Advances in captive breeding and seed rearing of striped murrel Channa striata, a high value food fish of Asia

Abstract

Striped murrel (Channa striata) is a high-value food fish in South and Southeast Asian countries with substantial medicinal properties. High growth rate, consumer preference and year-round market demand insist its candidacy in aquaculture. In addition, striped murrel is suitable for high-density intensive farming systems due to its air-breathing ability. In recent years, the decline in their capture fisheries pressurized the need to increase the culture production of striped murrel. Presently, the culture production of striped murrel is very limited and primarily depends on natural breeding for seed supply. Hence, the artificial seed production of striped murrel must be encouraged to facilitate continuous seed supply for culture operations. This review discusses up-to-date knowledge on captive seed production of striped murrel, emphasizing the recent developments including hormone pellet implantation and captive maturation of broodstock, inducing hormone dosage manipulation, weaning and cannibalism management, nutritional and environmental interventions to increase breeding success and profit in mass-scale striped murrel seed production. The present review will provide comprehensive current understanding on captive breeding and seed rearing of striped murrel which would render opportunity to the researchers and academicians for further investigation on the subject and help hatchery owners and fish farmers to enhance the seed production and culture of the priced fish.

Keywords: Broodstock development; Cannibalism; Channa striata; Hormone implantation; Induced breeding.