PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE OF GIFT STRAIN Oreochromis niloticus WITH MAGUR Clarias batrachus AND GULSHA Mystus cavasius IN SEMI-INTENSIVE CULTURE MANAGEMENT  

Monosex GIFT strain is a popular aquaculture species in Bangladesh. Most of the farmers in our country growing tilapia in mono culture management. They claimed that, they are not getting enough profit from Tilapia culture. This is mainly due to high price of commercial fish feed and comparatively less price of Tilapia in the market. Under these circumstances, a research program has been undertaken to grow GIFT with other high valued fish species to minimize the cost along with extra benefit. The present paper highlights the results of polyculture of GIFT (Oreochromis niloticus) with Magur (Clarias batrachus) and gulsha (Mystus cavasius) with different densities and also evaluates the economic benefit.

Production performance of monosex GIFT strain (Oreochromis niloticus) with magur (Clarias. batrachus) and gulsha (Mystus cavasius) were carried out for five months during March to June 2014 in six farmer's pond at Dohakhola, under Gouripur upazila, Mymensingh. Three stocking densities of magur and gulsha were tested keeping the monosex GIFT Tilapia stocking density similar. Each stocking density of magur and gulsha was considered as treatment and replicated thrice. Fingerlings of magur and gulsha were stocked at the rate of 5000 & 50000; 10000 & 45000 and 15000 & 40000/ha in T-1, T-2 and T-3, respectively. In all the treatments monosex GIFT strain were stocked at the rate of 50,000/ha. The same regime of pelleted feed (28% crude protein) was applied in all the treatments. After five months rearing, the production obtained were 11808±631, 13525±389 and 13225±339 kg/ha from T-1, T-2 and T-3, respectively (Table 1). The highest production was obtained from T-2, where monosex were stocked with magur and gulsha at the stocking density 10,000 & 45,000/ha. The production level of treatment-1 showed significant difference (P>0.05) with T-2 and T-3. From the results, it was observed that high valued indigenous fish, magur and gulsha can be cultured with monosex GIFT strain in semi-intensive culture management for getting high production as well as net profit.