Traditional Foods and Nutritional Security

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.