The mrigal carp (''Cirrhinus cirrhosus''), ( bn, মৃগেল, translit=mrigél) also known as the white carp, is a species of
ray-finned fish in the
carp family. Native to streams and rivers in India, the only surviving wild population is in the
Cauvery River, leading to its
IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
rating as
vulnerable
Vulnerable may refer to:
General
* Vulnerability
* Vulnerability (computing)
* Vulnerable adult
* Vulnerable species
Music
Albums
* ''Vulnerable'' (Marvin Gaye album), 1997
* ''Vulnerable'' (Tricky album), 2003
* ''Vulnerable'' (The Used album) ...
.
[ It is widely aquafarmed and introduced populations exist outside its native range.]
Aquaculture
Mrigal is popular as a food fish and an important aquacultured freshwater species throughout South Asia.Development of freshwater fish farming and poverty alleviation - A case study from Bangladesh
/ref> It is widely farmed as a component of a polyculture system of three Indian major carps, along with roho labeo and the catla. The introduction to aquaculture across India started in the early 1940s and in the 1950s and in the 1960s to other Asian countries. The mrigal carp fails to breed naturally in ponds, thus induced breeding is done.[
The Indian carps are considered as a delicacy compared to other exotic carp species also cultured in Asia, and sell for higher prices.][ Reported annual aquafarming production numbers of mrigal carp since the early 1990s have varied between 250,000 and 550,000 tonnes, with no clear trend. India and Bangladesh are the largest producers.][
In Pakistan, this fish is known by the name of "Morakhi" or "Moree".
The Mrigal carp was brought to ]Guangdong province
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
in southern China for aquaculture, but it is now considered an invasive species
An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...
in the Pearl River basin.
Habitat and ecology
Mrigal is the benthopelagic and potamodromous plankton feeder. It inhabits fast flowing streams and rivers, but can tolerate high levels of salinity. Spawning occurs in marginal areas of the water bodies with a depth of over a sand or clay substrate. A female can lay a million eggs. This fish has a rapid growth rate; by the age of two individuals can reach a length of and can weigh as much as .
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q135517
mrigal carp
Fish farming
Commercial fish
Fish of India
Fish of Bangladesh
Marine fauna of South Asia
mrigal carp
mrigal carp