Advances in Carp Breeding

 The prime requirement for producing quality fish seed in

the hatchery is the availability of good quality parental
stock.

 A good quality seed is one which will have-

1) Faster growth rate better feed efficiency

2) High disease resistance and
3) Better adaptability to wide fluctuations in environmental
factors such as temp., dissolved oxygen and stress
conditions.
 Multiple breeding of Major Carps
 In simple terms, utilizing the same brood repeatedly
in the same year to get maximum number of
progeny is known as multiple breeding.

 Scientists have successfully induced the same fish

to breed four times in an year twice in pre monsoon
months (March-May) at an interval of 40-45 days,
and once in late monsoon months (August and
September) in addition to monsoon months (June–
July).
 Thus, a given brood fish can be bred four times
twice during pre monsoon, once during monsoon
and once during late monsoon.

 This was achieved through careful pond

management, selection of brood stock and
scientific feeding practices.
Selection of brood stock for multiple spawning

 Breeders that have bred atleast once during the

previous season are selected.

 Such breeders are named as professional

breeders.

 Age of fish should be in between 2 to 5 years as

overaged breeders do not respond well to
inducing agents.
 They are stocked @ 10000kg/ha and fed @ 1-2%
of the body weight.

 25-30% water is replenished atleast once in a

month.

 Handling of breeders should be such as to cause

least stress.

 As soon as spawning is over, spent must be

removed from breeding pool and dipped in 5ppm
KMNO4
Pre monsoon breeding
 The spawn yield is reported between 0.5 to 0.6
lakh spawn/kg body weight

 The spent breeders are maintained for 40-45 days

and used again for induced spawning when the
production was reported 1-1.5 lakh spawn/kg
body weight
Monsoon spawning
 After a lapse of 40-45 days of second spawning, a
third crop can be obtained in June July.

 This is natural spawning and the production was

1.5-2 lakh spawn/kg body weight
Late monsoon spawning
 In a stress free environment and following
precautionary measures the yield of spawn
is 0.4-0.5 /kg body weight

 It has been observed that percentage of

rematuration of individual for 2nd, 3rd and 4th
breeding was 100%, 79-100% and 11-30%
respectively in catla.
Care of larvae in multiple breeding
 Proper feeding after yolk sac absorption

 Intermittent sprinkling of prophylactics

 Yield of spawn per kg body weight is increased 3-4

fold than in single breeding and cost of seed
production is also reduced.
 Cryopreservation
 Gametes of improved stock are cryopreserved
and utilized for quality seed production as well as
upgrading the brood stock of carps.

 Cryopreservation of fish spermatozoa and embryos can

have a profound effect on aquaculture by allowing the
maintenance of a large gene pool for genetic
manipulations and increasing the fish production by timely
supply of quality fish seed, decreasing the aquaculture
cost by reducing the facilities needed and long period of
storage of gametes without change of native character.
 Its the most useful method to attain long period
storage without change of property is ultra freezing
(cryopreservation).

 Protocol for cryopreservation of Indian major

carp spermatozoa has been standardized at CIFA,
Bhubaneswar.
  The general protocol of cryopreservation
includes,

i) preparation of extender with an isotonic salt

solution,

ii) preparation of diluent, which is a combination of

an extender and cryoprotectant (Dimethyl
Sulphoxide),

iii) equilibration for 30-45 minutes,

iv) ampouling of the diluted samples in visotubes or

French straws,
v) freezing (-15ºC/min) in programmable
cryofreezer or by manual means with liquid
nitrogen,

vi) storing of samples in cryocans containing

liquid nitrogen, and

vii) Collection of carp milt for cryopreservation