Assignment of Zoology Topic: Rita rita Fish

Submitted To: Dr.Saleem Khan Submitted By: Azam Khan

Roll # BS-Zool-14-3012 Class: BS (H) Zoology (E)

Semester: 4th University of Education Lahore, Okara Campus.

Rita rita• R.rita is a commercially important catfish forming

a good fishery in major rivers of the Indo-Gangetic plains.

• It is a well admired food fish as having good taste and rich protein content.

• Recently it has also been considered as an ornamental fish and has been documented to have been exported as indigenous ornamental fish from India.

Preferred Temperature range• 18°C - 26°C

pH range: • 6.5 - 8.0

Common name• Rita or Ritha both in India and Bangladesh.• In Pakistan common name of R.rita is ‘’Desi Khagga’’

Maximum length• Maximum length of R.rita is 150 cm.

Scientific ClassificationKingdom : AnimaliaPhylum : ChordataClass : ActinopterygiiOrder : SiluriformesFamily : BagridaeGenus : RitaSpecies : R.rita

DistributionR.rita has wide distribution in• Pakistan• Afghanistan• Bangladesh• Nepal• Myanmar • India

Cont…..

Habitat R.rita is a riverine fish; a bottom dweller which prefers

muddy or clear water. Basically it is a freshwater species. It can also survive in• Low salinity conditions• Low dissolved oxygen• High turbidity• Ood environment

Breeding• Male and female of R.rita can be identified observing

some sexual dimorphic characters.• A muscular genital papilla which is present in male

becomes distinct and prominent during breeding period .• Tip of the papilla becomes deep red in color during this

period because of numerous blood vessels.• The genital aperture is introvert and slit like in male while

in female it is large extrovert and swollen.

Cont…..• The eggs of R.rita reached rapidly in their embryonic and

larval stages. The fertilized eggs of R.rita are non-adhesive.

• The diameter of the fertilized eggs ranged between 1.0 and 1.3 mm.

• First cleavage of eggs of Rita was observed within 25-30 min post-fertilization at the water temperature of 27-28°C.

• Just 1-2 h before hatching, the embryo of R.rita showed twisting movements inside the egg capsule.

• In the present study, hatching began after 22 h post-fertilization and completed within 24 h at 27-29°C.

Feeding habitat

• R.rita is carnivore in all stages of life.• It is bottom feeder take mostly insects, molluscs, shrimps

etc.• Bottom feeding adults are carnivore and feed on insects

and fishes. Their larvae feed on crustacean and decaying organic matter.

Conservation measureCaptive breeding is one among the noble measures so far has been suggested by the experts to support conservation of any fish species and proper information on feeding habitat and reproductive of that particular fish species is needed to get success in captive breeding.

References

1. Chondar S.L., Biology of finfish and shellfish, SCSC Publishers, India, 514 (1999)

2. Rafique M. and Khan N.U.H., Distribution and status of significant freshwater fishes of

Pakistan, Rec. Zool. Surv. Pak., 21, 90-95 (2012)

3. Tripathi S.D., Present status of breeding and culture of catfishes in south Asia. In:

Legendre, M. and Proteau J.P. (Ed). The biology and culture of catfishes, Aquat. Living

Resour., 9, Hors Serie, 219-228 (1996)

4. Jafri A.K., Khawaja D.K. and Qasim S.Z., Studies on the biochemical composition of

some freshwater fishes. I Muscle, Fish. Technol., 1(2), 148-157 (1964)

5. Lal M.S. and Dwivedi A.S., Studies on the fishery and biology of a freshwater teleost,

Rita rita. 1. Racial studies, Indian J. Zool., 9(2), 79-90 (1969)

6. Dubey G.P., Endangered, vulnerable and rare fishes of west 67 coast of India.

Threatened fishes of India, Proceedings of the National seminar on endangered fishes

of India held at National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Allahabad, 77-95 (1994)