Definitions [2]
Define the following.
Pisciculture
Pisciculture or Fish culture is the process of breeding and rearing fishes in ponds, reservoirs (dams), lakes, rivers, and paddy fields.
Definition: Pisciculture
Pisciculture (fishery) is the practice of breeding, rearing and harvesting fish in natural or artificial water bodies for food and other economic uses.
Key Points
Key Points: Animal Husbandry (Livestock) > Animal Breeding
- Meaning — Breeding & raising livestock to increase yield and improve desirable qualities (milk, meat, eggs).
- Inbreeding — Closely related individuals bred for 4–6 generations → increases homozygosity, eliminates harmful genes. Demerit: reduces fertility.
- Outbreeding — Unrelated animals, no common ancestor for 4–6 generations → removes inbreeding depression.
- Types of Outbreeding — Outcrossing (same breed), Crossbreeding (different breeds), Interspecific hybridisation (different species).
- Examples — Hisardale sheep = Bikaneri ewe × Marino ram | Mule = Horse × Donkey.
- Artificial Insemination (AI) — Semen from a superior male → frozen/preserved → injected into the female's genital tract.
- MOET — FSH given to cow → superovulation (6–8 eggs) → blastocysts (8–32 cell stage) transferred to surrogate mothers.
Key Points: Animal Husbandry (Livestock) > Pisciculture (Fish Farming)
- Meaning — Branch of applied biology dealing with catching, processing, farming & marketing of fish, prawns, lobsters, oysters, mussels, crabs.
- Three Divisions — Inland (fresh water), Marine (sea water, 7500 km coastline), Estuarine (river meets sea, e.g., Sundarbans).
- Common Fish — Inland: Rohu, Catla, Mrigala | Marine: Bombay duck, Sardine, Mackerel, Pomfret.
- Fish Culture — Monoculture (1 species) or Polyculture (many species). Preservation: chilling, freezing, salting, canning, drying.
- By-products — Fish oil, fish meal, fertilisers, fish glue, isinglass → used in paints, soaps, medicines. Provides jobs & self-employment.
