Finfish Breeding and Hatchery Management

Unit 1 - Fish seed resources and natural breeding of finfishes

1.2. Marine fish seed resources

This seed resource comprises of brackishwater and marine fish species. India is bestowed with several species of finfish along its 8100 km coastline.

The most important fish seed resources are

Milkfish: It is distributed in the Indo-Pacific region. Milkfish is found along both the coasts of India. Primarily milk fish is marine species but it ascends to freshwater zones of river.

Grey-mullets: They are distributed both on the West and East coast of India. They are more commoly found in the estuarine regions.

Seabass: It occurs in the tropical and sub-tropical areas of Asia in coastal waters, estuaries and lagoons, including freshwater.

Pearlspot: Three species of pearlspot inhabit brackishwater and mouths of rivers in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala ands Karnataka.

Sillaginids: They are found in the Indo-Pacific region. In India, they occur in shallow, sandy bottoms of shores and bays and also in estuaries.

Polynemids: They are distributed in the Indo-Pacific region. They occur along both the coasts of India. They primarily inhabit shallow muddy and sandy bottoms of the continental shelf, occasionally entering rivers.