Abstract

The century long history of carp culture is well known and the most important group of cultured fish in India are Indian Major Carp and Chinese Major Carp which belong to Cyprinidae family. Carps form the mainstay of culture practices in the country, supported by a strong traditional knowledge base and scientific input in various aspects of biology, environment, nutrition, and health management. The easy availability of seed and acceptance of wide range of feed are the main reason that carp still enjoys considerable demand in the any market place all over India. The three Indian Major Carp (IMC) species, Catla, Rohu and Mrigal together contribute a lion’s share and Exotic carps form the next important group to the IMC segment. About 85% of this aquaculture is contributed by carp polyculture.