WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2015 61 Tripura is a small hilly state in northeastern India with a rich biodiversity of fish and many other aquatic and terrestrial species. India occupies the ninth position in terms of freshwater biodiversity (Mittermeier and Mittermeier 1997). The northeastern region of India has been identified as a biodiversity hotspot by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC 1998), among four biodiversity hotspots of India (Sunderban, Western Ghats, Eastern Himalayan region and IndoBurma). Tripura is included in the Indo-Burma hotspot. In Tripura, 129 species, 78 genera, 33 families and 11 orders of fishes have been reported (Barman 2002). Many small indigenous species (SIS) have ornamental value, although they also may be used as foodfish (Mystus, Botia, Puntius). Small indigenous freshwater fish species are defined as fish that grow to a maximum length of 25-30 cm. They inhabit rivers and tributaries, floodplains, ponds and tanks, lakes, beels, streams, Small Indigenous Freshwater Fish Species of Hurijala Wetland, Tripura, India: A Case Study Pampa Bhattacharya and Debtanu Barman lowland areas, wetlands and paddy fields. These fish can be sub-categorized into three main groups based on maximum lengths of 7.5, 15 or 25 cm (Felts et al. 1996). There are many small fishes in Tripura, some of which have good nutritional value. The fish are easily digestible, a rich source of animal protein, and contain significant amounts of vitamins A and D, which are needed for human bones, teeth, skin, and eyes. SIS also supply a good amount of calcium, phosphorus, iron and iodine, essential for developing resistance against disease. Some SIS, such as puti (Puntius sp.), contain twice the amount of iron compared to many cultured carps, such as silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, rohu Labeo rohita. Mola Amblypharyngodon mola contains three times more calcium and 50 times more vitamin A than silver carp and rohu (Villif and Jorgensen 1993). Two species of Esomus (E. danricus, E. FIGURE 1. Percentage of different families of fish in the total number of available species of Hurijala Wetland, Tripura. TABLE 1. Some of the important groups of small indigenous fish species with chemical compositions. (CSIR-India 1962). Name of SIS Water Fat Protein Ash Calcium Phosphorus Iron (%) (%) (%) (%) (mg/100 g) (mg/100 g) (mg/100 g) Anabas testudineus 70.0 8.80 14.8 2.00 410 390 135 Channa punctatus 74.0 0.60 19.4 2.60 610 530 130 Glossogobius giuris 79.7 0.60 14.5 2.30 370 330 104 Heteropneustes fossilis 68.0 0.60 22.8 1.70 670 650 226 Labeo bata 79.0 2.48 14.3 2.00 79.0 200 1.09 Notopterus notopterus 73.0 1.00 19.8 2.50 590 450 169 Salmostoma bacaila 77.5 4.30 14.6 2.10 590 340 1.96 Puntius sarana 70.2 9.50 16.5 1.53 220 120 0.54 (CONTINUED ON PAGE 62)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjExNDY=