Freshwater Fishes of Pakistan

Commercial fishes
 Introduction
• Commercial fishing is the activity of catching
fish and other seafood for commercial profit,
mostly from wild fisheries.
• It provides a large quantity of food to many
countries around the world, but those who
practice it as an industry must often pursue fish
far into the ocean under adverse conditions.
• Large-scale commercial fishing is also known as
industrial fishing.
Tenualosa ilisha (Palla/ River Shad)
• Anadromous fish
• Silvery white color of body with purple bands
on lateral sides
• Body laterally compressed
• Abdomen keeled & serrated
• Mouth terminal
• Gape of mouth small
• Teeth absent
Tenualosa ilisha (Palla/ River Shad)
• Gill rakers fine, long & enormous
• Large cycloid scales
• Planktonic feeders
• Length 0.3 to 0.5 m
 Notopterus chitala (Chital/ Gundun)
Featherback
• Body laterally compressed
• Dorsal side of body very convex
• Upper side of head deeply concave
• Small scales
• Anal fin long & confluent with caudal
• Abdomen serrated anterior to pelvic fin
• Gape wide
 Notopterus chitala (Chital/ Gundun)
Featherback
• Thin lips
• Silvery white color
• Greyish on the back
• Almost 15 copper colored small bands on the
back
• Predatory in habit
• Grows upto 1.2m length
Notopterus chitala (Chital/ Gundun)
Featherback
 Salmo trutta (Brown trout)

• Exotic fish
• Body is streamlined & laterally compressed
• Cycloid scales & small
• Teeth small & in many rows
• Adipose fin present
• Barbel absent
• Brown color with red spots on dorsal half of
the body
 Salmo trutta (Brown trout)

• Feed on insects, molluscs, small fish &

tadpoles
• Prefer cold & clear water
• Breeds during winter
• Maximum length 35cm & weight 500 gms
Salmo trutta (Brown trout)
 Gibleon catla (Catla catla)
Thaila/ thaili
• Short body with deep cospicuous head
• Large upturned mouth
• Non fringed lips
• Barbels absent
• Dorsal side is more convex than ventral
• Dorsal fin commences slightly than ventral
• Feeds on zooplankton using large gill rakers
• Surface feeder
 Gibleon catla (Catla catla)
Thaila/ thaili
• Color of body from dark green to black with
lighter sides
• Mature at the age of 2
• Maximum length 1.8m
• Weight 45kg
Gibleon catla (Catla catla)
Thaila/ thaili
 Labeo rhita (Rohu/ Dumbra)
• Tastiest in all carps
• Body moderately elongated
• Small pointed head
• Mouth terminal and semioval
• Lips thick & fringed
• One pair of short maxillary barbels
• Dorsal fin slightly concave
• Caudal deeply forked
 Labeo rhita (Rohu/ Dumbra)
• Color bluish black on the back reddish tinge
along the sides & silvery beneath
• Feeds on phytoplankton & Soft weeds
• Breeds during summer
• Maximum length 1.2m
Labeo rhita (Rohu/ Dumbra)
 Labeo calbasu ( Black Rohu)
Kalbance/ Dohee
• Body oblong but somewhat deep
• Snout obtuse
• Mouth narrow & slightly sub terminal
• Lower lip distinctly fringed
• Two pairs of barbels
• Omnivorous bottom feeder on detritus &
animals
 Labeo calbasu ( Black Rohu)
Kalbance/ Dohee
• Color blackish to dark grey
• Fins black in color
• Tip of upper lobe of caudal white
• Length maximum 1m
 Labeo gonius (Cireah/ Cirreoh)
• Body oblong, dorsal side more convex
• Head region slightly concave
• Mouth narrow, inferior & transverse
• Lip thick & fringed
• 2 pairs of minute barbels, one rostral & one
maxillary
• Numerous pores on snout
• Color greenish black on dorsal side
 Labeo gonius (Cireah/ Cirreoh)
• Rest of the body silvery
• Maximum length 1.5m
Cirrihinus mrigala (Morakhi /Mirgai /Mori/
Naraini )
• Body elongated with abdomen
• Small head with blunt snout
• Mouth subterminal with non fringed thin lips
• One pair of small rostral barbel
• Bright silvery body with golden or coppery
tinge
• Feeds on decaying organic & vegetable debris
Cirrihinus mrigala (Morakhi /Mirgai /Mori/
Naraini )
• Feed on zooplankton
• Maximum size 0-9 m
 Tor pituitora (Mahasheer)
• Good sport fish
• Body elongated & stout
• Head is broadly pointed
• Length of head greater than depth the body
• Male has enlarged lips with 2 pairs of barbels
• Scales large
• Fin ray of dorsal fin strong & osseous
• Color on dorsal side reddish sap green
 Tor pituitora (Mahasheer)
• Become yellowish white on the sides and
abdomen
• Feeds on filamentous algae, insect larvae &
soft macrophytes
• Maximum length 1.8m
 Cyprinus carpio (Scale carp/ mirror carp)

• Exotic species introduced in Thailand

• Scale carp have small scales
• Mirror carps with large, shiny & scattered
scales
• Locally called gulfam
• Body deep & moderately compressed laterally
• Head short and depressed
• Mouth protactile with smooth lips
 Cyprinus carpio (Scale carp/ mirror carp)

• Maxillary barbel longer tan rostral ones

• Log dorsal fin
• Last fin ray ossified and serrated
• Greyish green in color
• Feeds on larvae of insects, molluscs, worms
and shoots of submerged weeds
• Maximum length 75cm
• Maximum weight 6.0kg
Cyprinus carpio (Scale carp/ mirror carp)
Ctenopharyngodon idella (Chinese grass
carp)
 Ctenopharyngodon idella (Chinese grass
carp)
• Exotic specie introduced from China
• Herbivorous feeding habit
• Body elongated with round snout
• Head broad & depressed
• Scales large with greenish tinge
• Mouth transverse with slightly longer upper jaw
• Body color dark grey above & silvery white on
belly
 Ctenopharyngodon idella (Chinese grass
carp)
• Also feed on fish fry
• Maximum size 1.3
• Maximum weight 30kg
 Hypothalmicthys molitrix (Silver carp)
• Upturned mouth
• Laterally compressed body & silvery scales
• Feeds on phytoplankton
• Body long & robust
• Abdomen keeled from throat to vent
• Lower jaw slightly protruding & with a
tubercle
 Hypothalmicthys molitrix (Silver carp)
• Upper jaw slightly notched
• High growth rate
• Maximum weight 1.5 kg
• Maximum length is 60 cm
 Aorichthys aor (Singharee/
Chanja/Seenghara)
• Body elongated and compressed
• Abdomen rounded
• Head large & slightly depressed
• Mouth transverse, wide & subterminal
• Upper jaw longer
• Upper surface of head rugose with
tuberculated ridges
• Villiform teeth on lower jaws
 Aorichthys aor (Singharee/
Chanja/Seenghara)
• 4 pairs of barbels
• Dorsal fin with strong serrated spine
• Adipose fin with black spot
• Color bluish above, white beneath
• Fins are yellowish with dark bands
• Maximum length 1.8 m
Aorichthys aor (Singharee/
Chanja/Seenghara)
 Rita rita (Khagga)
• Body is stout & rounded
• Upper surface of head covered wit skin
• Mouth terminal, transverse & wide
• Upper jaw slightly longer
• Villiform teeth in both jaws
• 3 pairs of barbels
• Nasal pair being shorter than maxillary &
mandibles
 Rita rita (Khagga)
• Strong serrated spines on dorsal & pectoral
fins
• Adipose present
• Color grey or brown
• Maximum length 1.5 m
 Bagarius bagarius ( Coonch/Goonch)
• Body elongated & flattened
• Head large, naked & depressed
• Mout transverse & subterminal
• Upper jaw longer
• Lips thick
• 4 pairs of barbels
• Dorsal spine smooth & osseous
 Bagarius bagarius ( Coonch/Goonch)
• Adipose present
• Caudal fin deeply forked
• Both lobes have filamentous prolongations
• Color greyish yellow with black markings
• Maximum length 1.8m
Bagarius bagarius ( Coonch/Goonch)
 Wallagu attu ( Mulee/Jhirkee/Jhirko)
• Predatory nature
• Body elongated & compressed laterally
• Head large & depressed
• Mouth subterminal, gape wide
• Lower jaw slightly longer
• Teeth numerous & cardiform
• Vomerine teeth present
• 2 pairs of barbels
 Wallagu attu ( Mulee/Jhirkee/Jhirko)
• Dorsal fin short & spineless
• Adipose absent
• Anal fin long
• Color yellowish grey along black & silvery on
sides
• Maximum length 1.8m
Wallagu attu ( Mulee/Jhirkee/Jhirko)
 Heteropneustes fossilis (Singhee)
• Most suitable for culture in swampy areas
• Head depressed & covered with skin
• Snout flat, mouth terminal, transverse &
narrow
• Villiform teeth
• 4 pairs of barbels
• Dorsal fin short & spineless
• Adipose fin absent
 Heteropneustes fossilis (Singhee)
• Anal fin long
• Caudal fin rounded
• Pectoral fin with poisonous sac
• Color light grey to reddish with 2 lateral
yellowish bands
• Maximum length 45cm
Heteropneustes fossilis (Singhee)
Murrels or snake head (Daula/ murrel/saul/
shakur)
• 30 species in tropical Asia
• Channa striatus widely distributed in Pakistan
• Very hardy
• Having air breathing organs
• Live both in acidic, alkaline & brackish waters
• Body elongated & cylindrical
• Head depressed & resemble the head of snake
Murrels or snake head (Daula/ murrel/saul/
shakur)
• Mouth large, terminal & protactile
• Villiform teeth
• Palatin & vomerine teeth present
• Predatory nature
• Prefer muddy water
Murrels or snake head (Daula/ murrel/saul/
shakur)
Oreochromis mossambicus (tilapia)
• Introduced from Indonesia
• Body deep & laterally compressed
• Head concave
• Caudal peduncle is well demarcated
• Dorsal fin bear 15 spines
• Anal fin 5 spines
• Maturity occurs in 2 months
• Breeds 8 times in a year
Oreochromis mossambicus (tilapia)
• Called mouth breeder
• Color grey olive or light yellow wit vertical
black bands
• Maximum length 40 cm
Oreochromis mossambicus (tilapia)
 Mastacembelus armatus (Spiny eel/ Bam/
groj)
• Body is elongated & serpentine
• Head is pointed
• Gape of mouth small
• Long fleshy appendage
• Preorbital spine present
• Dorsal, caudal & anal fin confluent with each
other
• Cycloid scales
 Mastacembelus armatus (Spiny eel/ Bam/
groj)
• Color brown on back, yellowish bottom
• Maximum growth 1m
 Mugil cephalaus (Striped mullet)
• Coastal or brackish water & even fresh water
• Detritus feeder
• In sea feed on planktonic & benthic algae
• Reach maturity at very small age
• Grow in poly culture system
• Maximum length 30cm
• Maximum weight 300gm
Mugil cephalaus (Striped mullet)