CATALOGUE OF CULTIVATED AQUATIC ORGANISMS CONTENTS

by

V.G. Jhingran and V. Gopalakrishnan
Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute
Barrackpore, India

PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT

This paper was prepared by Dr. V.G. Jhingran and Dr. V. Gopalakrishnan of the Central Inland Fishery Research Institute, Barrackpore (West Bengal), India, at the request of FAO. The first draft, prepared in 1970, was expanded and partly updated with the assistance of the staff of the Fishery Resources and Environment Division of the FAO Department of Fisheries. It is a contribution to the Division's programme of collection, review and dissemination of aquaculture information.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Rome, March 1974

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CONTENTS

FOREWORD

PREFACE

1.   Classified list of cultivated aquatic organisms

2.   Aquatic plants

3.   Porifera

4.   Rotifera

5.   Annelida

6.   Crustacea

7.   Insecta

8.   Mollusca

9.   Echinodermata

10.   Pisces: Teleostomi

11.   Amphibia

12.   Reptilia

13.   Mammalia

FOREWORD

With increasing interest in the development of aquaculture, the search for suitable species and species-combinations for culture has become particularly important. International exchange of species for experimental and commercial scale operations is also increasing rapidly and FAO is often called upon to provide information required by aquaculturists and fishery development planners to select suitable organisms. Dr. V.G. Jhingran and Dr. V. Gopalakrishnan were therefore requested to prepare this catalogue of cultivated organisms, to serve as a source of reference on the subject.

It is recognized that a catalogue of this nature can hardly ever be complete, as experimental work on many local species is underway in different countries constantly adding to the list of cultivated organisms. The distribution of many of the species included in this catalogue may also have become wider than indicated as a result of introductions and transplantations. Although efforts have been made by the authors and FAO to make it as exhaustive as possible, the text may be found to be incomplete in this respect as well. Readers are requested to point out any omissions they identify and provide available additional data for use in future revisions of the catalogue.

T.V.R. Pillay
Aquatic Resources Improvement and Environment Service
Fishery Resources and Environment Division

PREFACE

Aquaculture in fresh, brackish and salt water environments is expanding rapidly and the selection of suitable species for culture forms a basic decision to be made by aquaculturists. While opinions differ as to whether indigenous species only should be used, or proven species, even if exotic, should be also used to obtain increased production in a short period of time, relevant information on cultivated species is undoubtedly essential for rational decision-making.

The purpose of this document is to furnish a list of the cultivated organisms in different regions of the world, with notes on available essential biological data, in order to assist aquaculturists in this task. The organisms have been listed under different systematic groups for the sake of convenience and, within each group, the species are presented alphabetically. Along with the scientific name of each species, the common name (wherever available) and the name of the family to which it belongs have been mentioned. No attempt has been made to go into taxonomic details of the organisms. A general indication of the area where the organism concerned is endemic along with an idea of its geographical distribution, has also been given wherever possible. Available data on the more important aspects of the biology of the species related to its cultivation are summarized. In order to save space telegraphic style has been adopted for the descriptions.

Most of the compilation was done in the libraries of the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta and the National Library, Calcutta. In a few cases, useful information has been gathered through correspondence from workers in certain specialized fields. An attempt has been made here to include all species or genera which have been cultivated in fresh, brackish and sea waters with some measure of success. In this respect, the authors had to make a distinction between organisms which are ‘cultured’ under laboratory conditions and those that are ‘cultivated’ in cisterns, tanks, ponds, etc. For the purpose of comprehensiveness, the organisms, mainly fishes, which are first spawned under artificial conditions, and then grown in hatcheries or tanks, troughs etc., but whose young or juveniles are released into open waters for stocking, have been included in this list. However, many diatoms, algae, protozoans etc., cultures of which are maintained and propagated under laboratory conditions only have not been included as they fall outside the scope of the term ‘cultivated organisms’. It would perhaps be appreciated that every organism, specially fish, which may have been cultivated very rarely cannot possibly be included in this list and if this were to be done, probably many more species of fishes in the world would have to be listed here. In a general sense, the list includes only those organisms which are of use for food, sport, biological control and are cultivated to serve for forage, bait, etc. Purely aquarium fishes have been excluded, unless they are cultivated for one or more of the above-stated purposes.

The authors wish to record here their appreciation of the assistance given by Mr. H.A. Khan, Mr. M.V. Gupta and Dr. C.S. Singh in the collection of data concerning specific groups. Dr. Z.H. Shehadeh of the FAO Department of Fisheries provided information on a number of fish species cultivated in the United Státes and Japan and Mr. M. Pedini on species cultured in Latin America. The authors are also grateful to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for permitting acceptance of this assignment and to the Zoological Survey of India and National Library, Calcutta, for the consultation facilities offered.

V.G. Jhingran

V. Gopalakrishnan