Labeo rohita (Hamilton) or Rohu or Rui is the natural inhabitant of river, streams, canals, beels of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Myanmar. But it is also found in lakes, ox-bow lakes, ponds, ditch and similar water bodies.
Mainly middle dweller carp species but normally it occupies the column-region of the aquatic ecosystem. Its food comprises crustaceans and insects larvae in early stages (Bhuiyan, 1964). The percentage composition of food of Rohu may be algae 35%, higher plant 20%, protozoan 23%, crustaceans 15% and mud and sand 7% (Bhuiyan, 1964).
The fecundity varies from 2,26,000 to 28,00,000, depending upon fish size and ovary weight (Khan and Jhingran, 1975) whereas FAO (2009a) reported that average fecundity ranges from 2,00,000-3,00,000 eggs/kg body weight. Never breads in ponds, naturally it spawns in rivers system condition during the monsoon (April-September). Except by hypophysation to which it responds quickly (Kumar, 1992). Most of the cultured individuals are produced in hatchery by artificial breeding. Moreover wild seeds are collected from river. Wild seed is more popular in fish grower for high growth rate then hatchery produced seeds.
Under pond culture condition it grows upto 900 g within a single year (Khan and Jhingran, 1975). The maximum recorded age 10 years, total length 200 cm and weight 45 kg (Fishbase, 2009a).
References:
- Bhuiyan AL, 1964. Fishes of Dacca. The Asiatic Society of Pakistan, Dacca. 148pp.
- Khan HA and Jhingran VG, 1975. Synopsis of biological data on Rohu, Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1982). FAO Fish. Synop. (111): 100pp.
- FAO, 2009a. Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme. In: FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department [online]. Rome. Downloaded from http://www.fao.org/fishery/culturedspecies/Labeo_rohita/en on dated 04 August 2009.
- Kumar D, 1992. Fish culture in undesirable ponds: A manual for extension. FAO Training Paper No. 1325. Rome, Italy. 239pp.
- Fishbase, 2009a. Species summary of Laboe rohita. Downloaded from http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=82&genusname=Labeo&speciesname=rohita on dated 04 August 2009.
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