Practical Manual B.Voc

Fresh water fishes
Catla catla










1. Catla (Catla catla), also known as the major (Indian) carp.
2. Catla is a fish with large and broad head, a large protruding lower jaw and upturned mouth. It has large, greyish scales on dorsal side and whitish on belly.
3. Body short and deep, somewhat laterally compressed, its depth more than head length;
4. head very large, its depth exceeding half the head length;
5. body with conspicuously large cycloid scales,


Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Cypriniformes

Family: Cyprinidae

Genus: Labeo

Species: L. rohita

Labeo rohita






1. Body bilaterally symmetrical, moderately elongate, its dorsal profile more arched than the ventral profile;
2. Body with cycloid scales, head without scale; snout fairly depressed, projecting beyond mouth, without lateral lobe; eyes dorsolateral in position, not visible from outside of head;
3. Mouth small and inferior; lips thick and fringed with a distinct inner fold to each lip, lobate or entire;
4. A pair of small maxillary barbels concealed in lateral groove; no teeth on jaws; pharyngeal teeth in three rows; upper jaw not extending to front edge of eye;
5. Simple (unbranched) dorsal fin rays three or four, branched dorsal fin rays 12 to 14; dorsal fin inserted midway between snout tip and base of caudal fin;
6. Pectoral and pelvic fins laterally inserted; pectoral fin devoid of an osseous spine; caudal fin deeply forked
7. Colour bluish on back, silvery on flanks and belly.













Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Cypriniformes

Family: Cyprinidae

Subfamily: Labeoninae

Genus: Cirrhinus
Cirrhinus mrigala

1. Body bilaterally symmetrical and streamlined, its depth about equal to length
2. of head; body with cycloid scales,
3. Head without scales; snout blunt, often with pores; mouth broad, transverse; upper lip entire and not continuous with lower lip, lower lip most indistinct;
4. Single pair of short rostral barbels; pharyngeal teeth in three rows, 5.4.2/2.4.5 pattern; lower jaw with a small post-symphysial knob or tubercle;
5. Origin of dorsal fin nearer to end of snout than base of caudal; dorsal fin as high as body with 12 or 13 branched rays;
6. Unbranched ray of dorsal fin non-osseous and non-serrated; pectoral fins shorter than head; caudal fin deeply forked; anal fin not extending to caudal fin; lateral line with 40-45 scales;
7. Lateral transverse scale rows 6-7/5½-6 between lateral line and pelvic fin base; usually dark grey above, silvery beneath; dorsal fin greyish; pectoral, pelvic and anal fins orange-tipped