Jibachha’s Textbook of

Fundamentals of Aquaculture and

Fisheries

(CTEVT SEE, Class XI & Diploma Level New Syllabus 2021)

Dr. Jibachha Sah

B.V.Sc. & A.H., M.V.Sc. (T.U.)
Laboratory Training, NDDB, Gujarat, India
Master in Homeopathy Medicine (One year online)

Dr. Prabhakar Kumar Shah

B.V.Sc. & A.H. (P.U.), M.V.Sc. (Medicine, AFU)
Master in Homeopathy Medicine (One year online)
Director

Dr. Jyoti Kumari Sah

B.V.Sc. & A.H. (T.U.), M.Sc. (Scholar)
Master in Homeopathy Medicine (One year online)
Consultant Veterinary Physician

Jibachha’s Veterinary Hospital (P) Ltd.

Sanepa-2, Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur

Jibachha Veterinary Hospital Research & Training Center (P.) Ltd.

Bharatpur-4, Narayangarh, Chitwan
E-mail: vhrtc@yahoo.com, Tel: +977-56-493726

Jibachha Publishing
(Veterinary Publisher and Distributors)
Bharatpur-4, Narayangarh, Chitwan, Nepal
E-mail: jibachhashah@gmail.com, Tel: +977-56-493726

Jibachha’s Textbook of Fundamentals of Aquaculture and Fisheries – A

 Jibachha’s Textbook of
Fundamentals of Aquaculture and
Fisheries

Edited by: Dr. Jibachha Sah, Dr. Prabhakar Kumar Shah and Dr. Jyoti Kumari Sah

Copyright @ 10 October, 2023, Jibachha Publishing.

All right reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, store in

retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of
the publisher.

Published by Jibachha’s Publishing

Bharatpur-4, Lankupul, Narayangarh, Chitwan, Nepal.
E-mail: jibachhashah@gmail.com

ISBN: 978-9937-727-06-8

Price: Rs. 1150/-

Design & Setting:

NIK the designer, Narayangarh, Chitwan, Nepal, 9845053391

Copyright
Jibachha’s Textbook of Fundamentals of Aquaculture and Fisheries – B material
 ABBREVIATION

BGD – Bacterial gill disease

BKD – Bacterial kidney disease
BOD – Biochemical oxygen demand
DO – Dissolved oxygen
EUS – Epizootic ulcerative syndrome
GBD – Gas-Bubble Disease
hCG – Human chorionic gonadotropin
ICH – Ichthyophthiriasis
IRD – Integrated rural development
IPN – Infectious pancreatic necrosis
LODOS – Low Dissolved Oxygen Syndrome
NTU – Nephelometric Turbidity Units
PFC – Paddy cum Fish Culture
RBCs – Red blood cells
SVC – Spring Viremia of Carp
VHS – Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia
WBCs – White blood cells
n

Jibachha’s Textbook of Fundamentals of Aquaculture and Fisheries – C

 PREFACE

“Jibachha’s Textbook of Fundamentals of Aquaculture and

Fisheries” is edited by Dr. Jibachha Sah (M.V.Sc.), Dr. Prabhakar Kumar Shah
(M.V.Sc. Vet. Med.) and Dr. Jyoti Kumari Sah (B.V.Sc. & A.H.), M.Sc. Scholar
with sales of their previous 40 books.
This book is designed for SEE, Grade XI, and diploma level CTEVT
students of veterinary science. The content of this book is based on the CTEVT
syllabus on Aquaculture and Fisheries. The first section includes all the theory
topics: Pond, cage, and pond fish culture; water quality and pond management;
fishing gear and fishing methods; common fish diseases and parasites.
The second part of this book is based on practical sessions, which
include identifying external and internal body parts of fish; collecting and
identifying fishes of Nepal; Identification and cultivation of exotic and
indigenous fish species; Take a water sample. Collect and identify plankton
while measuring water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity.
In the series of our 40 books on the veterinary clinical field, this
book is purely a syllabus-based book that is written with authentic textbooks
and references. This book is designed especially for the veterinary students of
technical education in an easy, concise, understandable manner and with a quick
reference. During the time of preparation, past examination papers were highly
considered, which will enable us to achieve excellent scores in the examination.
The authors’ extensive experience in publishing veterinary books for
students and coordinating animal health was heavily weighted in the preparation
of this course book; a serious student will thus find the book user-friendly and
easy to read and understand. We strongly believe that “Jibachha’s Textbook
of Fundamentals of Aquaculture and Fisheries” adequately meets the needs of
veterinary students and teachers.

Dr. Prabhakar Kumar Shah

B.V.Sc. & A.H. (P.U.), M.V.Sc. (Medicine, AFU)
Dr. Jibachha Sah
B.V.Sc. & A.H., M.V.Sc. (T.U.)
Dr. Jyoti Kumari Sah
B.V.Sc. & A.H. (T.U.), M.Sc. (Scholar)

Jibachha’s Textbook of Fundamentals of Aquaculture and Fisheries – D

 CONTENTS

Abbreviation
Preface

S. N. Contents Page
Unit-1 Introduction to Fisheries 1
1.1 Definition of fish, fisheries and aquaculture 1
1.2 Scope and importance of aquaculture in Nepal 3
1.2.1 Scopes of Aquaculture 3
1.2.2 Importance of aquaculture 3
1.2.3 Economic importance of aquaculture 3
1.3 Requirements for starting a fish farm 4
1.4 General fish characteristics 4
1.5 General morphology of fish: external features, scale and fin of
fishes 5
1.6 Taxonomy of the fishes of Nepal 6
1.7 Desirable characters and biology of fish for culture. Overview of
entrepreneur and entrepreneurship 8
1.7.1 Desirable characteristics of fish for culture 8
1.7.2 Biological characteristics of fish for culture 9
1.8 Biology of Cultivated Indigenous and Exotic Fish Species 9
1.8.1 Important indigenous cultured fishes of Nepal 9
1.8.2 Important exotic cultured fishes of Nepal 9
1.8.2 Important exotic cultured fishes of Nepal 9
1.8.3 Rohu (Labeo rohita) 9
1.8.4 Mrigal/Naini (Cirrhinus mrigala) 10
1.8.5 Catla/Bhakur (Catla catla) 11
1.8.6 Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) 11
1.8.7 Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) 12

Jibachha’s Textbook of Fundamentals of Aquaculture and Fisheries – E

 1.8.8 Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) 12
1.8.9 Bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) 13
1.8.10 Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) 13
1.8.11 Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) 14

Unit-2 Pond, cage and pond fish culture 24

2.1 Pond fish culture 24
2.1.1 Concrete as a material for fish pond 24
2.1.2 Features of a fish pond 25
2.1.3 Types of ponds for fish farming 25
2.2 Pond dyke 33
2.2.1 Characteristics of pond dikes 34
2.2.2 Importance of dyke in the fish pond 34
2.3 Cage fish farming 34
2.4 Fish farming system, extensive, semi-intensive, intensive and
Super Intensive 35
2.5 Cage and pen fish culture in Nepal 39
2.5.1 Cage fish culture 39
2.5.2 Pen culture 40
2.5.3 Monoculture 41
2.5.4 Polyculture 43
2.5.5 Difference between monoculture and polyculture 45
2.5.6 Difference between aquaculture and cage culture 45
2.5.7 Difference between cage system and pen culture 45
2.5.8 Difference between trench refuse and pond refuse 45
2.5.9 Difference between earthen pond and cemented pond 46
2.5.10 Difference between Hypophysation and spawning 46
2.5.11 Difference between Male brood fish and female brood
fish 46
2.6 Integrated fish culture 46
2.7 Raceway culture 48
2.8 Integrated fish culture system and paddy cum fish culture in
Nepal 49

Unit-3 Water quality and pond management 59

3.1 Physical factor 59

Jibachha’s Textbook of Fundamentals of Aquaculture and Fisheries – F

 3.1.1 Temperature 59
3.1.2 Water Depth 60
3.1.3 Planktons 60
3.1.4 Turbidity 60
3.1.5 Light 61
3.1.6 Water Colour 61
3.2 Biological characteristics 61
3.3 Chemical factors 62
3.3.1 Dissolved oxygen- sources of Oxygen (O2) 62
3.3.2 pH 63
3.4 Pond management 65
3.4.1 Pond liming 65
3.4.2 Pond fertilization 66
3.4.3 Food and feeding 68
3.4.4 Aquatic weeds and their control 69
3.4.4.1 Removal of predatory and weed fishes 69
3.4.5 Commonly used piscicides 70
3.4.6 Materials used as supplementary feeds for fish 72
3.4.7 Difference between natural feed and supplemented feed 73

Unit-4 Fish breeding 81

4.1 Role of fish seed in fish culture 81
4.2 Identification of brood fish and their management 82
4.2.1 Brood fish 82
4.2.2 Brood fish management 83
4.2.3 Importance of brood stock management 83
4.2.4 Characters of brood fish 83
4.2.5 Brood fish feeding management 84
4.2.6 Selection of brood fish 84
4.2.7 Measures to avoid Inbreeding and genetic drift in the
hatchery 85
4.2.8 Brood fish transportation 85
4.3 Types of fish breeding 86
4.4 Natural, semi-artificial and artificial breeding 87
4.5 Induced breeding 88
4.6 Spawning of fish 90

Jibachha’s Textbook of Fundamentals of Aquaculture and Fisheries – G

 4.7 Incubating and hatching 92
4.8 Hatchling and rearing 92
4.9 Transfer to nursery pond 93
4.10 Fish transportation 93
4.10.1 Considerations of fish transport 93
4.10.2 Method for packaging and transportation of live fish 94
4.11 Marketing channel used in fish marketing in Nepal. 97
4.11.1 Fish marketing problem in Nepal 97
Unit-5 Fishing gears and fishing method 105
Unit-6 Common fish diseases and parasites 115
6.1 Common fish parasites and diseases in Nepal 115
6.1.1 Causes and etiology 116
6.1.2 Symptoms and species affected 116
6.1.3 Types of fish disease, infectious and non-infectious 117
6.1.3.1 Infectious diseases of fish 117
6.1.3.2 Non-Infectious diseases of fish 118
6.2 Protozoan fish disease, causal organism, symptom and
control measures 119
6.2.1 Costiasis 119
6.2.2 Whirling Disease 120
6.2.3 Ichthyophthiriasis (White spot disease) 121
6.2.4 Hexamitiosis 122
6.2.5 Proliferative Gill (Hamburger Gill) 123
6.3 Fungal fish disease, causal organism, symptom and control
measures 124
6.3.1 Saprolegniasis 124
6.3.2 Branchiomycosis (Gill rot) 125
6.3.3 Dermatomycosis 126
6.4 Bacterial fish disease, causal organism, symptom and control
measures 126
6.4.1 Furunculosis 126
6.4. 2 Columnaris (Cotton mouth) 128
6.4.3 Infectious Dropsy 129
6.4.4 Vibriosis 130
6.4.5 Fish Tuberculosis 131
6.4.6 Bacterial gill disease 132

Jibachha’s Textbook of Fundamentals of Aquaculture and Fisheries – H

 6.4.7 Fin rot / tail rot 133
6.4.8 Bacterial Kidney Disease (BKD) 134
6.4.9 Cotton mouth disease 135
6.5 Viral diseases 136
6.5.1 Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis (IPN) 136
6.5.2 Viral haemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) 137
6.5.3 Spring Viremia of Carp (SVC) 138
6.6 Worm and crustacean fish disease, causal organism and
symptom and control measure 138
6.6.1 Dactylogyrosis (Gill fluke) 138
6.6.2 Lernaeosis 139
6.6.3 Difference between Dactylogyrus and Gyrodactylus 141
6.7 Non-infectious disease caused by water quality, nutritional and
control measures 141
6.7.1 Gas Bubble Disease 141
6.7.2 Ammonia poisoning (New tank syndrome) 142
6.7.3 Nitrite Poisoning (Brown Blood Disease) 142
6.7.4 Temperature stress 144
6.7. 5 Acidic pH (Low pH) 145
6.7.6 Alkaline pH (High pH) 146
6.8 Disease caused by water quality 147
6.8.1 Environmental hypoxia 147
6.9 Nutritional Diseases 149
6.9.1 Protein deficiency 149
6.9.2 Lipids deficiency 149
6.9.3 Vitamins deficiency 149
6.9.4 Difference between dissolved oxygen and Gas
bubble disease 151
6.10 Miscellaneous diseases 151
6.10.1 Epizootic ulcerative Syndrome (Red-spot Disease) 151

Practical Fundamentals of Aquaculture and Fisheries

Unit 1. Identify external and internal body parts of fish 161

Unit 2. Collect and identify fishes of Nepal of least 4 orders 165
Unit 3. Identify cultivated exotic and indigenous fish species 167

Jibachha’s Textbook of Fundamentals of Aquaculture and Fisheries – I

Unit 4. Collect water sample 169
Unit 5. Record water temperature and pH 172
Unit 6. Record dissolved oxygen and turbidity 182
Unit 7. Collect and identify planktons 185
Unit 8. Fertilize/manure fish pond 187
Unit 9. Identify aquatic weeds and predatory fish 189
Unit 10. Formulate fish ration 193
Unit 11. Identify brood fish and breeding equipment 197
Unit 12. Extract the pituitary gland of fish 199
Unit 13. Collect/identify/control common parasites of fish 203
Viva practical exam question answer 206
Objective Question – Answer 229
ALPHABETICAL INDEX 286
References 290
n

Jibachha’s Textbook of Fundamentals of Aquaculture and Fisheries – J