ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture has successfully achieved captive spawning and seed production of the high-value brackishwater ornamental green puffer fish (Tetraodon fluviatilis) at its Kakdwip Research Centre (KRC) in the Indian Sundarbans. Green puffer fish is a prized ornamental species found in the brackishwater bodies of the Sundarbans and is highly sought after in the ornamental fish trade. Broodstock development and maturation trials were undertaken under ICAR’s All India Network Project on Ornamental Fish Breeding and Culture at KRC of ICAR-CIBA, West Bengal.
Broodfish (body weight: 50 to 300 g) were collected from nearby brackishwater bodies between October 2023 and January 2024. They were maintained in a cage-rearing facility at KRC, ICAR-CIBA. In June 2025, the fish were acclimatized to higher salinity levels (20 ppt) in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). Milt expression in males and the presence of mature oocytes in females were recorded during June–July 2025. Mature females and males were selected for pairing. Females were induced with LHRHa (dose:70 µg/kg body weight), while males received 50 µg/kg body weight. Ovulation occurred after 72 hours at 20 ppt salinity. Each female spawned between 50,000 and 1.2 lakh eggs. The fertilized eggs, measuring 690–720 µm in diameter, were demersal, translucent, and contained numerous oil droplets.
Hatching commenced 80 hours post-fertilization (hpf) and continued until 100 hpf. Newly hatched larvae measured 2.0–2.1 mm in length. Mouth opening was observed 40 hours post-hatching, and exogenous feeding began from 2 days post-hatching (dph) with rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis), which continued until 12 dph. Larvae reached a marketable size of 2.0 cm after 40 days of indoor nursery rearing, fetching ₹20–30 per piece in the local ornamental fish trade.
This breakthrough is a significant milestone in the RAS-based seed production of T. fluviatilis under brackishwater conditions and opens up new opportunities for ornamental hatchery operators and aquaculture hobbyists.
(Source: ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai)
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