Commercial Viability of Chital (Chitala Chitala; Hamilton, 1822) Culture

Abstract:

This is the report on the rearing of larvae to marketable size under captive conditions of the farm breed population of Chitala chitala in an earthen pond system for study of commercial viability. Unsold fingerlings of Oreochromis niloticus, Labeo rohita, Cirrhina Mrigala, Catla catla, Puntius sarana, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Labeo kalbasu were stocked and co-cultivated as prey for predatory C. chitala in three ( 1.4, 1 and 0.8 ha ) shallow ponds (1m depth) with stocking density of 1429, 500, 625 chital per ha respectively for 180 days during June – November, 2012. The ponds were manured with semidried cow dung, CaCO3, Urea, TSP during the culture period at the rate of 5, 1, 100, 100 kg per decimal respectively in three ponds. Chital exhibited spectacular growth from an initial weight of about 5.5, 5.9, 5.7 g per fry to a final weight of 1200, 1400, 1300 g at the time of final harvest. The survival rate of chital at the end of culture period was 60%. The final yield of chital were found 975, 441, 491 kg per ha respectively in three ponds. The study indicates that chital culture economy is nearly higher than other mixed fish poly culture system and it is commercially viable.