This book contains the outcome of research work carried out by the authors and other researchers for the promotion of farming of a highly valuable fish species, striped murrel (Channastriata). However, this has become possible with the kind support of many persons, who helped us in carrying out work on this important fish species and encouraged us to write this book and hence authors wish to share their gratitude to them. Striped murrel or striped murrel or chevron murrel (Scientific name, Channastriata) is an important species of many countries of South-east Asia including India. It is popular for its esteemed taste, therapeutic values, ant nociceptive properties and hence consumed by many to induce healing and pain control after clinical operations.

It contains high arachidonic acid (AA), which is a precursor of prostaglandin that may initiate blood clotting and enhance tissue growth. It is devoid of muscular spines and hence easily processed for making fillets for meeting the export demand.

The species is air-breathing and can live without water for few hours and with little water for several hours, hence suitable for marketing in live condition to nearby and far places. In comparison to carps, the growth of this species is better in small rearing enclosures and hence farmers having small landholdings and entrepreneurs who wish to adopt intensive farming under indoor conditions, can make great use of this high value farming species. The efforts made in the past on farming of this species has not shown promising results due to several problems associated with its breeding, seed production, larval rearing,  grow-out  production  and  non-availability  of  species  and  size-specific artificial  feeds.

However major handicaps are now being understood with recent global research and it has become possible to overcome them to a larger extent. Therefore efforts have been made to compile the outcome of available research with personal research experience of the authors to provide updated information on this important valuable species for the promotion of aquaculture in respect of reproductive  biology, breeding, larval rearing, cannibalism mitigation issues, fingerling rearing and grow-out productions under different farming system.

Sudhir Raizada (M.Sc., Ph.D., LL. B) did his master’s and doctorate degrees from the Agra University, Agra in Zoology (Fish and Fisheries). He joined ICAR- Central Institute of Fisheries Education (Deemed University), Mumbai in 1979 as Scientist and reached the position of Principal Scientist in the discipline of fish and fisheries science. He joined ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow in 2009 and worked for the conservation of fisheries. He was selected to the position of Assistant Director General (Inland Fisheries) at Indian Council of Agricultural Research (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Govt. of India), New Delhi in 2016 and superannuated from there in 2018.

Presently, he is engaged with Emeritus Scientist Scheme of ICAR on the topic “Up scaling protocols for brood stock development, breeding and seed production of striped murrel (Channa striatus)”. Dr Raizada has been involved in teaching/ research/extension in the field of Aquaculture and Fisheries Resources Management for more than 42 years. He has successfully bred more than 25 fish species such as major carps, minor carps, catfishes, murrels and freshwater prawn. First time, the technology of seed production of giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and commercial farming of tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) using inland saline water was developed and demonstrated by his team under his leadership in Haryana. He has also worked on modern aquaculture farming systems such as RAS and BFT. He has handled more than 25 research projects and published 63 peer-reviewed scientific papers, 7 books, 6 book chapters, 25 manuals and 50 popular articles. Ten students completed their Master’s Dissertation and three Ph.D. Thesis under him. He has been awarded ICARs Dr. Rajendra Prasad Biannual Award for his Hindi book “Bhartiya Maatyaki” and 3 institutional awards as a Best Researcher at CIFE and NBFGR. (CV enclosed as Annexture-I)

Prem Prakash Srivastava, Principal Scientist did his Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry from the University of Allahabad and joined the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai (Deemed University) in 1990 in the Fish Nutrition and Biochemistry Laboratory. He is a well recognized scientist in fish nutrition with more than 150 scientific publications. He has tirelessly supported establishment of fish nutrition and nutritional biochemistry academic and other institutions in the country also. He has coordinated large number of multi- disciplinary research projects on fish nutritional biochemistry of carp, catfishes, and murrels. He has been honoured with several awards viz. Bursary Scholarship in M.Sc.(Biochemistry) for 2 year (81-83), University Silver Medal; Justice Harish Chandra Gold Medal; Young Scientist Award-Swarn Jayanti Puruskar; Dr. Heera Lal Choudhary Team Award-two times; Dr. Zahoor Qasim Gold Medal; Best Technical Award; Young Scientist Associate Award; Fellow of the Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology (FASET); Best Scientist Award; Appreciation Award; Bioved Fellowship Award; Best Extension Scientist; Prof. D.K. Belsare Medal etc. He got first class Diploma in Computer Programming (DCP) from S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Bhavan's College, Mumbai and P.G. Diploma in Bioinformatics from BII, Noida. He has teaching experience of 32 years and research experience of 34 Years. He has availed post – doctoral DBT Overseas fellowship at Nutrition, Aquaculture & Genomics, INRA, Saint-pee-sur-Nivelle, France. Presently, working as Registrar, Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (Govt. of India), Samastipur, Bihar – 848 125, India.

Anurag Rawat did his doctorate degree from the School of Life Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University, Lucknow. He has been awarded the positions of JRF, SRF and currently engaged as Research Associate (RA) at ICAR- National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow. Dr Rawat has 10 years of experience in fish reproductive biology, broodstock rearing, fish breeding and larval rearing of catfishes and murrels. He has published 13 peer reviewed scientific papers in various journals, a book chapter and a paper in souvenir. He has presented 34 papers in various seminar, workshop and conference and has been conferred with best poster paper award twice. He has also served as Lecturer Zoology in Santosh Kumar P.G. College, Hardoi, U.P. for 4 years.

1. Introduction, 2. Reproductive Biology, ,3. Spawning in Wild, 4. Captive Spawning, 5. Cannibalism and Mitigation, 6. Larval Rearing, 7. Fingerling Production, 8. Grow-Out Production