BACKWATER FISH IN KERALA

1. Varaal (Banded Snakehead(Opheocephalus))

2. Kaari(Stinging Catfish)

3. Chempally(Climbing Perch)

4.  Tilopia (Tilapia)

5.   Karimeen (Pearl Spot)

6. Muzhi(Walking Catfish)

7.  Manjakkoori(Yellow Catfish)

8.  Attu walah or Valah (Boal)

9. Vellakkoori(Longwhiskered Catfish)

10. Paral(Giant Danio)

11. Kuruva(Peninsular Olive Barb)

12. Poochutti(Tiger Panchax)

13. Pallathi(Orange chromide)

14. Kanambu(Mullet)

15. Kallaral(Tire track eel)

16. Poolon(Tank goby)

Fishes in Kerala – Common fresh water fishes

1. Name: Banded Snakehead(Opheocephalus)
Scientific: Channa striatus
Malayalam: Varal, Varaal

This fish is remarkable for its parental care. It is carnivorous. The body is long and cylindrical with a huge mouth and serpent like head. They have got additional respiratory organs (two air chambers) to enable breathing air while crawling through land. This fish is often found in ponds, paddy fields and in rivers. During migration these fishes even sail through backwaters to reach the next water body. Very often this fish can be seen coming to the surface of the water to gulp in air. During drought, they bury themselves in mud, and remain there in dormant stage, till the next monsoon comes.

2. Name: Stinging Catfish

Scientific Name: Heteropneustes fossilis Malayalam: Kaari   

Inland Fisheries

The state is endowed with rich resources of freshwater and Brackish water .The state has a total estimated freshwater area of about 3,32,000 ha consisting of reservoirs, rivers, ponds, tanks, irrigation tanks and paddy fields, including nearly 0.70 lakh ha of paddy fields in Kuttanad and nks and 2800 ha of irrigation tanks  Kole lands distributed in Thrissur and Malappuram districts and 35000 hectares of padasekharams distributed in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts in Kuttanad. Of this an area of about 1000 ha is currently used for the culture of Scampi/fishes. Utilization of paddy fields for aquaculture will ensure the augmentation of fish/ prawn production in addition to paddy and creation of additional income for farmers especially in rural areas of the State. The paddy fields such as in Palakkad have high potential for freshwater prawn and shrimp culture. These areas are hardly being used at present for aquaculture. Integration of aquaculture can help to raise the income of the rice farmers also.

prawn filtration fields in the state. The 12,500 ha of Pokkali fields distributed in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Alappuzha and Kannur districts which are traditionally used for prawn filtration when the water is saline (November- May). More than 77% of these brackish water areas are left unused. Geographically, inland fisheries have great scope in the State.A unique feature of the State is the occurrence of 53 interconnected backwaters (Kayals) and 44 rivers.

Inland fish production provides significant contribution to animal protein supplies in rural areas of the State. Most of the inland production is consumed locally and marketed domestically. The Inland sector of the State contribute around 1.40 lakh metric tonnes of fish, which accounts a net value of Rs. 122390 lakh during 2011-12. The total population of fisher folk, who depend their livelihood from the inland waters of the State, comes around 2.30 lakh, which accounts 0.69% of the State’s total population. e of the 18 “biodiversity hotspots” in the world.

The cultivable food fishes native to Kerala includes Thooli (Labeodussumieri), Kooral (Gonoproktopferuscurmuca), Manjakoori (Horabagrusbrachysoma), Kuyil (Tor khudree), Katti (Tor mussallah), Pulivaka (Channamicropeltes), Musi (Clariusbatrachus), Manalvaka (Channaleucopunctatus), Brahmanakandi (Lepidopygopsistypus), WynadMusi (Siluruswynadensis), etc.

Estuaries and backwaters have saline waters and only those fishes, which can withstand changes in salinity, thrive best. The brackish water fishery resources consist of 75 species of which 57 species are from fish, 6 species of shrimp, 1 species of prawn, 5 species of crabs and 6 species of bivalves, 28 species were identified as commercially important. Some species of mullets, catfishes, perches, pearl spot, prawns, oysters, mussels, crabs and clams are the most common.

Cold Water Fish Resources of Kerala

The high land waters of the State have cold water and that can sustain only the so-called cold-water fishes, and hence have a fishery different from that of the plain. Thenmala reservoir, Kulathuppuzhariver, Palaruvi, Aruvikkara, Gavi, Munnar, Pookkottu lake, Malampuzha and many other streams and rivulets are the home ground of such fishes. Commercially important fishes include Salmo sp., Schizothorax sp. Acrossochellussp, Puntius sp., etc.

Fish Farmers Development Agencies (FFDAs)

This is a Centrally Sponsored Agency with 75% assistance from Government of India, which came to existence with the following objectives:

-         to arrange leasing of water area to fish farmers

-         to bring all the cultivable water area under the scheme

-         to create a new cadre of fish farmers

-         to popularise fish culture

-         to provide increased employment opportunities to rural people

-         to improve rural economy through fish culture