Developing Culture Technology of Indigenous Small Fish Species Mola in Aquaculture Ponds in Sunderbans

Abstract

To develop culture technology of indigenous small fish species mola in Aquaculture pond with carps and prawn, a trial with three treatments was conducted from July to December 2006 in 33 ponds, belonging to poor households in Sunderbans region, India. Rohu, mrigal, prawn and mola were stocked at 3,000 ha-1, 1,000 ha-1, 3,750 ha-1 and 20,000 ha-1, respectively, in all ponds. Of the planktivorous carp species, silver carp was stocked at 2,500 ha-1, 1,750 ha-1 and 1,000 ha-1 and catla at 1,000 ha-1, 1,750 ha-1 and 2,500 ha-1 in treatment I, treatment II and treatment III, respectively. Before stocking, the ponds were treated with urea (50 kg ha-1), TSP (50 kg ha-1) and cow dung (1500 kg ha-1). Mustard oil cake and rice bran (1:2 ratio) were fed daily, at the rate of 3 per cent body weight. Mola was partially harvested several times throughout the production season. Mola production was highest with the highest stocking density of silver carp and lowest of catla. It may be concluded that mola-carpprawn polyculture may be a good option for rural farmers of the Southern region of West Bengal to reduce poverty and ensure household nutrition.