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Breeding in captivity for conservation and livelihood: insights into the early ontogeny of the Indigo barb, Pethia setnai (Chhapgar and Sane 1992), a threatened endemic species of the Western Ghats of India

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Abstract

The study provides the first comprehensive account of the developmental biology of the Indigo barb in captivity. The males develop a reddish hue on the body and margins of their median fins, as opposed to the dull coloration of the females. The fish spawned 6–7 h after administering the breeding hormone, and the fertilized eggs were demersal and adhesive. The larvae hatched 22 h ± 20 min post-fertilization and were demersal with distinctive crawling movements. The yolk sac larvae were 2.48 ± 0.032 mm in total length, with a non-pigmented body and pear-shaped yolk sac. The pre-flexion stage was attained 4 days after hatching, with a single-chambered swim bladder and melanophore aggregation along the body. The larvae reached the flexion stage on day 16, with a body length of 4.54 ± 0.36 mm and the development of caudal fin rays. On the 28th day, the post-flexion stage had produced all of the fins except the pelvics, a two-chambered swim bladder, and a distinctive sub-dorsal blotch. The presence of a supra-anal band and the emergence of scales over the caudal area characterized the juvenile stage. The baseline information on early ontogeny will be valuable for the conservation and sustainable use of the species.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their sincere gratitude to the Fisheries and Ports Department, Government of Kerala for funding through the annual plan fund (2022–2023), and to the Director, ICAR–CCARI (Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Goa) for providing the brood stock for conducting the breeding trials. The authors also would like to express deep gratitude to the HoD, Department of Fisheries Resource Management, the Dean, Faculty of Fisheries Science, and to the Director of Research, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi for the assistance and facilities provided. Special thanks to the staff of the ICAR–CCARI, Goa State Biodiversity Board, Goa State Wetland Authority, Directorate of Fisheries, Govt. of Goa, Fishermen of Valpoi region and the farm staff of KUFOS for assisting in field surveys and breeding programs.

Funding

Funding for the current research work came from the Annual Plan Fund of Fisheries and Ports Department, Government of Kerala (G.O. (Rt) No.595/2022 F & PD dated 22.09.2022) for the year 2022–2023.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Panangad, Kochi, Kerala, India

    Melbin Lal & P. H. Anvar Ali

  2. Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Goa, India

    Sreekanth Giri Bhavan, Parveen Kumar, P. P. Gokuldas & Trivesh Mayekar

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  1. Melbin Lal
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  2. Sreekanth Giri Bhavan
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  3. Parveen Kumar
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  4. P. P. Gokuldas
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ML and AA have written the main manuscript and documented life history stages and SG, PK, PPG, TM provided the broodstock, edited and reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to P. H. Anvar Ali.

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Lal, M., Giri Bhavan, S., Kumar, P. et al. Breeding in captivity for conservation and livelihood: insights into the early ontogeny of the Indigo barb, Pethia setnai (Chhapgar and Sane 1992), a threatened endemic species of the Western Ghats of India. Zoomorphology (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-024-00658-3

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