P. Bilal AHMAD, Haniffa M.A, Manikandaraja D, M. James MİLTON

Breeding behavior and parental care of the induced bred striped murrel channa striatus under captive conditions

Spawning behaviour of artificially induced Indian snakehead Channa striatus in captivity was investigated using a Nikon Digital camera, D 40 and Videotape recordings. Following a routine hormone treatment technique for this fish, mature snakeheads were artificially induced by intramuscular injections Human Chorionic Gonodotrophin (HCG) at a dosage of 6000 −1IU kg BW 24 h after the acclimatization terminated. In this experiment, three pairs of such hormone-treated matured snakeheads were introduced into the fibre tanks (1 x 1 x 1 m) to observe the spawning behaviour and parental care. Before the HCG injections, both sexes were inactive, staying on the bottom or in shelters. Following HCG injections, after 6 h they became active and frequently left the bottom swimming in the water column. Egg release and sperm ejection occurred in the water column around the time brooders activity reached peaks. Brooders stayed motionlessly on the bottom of the fibre tank after spawning. Males arrived at activity peaks 11 13 h following HCG injections, 2 4 h ahead of the females (14 16 h). Courtship behavior indicative of spawning such as pairing, chasing and touching bodies was observed in this study. Brooders were found to cruise together in water column or frequently come together prior to releasing eggs and ejecting sperm.

PDF

___

Alikunhi, K.H. 1957. Bull. Indian Counc. Agri. Res., 20- 144.

Annett, C.A., Pierotti, R. and Bayliss, J.R. 1999. Male and female parental roles in the monogamous cichlid, Tilapia mariae, introduced in Florida. Env. Biol. Fishes, 54: 283-293. doi: 10.1023/A:1007567028017

Arockiaraj, J., Haniffa, M.A., Seetharaman, P.R.R. and Perumalsamy, S. 2004. Utilization of lipid as dietary energy source for fingerlings of Channa striatus. Malaysian Journal of Science, 23(2): 1-5.

Arockiaraj, J., Haniffa, M.A., Seetharaman, S. and Singh, S.P. 2003. Early development of a threatened freshwater catfish Mystus montanus (Jerdon). Acta Zoologica Taiwanica, 14(1): 23-32.

Baylis, J.R. 1981. The evolution of parental care in fishes, with reference to Darwins rule male sexual selection. Env. Biol. Fishes, 6: 223-251. doi: 10.1007/BF00002788

Blumer, L.S. 1986. Parental care sex differences in the brown bullhead Ictalurus nebulosus (Pisces, Ictaluridae). Behav. Ecol. Sociobio., 19: 97-104. doi: 10.1007/BF00299944

Chakrabarty, N.M. 2006. Murrels & Murrel Culture, Narendra Publishing House, Delhi, 112 pp.

Clutton-Brock, T.H. 1991. The evolution of parental care. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

De Silva, K.H.G.M. 1991. Population ecology of the paddy field-dwelling fish Channa gachua (Günther) (Perciformes, Channidae) in Sri Lanka., J. Fish Biol., 38(4): 497-508. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1991.tb03137.x

Deaton, R. 2008. Factors influencing male mating behavior in Gambusia affinis (Baird & Girard) with a coercive mating system. Journal of Fish Biology, 72: 1607- 1622. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2008.01827.x

Gross, M.R. and Shine, R. 1981. Parental care and mode of fertilization in ectothermic vertebrates. Evolution, 35(4): 775-793. doi: 10.2307/2408247

Haniffa, M.A., Arockiaraj, J., Sethuramalingam, T.A. and Sridhar, S. 2002. Digestibility of lipid in different feeds bystripped murrel Channa striatus. Journal of Aquaculture in the Tropics, 17(3): 185-191.

Haniffa, M.A., Arockiaraj, J. and Sridhar, S. 1999. Weaning diet for striped murrel, Channa striatus. Fishery Technology, 36(2): 116-119.

Haniffa, M.A., Marimuthu, K., Nagarajan, M., Jesu Arokiaraj, A. and Kumar, D. 2004. Breeding behavior and parental care of the induced bred spotted murrel Channa punctatus under acptivity. Current Science., 86: 1375-1376.

Haniffa, M.A., Nagarajan, M., Marimuthu, K. and Arockiaraj, J. 2003. Embryonic and larval development of spottedmurrel, Channa punctatus (Bloch). Indian Journal of Fisheries, 50(3): 355-362.

Marimuthu, K., Arokiaraj, J. and Haniffa, M.A. 2009. Effect of diet quality on seed production of the spotted snakehead Channa punctatus (Bloch). American- Eurasian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 3(3): 344-347.

Marimuthu, K., Haniffa, M.A., Muruganandam, M. and Arockiaraj, J. 2001. Low cost murrel seed production technique for fish farmers. Naga, 24(1): 21-22.

Marimuthu, K., Haniffa, M.A., Arockiaraj, J. and Muruganandam, M. 2001. Spawning and parental behaviour in the induced bred murrels. Indian Journal of Fisheries, 48(4): 409-411.

Marimuthu, K., Muruganandam, M., Haniffa, M.A. and Arockiaraj, J. 2000. Induced spawning of the Indian catfish Heteropneustes fossilis (Singhi) using a synthetic hormone, Ovatide. Fishing Chimes, 19(10- 11): 105-106.

Moitra, A., Pandey, A., Ghose, T.K. and Munshi, J.S. D. 1979. Symposium on Inland Aquaculture held at CIFRI, Barrackpore, West Bengal: 23.

Mollah, M.F.A., Mamun, M.S.A., Sarowar, M.N. and Roy, A. 2009. Effects of stocking density on the growth and breeding performance of broodfish and larval growth and survival of shol, Channa striatus (Bloch). J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ., 7(2): 427432.

Ng, P.K.L. and Lim, K.K.P. 1990. Snakeheads (Pisces: Channidae): natural history biology and economic importance. In: L.M. Chou, P. K.L. Ng (Eds.), Essays in Zoology. Papers Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Department of Zoology. National University of Singapore, Singapore: 127-152.

Parameswaran, S. and Murugesan, V.K. 1976. Observation on the hypophysation of murrels (Ophiocephalidae). Hydrobiology, 50: 81-87. doi: 10.1007/BF00016845

Prado, C.P.A., Gomiero, L.M. and Froehlich, O. 2006. Spawning and parental care in Hoplius malabaricus in the southern pantanal, Brazil. Braz. J. Biol., 66(2B): 697-702. doi: 10.1590/S1519-69842006000400013

Quin, J.A., Fast, W. and Kal, A.T. 1997. Tolerance of snakehead Channa striatus to ammonia at different pH. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 28: 87- 90. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-7345.1997.tb00965.x

Setu, S.K and Ajithkumar, T.T. 2010. Spawning behavior and embryonic development of Regal Damsel Fish, Neopomacentrus cyanomus (Bleeker, 1856). World Journal of Fish and Marine Sciences, 2(5): 410-415.

Taborsky, M. 1999. Conflict or cooperation: what determines optimal solution to competition in fish reproduction? In: Behaviour and Conservation of Littoral Fishes. In: R. Oliveira., V. Almada, E. Gonclaves. (Eds), Lisbon: 301-349

Thakur, N.K. 1976. On the spawning behavior of Clarias batrachus (Linn). Japan J. Ichthyol, 23: 178-180.