The mrigal carp (''Cirrhinus cirrhosus''), () also known as the white carp, is a species of

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. They are so called because of their lightly built fins made of webbings of sk ...

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) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

rating as vulnerable. It is widely aquafarmed, and introduced populations exist outside its native range. It reaches a maximum length of . This species and ''

Cirrhinus mrigala ''Cirrhinus mrigala'' is a species of ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. They are so called be ...

'' are considered distinct.

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 In agriculture, polyculture is the practice of growing more than one crop species together in the same place at the same time, in contrast to monoculture, which had become the dominant approach in developed countries by 1950. Traditional example ...

system of three Indian major carps, along with

roho labeo The rohu, rui, ruhi or roho labeo (''Labeo rohita'') is a species of fish of the carp family, found in rivers in South Asia. It is a large omnivore and extensively used in aquaculture. Description The rohu is a large, silver-colored fish o ...

and the

catla Catla (''Labeo catla''; ) also known as the major South Asian carp, is an economically important South Asian freshwater fish in the carp family Cyprinidae. It is native to rivers and lakes in northern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakis ...

. It was introduced by aquaculture across India started in the early 1940s, and later 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 The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton in the United States to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the s ...

, with no clear trend.

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

are the largest producers. In

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

, this fish is known by the name of "Morakhi" or "Moree". In Nepal it is called "Naini". The Mrigal carp was brought to

Guangdong province ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

southern China Northern China () and Southern China () are two approximate regions that display certain differences in terms of their geography, demographics, economy, and culture. Extent The Qinling–Daba Mountains serve as the transition zone between ...

for aquaculture, but it is now considered an

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

in the

Pearl River The Pearl River (, or ) is an extensive river system in southern China. "Pearl River" is often also used as a catch-all for the watersheds of the Pearl tributaries within Guangdong, specifically the Xi ('west'), Bei ('north'), and Dong ( ...

basin.

Habitat and ecology

Mrigal is an 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 The mrigal carp (''Cirrhinus cirrhosus''), () 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 IU ...

Fish farming Commercial fish Fish of India Fish of Bangladesh Marine fauna of South Asia