Scientists at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) have developed artificial breeding technology of Indigo barb (Pethia setnai), an ornamental fish native to the western part of India, which is under threat of extinction due to overfishing.
The Indigo barb is a species of great visual attractiveness, characterised by the presence of two vertical bands in its olive-grey body. It was found in freshwater streams in Goa and Karnataka. The rare species fetches around $3 per fish seedling in the international ornamental fish market. Due to the high demand among ornamental fish lovers across the world, the species has been subjected to unregulated aquarium trade and its natural habitat is under pressure from tourism, urbanisation, and agricultural pollution. The fish is included in the threatened category of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
The scientists at Kufos, in collaboration with the Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (CCARI) in Goa, conducted a two-year research to develop artificial breeding technology for Indigo barb. The research was led by Anvar Ali, assistant professor in the department of Fisheries Resources Management at Kufos.
