Mrigal carp (Cirrhinus cirrhosus)

Scientific name: Cirrhinus cirrhosus Bloch, 1795

Mrigal carp (Cirrhinus cirrhosus)

The Mrigal carp (Cirrhinus cirrhosus) is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae.

Biology

Inhabits fast flowing streams and rivers. Can tolerate high levels of salinity. Juveniles are omnivorous to about 5 cm TL, adults are almost entirely herbivorous. Feeds on plankton, but also grazes on algae. Spawning occurs in marginal areas of the water body with a depth of 50-100 cm over a sand or clay substrate. A 6 kg female can lay a million eggs (of 1 mm diameter). Widely cultured in India but fails to breed naturally in ponds, thus induced breeding is done. Fishery harvests 40 cm fish weighing 1000 g and of about 3 years. A very active fish that thrives in ponds but spawns in swift rivers. Fingerlings are in great demand for stocking ponds between July and November

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Cirrhinus cirrhosus
Family
Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps)
Order
Cypriniformes (Carps)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
100.0
Common length
40.0
Depth range
5 m (16 ft)
Environment
Freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic; potamodromous; depth range 5 - ? m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Asia: native to large rivers in the Indian subcontinent. Has been so widely transported in connection to aquaculture that its natural distribution can no longer be determined.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Vulnerable (VU) (D2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.12-0.29)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated