Scientists at Kerala Fisheries University (KUFOS) have unveiled a technology for the captive breeding of the Indigo Barb (Pethia setnai), an exquisite ornamental fish native to western India. This rare species, distinguished by its olive-grey body adorned with two distinctive vertical bands, has been facing the threat of extinction due to rampant overfishing.
Once exclusively found in the freshwater streams of Goa and Karnataka, the Indigo Barb has become a highly sought-after commodity in the international ornamental fish market, with a value of approximately $3 per seedling. However, its population has dwindled due to unregulated aquarium trade and mounting pressures on its natural habitat from tourism, urbanization, and agricultural pollution, earning it a place on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of threatened species.
In a remarkable two-year research initiative, Kerala Fisheries University joined forces with the Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (CCARI) in Goa to develop artificial breeding technology for the Indigo Barb. Anvar Ali, an assistant professor in the Department of Fisheries Resources Management at KUFOS, led the project, with crucial support from CCARI, which provided 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 successful breeding of the Indigo Barb in captivity was achieved under various conditions, with and without hormone induction, both indoors and outdoors, 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 emphasized that the seed production practices devised by KUFOS will not only contribute to the conservation of this endangered species but also offer alternative livelihood opportunities to local communities in Goa and potentially other regions across the country.
This pioneering project received significant 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. In a symbolic gesture of progress, 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.
The successful captive breeding of the Indigo Barb marks a critical step forward in the conservation efforts for this endangered species and represents a shining example of collaborative research and innovation in the field of fisheries management.