Care and Management (1+1)

BREEDING OF ORNAMENTAL FISHES

• Breeding and production technologies of ornamental fishes differ from species according to the nature of their reproduction, reproductive habitat and other physiological conditions. The common types of reproductive behaviour found in fishes are
  • Oviparity:  The process of producing young ones from eggs that are released from the body.
  • Ovo-viviparity: The process of producing young ones by eggs which hatch within the body of the mother itself, but not nourished by it.
  • Viviparity: The process of the mother giving birth to live young ones which are nourished by the father.

Oviparous fishes

• The oviparous ornamental fish species are further subdivided into five major categories. They are:
  • Fish which scatter non-adhesive eggs (Eg. Tetras).
  • Fishes which drop or attach adhesive eggs (Eg. Gold fish, Koi carp).
  • Bubble nest builders - fishes which pick up the laid eggs and keep them inside their bubble cavity. These eggs hatch out after a few hours or days of incubation and free themselves (Eg. Siamese fighter fish).
  • Fishes which deposit and take care of their eggs (Eg. Angel, Oscar).
  • Mouth brooders- Fishes that care for their offsprings by holding them in the mouth for extended periods of time. Eg. Arowana.

Siamese fighter fish - Female scattering the eggs
with bubble nest on the top