Abstract
Cory cat, Corydorus aeneus (Gill, 1858) are popular among the hobbyists all over the world. They were reared successfully in glass aquaria and small cemented tanks in Kolkata, India. The females attained sexual maturity at the age of 12.2 ± 1.8 SD months while the males took 24.0 ± 1.6 SD months to take part in reproduction. Females are larger and more rounded than the males while males are attractive because of the dorsal fin. At a temperature range 14–22 °C breeding was continued during November to March period in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Cooling of egg laying substratum stimulated spawning to a great extent. Under favourable thermal condition breeding took place at an interval of 10.4 ± 2.1 SD days. Brood size varied from 175–225 and on average 80 % eggs were fertile. Water quality management and supply of proper food proved successful to establish an economically viable farm through the spread of indoor aqua business.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
APHA. 1998. Standard methods for the examination of water and waste water, 20th ed. Washington: APHA, AWWA and WPCF.
Axelrod, H.R., and W.E. Burgess. 1986. Atlas of freshwater aquarium fishes. Neptune City: T.F.H. Publications.
Burgess, W.E. 1989. Atlas of freshwater and marine catfishes. Neptune City: T.F.H. Publications.
Burgess, W.E. 1992. Colored atlas of miniature catfishes. Neptune City: T.F.H. Publications.
Burgess, W.E. 1987. A complete introduction to Corydoras and related catfishes. Neptune City: T.F.H. Publications.
Fuller, I.A.M. 2001. Breeding corydoradine catfishes. Kidderminster: Ian Fuller Enterprises.
Ghosh, A., and S. Debnath. 1998. Ornamental fish farming—A lucrative business for rural womenfolk of some villages of Howrah, West Bengal. In National Workshop on Aquaculture Economics, October 6–8, 1998. Bhubaneswar: CIFA.
Ghosh, A., B.K. Mahapatra, and N.C. Datta. 2000. Ornamental fish farming: An additional income generating programme for womenfolk with a note on its constraints and prospects. In The Fifth Indian Fisheries Forum, Asian Fisheries Society, January 17–20, 2000, 136. Bhubaneswar: CIFA.
Ghosh, A., B.K. Mahapatra, and N.C. Datta. 2001. Prospects and problems of ornamental fishery. In Proceedings of 88th Indian Science Congress, Part III, January 3–7, 2001, 6. New Delhi: Indian Agricultural Research Institute.
Gupta, S., and S. Banerjee. 2012. Indigenous ornamental fish diversity and trade in Kolkata and suburbs. In Diversification of aquaculture, ed. A. Sinha, S. Datta, and B.K. Mahapatra. Delhi: Narendra Publishing House.
Huysseune, A., and J.Y. Sire. 1997. Structure and development of teeth in three armoured catfish, Corydoras aeneus, C. arcuatus and Hoplosternum littorale (Siluriformes, Callichthyidae). Acta Zoologica 78: 69–84.
Huysentruyt, F., and D. Adriaens. 2005. Adhesive structures of the eggs of Corydoras aeneus (Gill, 1858; Siluriformes; Callichthyidae). Journal of Fish Biology 66: 871–876.
Kohda, M., M. Tanimura, M. Kikue-Nakamura, and S. Yamagishi. 1995. Sperm drinking by female catfishes: A novel mode of insemination. Environmental Biology of Fishes 42: 1–6.
Kohda, M., K. Yonebayashi, M. Nakamura, N. Ohnishi, S. Seki, D. Takahashi, and T. Takeyama. 2002. Male reproductive success in a promiscuous armoured catfish Corydoras aeneus (Callichthyidae). Environmental Biology of Fishes 63: 281–287.
Kramer, D.L., and E.A. Braun. 1983. Short-term effects of food availability on air-breathing frequency in the fish Corydoras aeneus (Callichthyidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology 61: 1964–1967.
Kramer, D.L., and M. McClure. 1980. Aerial respiration in the catfish, Corydoras aeneus (Callichthyidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology 58: 1984–1991.
Mahapatra, B.K. 2003. Studies on breeding and rearing of an exotic cichlid, Pterophyllum scalare (Lichenstein) with a note on its culture prospects. Journal Natcon 15(2): 361–366.
Mahapatra, B.K., A. Dutta, A. Basu, U.K. Dey, and K.K. Sengupta. 1999. Observations on the spawning and rearing of Angelfish, Pterophyllum scalare (Lichenstein). In Eco-friendly management of resources for doubling fish production-strategies for 21st century, Proceedings of the National Seminar, December 22 & 23, 1999, eds. Sinha, M., Dhirendra Kumar, and P.K. Kathia, 102–106. Barrackpore: Inland Fisheries Society of India.
Mahapatra, B.K., A. Ghosh, and N.C. Datta. 2000a. Breeding and rearing of some common ornamental fishes with a note on its economic return. In National Conference on Aquaculture and steps to maintain high production. January 21 & 22, 2000. Calcutta: Department of Aquaculture, W.B.U.A.F.S.
Mahapatra, B.K., A. Ghosh, and N.C. Datta. 2000b. Breeding and rearing of ornamental fishes, Guppy, Poecilia reticulata, Peter and Gold fish, Carassius auratus (Linnaeus) for prospective entrepreneurship development. Green Technology 3: 26–33.
Mahapatra, B.K., K. Vinod, and S. Mandal. 2013. Production of gold fish, Carassius auratus (Linnaeus) in Meghalaya and its economics. Journal of Inland Fisheries Society 45(1): 34–40.
Matsuzaka, M. 1993. Corydoras the all. Aqua Magazine 17: 3–77.
Michael, P. 1990. Ecological methods for field and laboratory investigation. India: Tata McGraw-Hill.
Pruzsinszky, I., and F. Ladich. 1998. Sound production and reproductive behaviour of the armoured catfish Corydoras paleatus (Callichthyidae). Environmental Biology of Fishes 53: 183–191.
Sakurai, J., Y. Sakamoto, and F. Mori. 1985. Aquarium fishes of the world. Tokyo: Yama-Kei Publication.
Sato, T. 1986. A brood parasitic catfish of mouth brooding cichlid fishes in Lake Tanganuika. Nature 323: 58–59.
Sinha, A., and B.K. Mahapatra. 2012. Indigenous ornamental fish, their propagation and trade. In Diversification of aquaculture, ed. A. Sinha, S. Datta, and B.K. Mahapatra, 103–115. Delhi: Narendra Publishing House.
Acknowledgments
Author is grateful to Mr. Naren Santra, Proprietor of ‘Fish and Fun’, Kolkata for providing facilities to conduct this study. Author is also grateful to Dr. W.S. Lakra, Director and Vice Chancellors, Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai for providing necessary facilities to carry out the works.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mahapatra, B.K., Dutta, S. Breeding and Rearing of an Exotic Ornamental Catfish, Corydorus aeneus (Gill, 1858) in Kolkata, West Bengal and Its Economics. Proc Zool Soc 68, 159–163 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12595-014-0113-8
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12595-014-0113-8