Rearing and Breeding of Rainbow trout

(Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Dr. N.N.Pandey (Sr.Scientist,Aquaculture)

Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research
(Indian Council of Agricultural Research)
Bhimtal – 263136, Distt. Nainital, Uttarakhand
 Concise Background
• Coldwater and carnivorous
exotic fish species.
• Feed on aquatic insects, small
crustaceans and small fish in
natural waters but in captivity it
needs high protein content of
quality feed.
• Native to the Pacific drainages
of North America.
• Highly priced fast growing and
maximum cultivable traits
amongst coldwater species.
• Indian Production- 500 t
against 508,662 t world
production.
 History
• In India introduced by European residents of the country
during the later half of nineteenth and the beginning of
twentieth century. (Howell, 1916, Mitchell, 1918,
Molesworth and Bryant ,1921, Mackay, 1945, Jones and
Sarojini, 1952, Sehgal et al. 1971 and MacCrimmon ,
1971).
• In Peninsular India, introduced in the Nilgiris and Kodai
hills in Tamil Nadu.
• In Himalayas, transplanted in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,
Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh,
Nagaland, Meghalaya and in certain waters of Nepal.
• The trout thrived in the hatcheries and some tributaries in
the Garhwal region but could not survive in Kumaon hills,
due to comparatively high summer temperature.
• DCFR further initiated successful culture and breeding of
trout in Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal pradesh.
 •Easy to domesticate, Faster growth
Why trout
•Accepts artificial feed, Highly priced
farming? •Wide tolerance of temperature/DO
• Resistant to certain diseases
• Shorter incubation period, Easy to breed
• Demand in high class hotels and tourist.
• Very-Very tasty and easy to digest .
 Trout farming in India
Two types
Full farming system - Egg to adult and vise versa
Partial farming system- Fingerlings to the marketable size

Purpose
for producing stocking material for ranching
for food

Steps
• Brood stock maintenance,
• Spawning
• Incubation of eggs
• Rearing of young fry in nurseries
• Raising of fingerlings/ yearlings in growing ponds
• Raising table fish and brood stock etc.
 Site selection for trout farm
Water is the foremost criteria for site selection for trout
culture.
•For Survival-0-250C
•For normal feeding & growth-14-180C
•For spawning & Hatching-9-140C
General Criteria
• Permanent water source
• Water- free from heavy metals and turbidity
• Water in enough quantity
• Water temperature- should below 200C round the year
• Dissolved Oxygen (DO) - more than 7mg/l.
• pH of water - 6.5.to 8.0
• The site should be of 1-3 % slope
• The site should be accessible to road
One litre of water per minute per age- month is needed for every
1,000 fry and fingerlings.
 Rearing facility
• For production of table
fish- land area of 1000
m2, having10 concrete
rearing ponds/ raceways
(30-60 m2 having 1 m
depth) with individual
water supply.
• The stocking ponds are
generally graded during
four stages; i) 2-5 gm size,
ii) 10-20 gm size, iii) 50-
60 gm size and iv) more
than 100 gm size.
Design of a Model Trout Farm (Parallel
Type) Check-Dam
Natural Stream

Inlet Inlet

WATER STORAGE
TANK
( 5,00,000 liter)

Outlet
Design of a Model Trout Farm

Natural Stream

Screens

OUTLET

* Suitable dimension of pond 60 m2 subjected to alter based on availability of land

 Stocking of the Pond

• Fish stocking density

depends on quantity
and quality of water.
Trout can be stocked
10 kg /m3 at 1 l/second
of water flow and 15-
20 kg/m3 fish can be
produced during
harvesting,
 Feed for Trout
Size of the Fish Protein Content % of body weight Times
< 10 gm 40 % 5-10 % 7-8
<50 gm 35 % 5- 6 % 3-4
> 50 gm 35 % 2-3 % 2-3

Percentages
Feed ingredients
Fish Meal 50%
Soya bean meal 15%
Wheat middling 6%
Starch 5%
Brewer’s Yeast 4%
Linseed oil cake 4%
Dried Milk 5%
Vitamin premix 3%
Mineral Mix 2%
Coline chloride 1%
Monocalcium Phosphate 1%
Shark liver oil 4%
 Major ingredients

Soybean&
Fish meal wheat flour Fish oil

Yeast powder Vit. Min mixture

Rhododendron flowers at the tree
 Starter feed Fingerling feed

Grow- out feed Grow out feed(wet)

 Growth Performance
• Under suitable water and sufficient supply of good quality of
feed trout attains 200-300 grams size after 14-15 months but
same size is attained in 10 months if stocked 5-10 gm size of
fingerlings.
• In a culture experiment conducted at the farm the fish
attained maximum growth of 200 gm, 1100 gm, 2100 gm and
3000gm respectively, during 1-4 year’s life span (Joshi et al,
2005).
 Health and Hygiene
• Diseases in the trout
may occur mainly due
to unhygienic
conditions in the pond,
high water
temperature and
improper quality and
quantity of feed.
 Hatchery Management
Brood care
• Brooders are selected well
before the spawning.
Generally they are
selected two to three
months before the
breeding.
• The male rainbow trout
attained maturity after 2nd
year and female after
completion of 3rd year.
• Dec-Jan is the breeding
season
 Sexual Dimorphism
• The mature females can
be recognized by their
round body appearance,
bloat and soft belly, and
swollen and reddened
vent.
• The male fishes are dark
and dull in appearance,
large pointed snout with
hooked lower jaw and
oozing of milt
 Spawning and Incubation
• Stripping is a process by which eggs from
female fish and milt from male fish is
obtained.
 Steps of Dry stripping
• Weighed selected brooder
• Wiped with soft and dry
cloth
• Stripped female with
thumb and index finger of
the right hand
• Fish is then immediately
released in the aerated
water
• Stripping of male
fishes over the eggs
• Mixed it up
thoroughly with the
help of feather
• Mixture is kept for 1-
2 minutes for
fertilization.
• 100 ml of saline water
(0.9 % NaCl) is added
to the bowl and kept it
for 5 minutes
• Washed thoroughly
with the fresh water
• Transferred to the
hatching tray
• trays are transferred
in trough
• Fixed 6 liter of water
flow per minute
• Dead eggs are
segregated
• Hatched in 40-60 days
at 9-14 0C
Green Eggs Fertilized egg

Eyed ova Developing ova

 Sac fry Eyed ova

Eyed Ova ready to hatch Trays in Trough

Swim up fry Fry Tank

Fingerlings Yearlings
 Efforts & achievement of DCFR
• The Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research
(erstwhile NRCCWF), Bhimtal, Uttarakhand has
played pivotal role in development of location
specific feasible and viable Trout farming
techniques, breeding protocols, feed and
standardized husbandry practices at its
experimental Fish Farm, Champawat
(Uttarakhand), State trout farm Bairangna
(Uttarakhand) and in Sikkim, Arunachal pradesh, J
& K and Himachal.
• Rainbow trout was successfully introduced in the year
1999 at Champawat.
• In a culture experiment conducted at the farm the fish
attained maximum growth of 200 gm, 1100 gm, 2100
gm and 3000gm respectively, during 1-4 year’s life
span (Joshi et al, 2005).
• In subsequent efforts the trout yearlings attained
maximum growth of 300-350 g at the farm.
• Produced table size rainbow trout at the farm for the
first time in Kumaon region and sold the surplus
stock to the local people since 14.02.2001.
• At Champawat, during 2005, the hatching of
the stripped eggs completed after 61 days at
water temperature 4.5 – 7.5 °C with a survival
rate of 42.6 % (Joshi, 2009).
• Breeding of rainbow trout conducted at
Champawat during 2009 and produced 12000
eyed ova and 5000 fingerlings with 60%
fertilization, 80% hatching and 61% survival of
fry to fingerling (Incubation period 58 days) at
water temperature 5-12°C.
• During 2010 produced 10000 eyed ova with
71% fertilization, 72% hatching (Incubation
period 54 days) at water temperature 6-14°C.
• During 2010, It was observed
that there was not complete egg
absorption in unused females of
the last year and new eggs were
partially developed.( Temp-6-
24°C)
• This situation was not observed
at Bairangna farm.( Temp- 4-
21°C)
• First time, milt oozing was
observed in yearlings also.
• Fry were obtained from the
eggs of dead female (after 6
hrs.)
 ( Under out reach activity)
• At Bairangna farm, during 2009
produced 80,000 fry with 82%
fertilization, 64% hatching and 56%
survival. (Incubation period 60 days) at
water temperature 4-12°C.
• During 2010 produced 88,000 fry with
84% fertilization, 86% hatching.
(Incubation period 61 days) at water
temperature 4-11°C. (Breeding is still
continue)
• DCFR further initiated the trout culture
and breeding in Arunachal Pradesh and
in Sikkim (Technical support and
procurement of eyed ova).

• DCFR initiated the establishment of

processing plant in Himachal to
overcome the marketing problem with
technical support of NFDB.
 Feed development
• Starter feeds were formulated with 3 levels of protein (55,
50 & 45%) and 2 levels of lipids (14 and 16%) and found
that feed S3 having 50% protein and 14 % lipid is best
among the all 6 tested diets.
• Fingerling feeds were formulated with 3 levels of protein
(40, 45 &50%) and 2 levels of lipids (14, 16 and 18%) and
found that feed F6 having 45% protein and 16 % lipid is
best among the all 9 tested diets.
• Grow-out feeds (Floating pellets) were formulated with 3
levels of protein (50, 45 & 40%) and 2 levels of lipids (14
and 16%). (Result is awaited)
• Field trial is in progress to explore the possibility to
include Rhododendron extract to enhance the flesh quality
of trout.
 Trout Disease
• April 2009, mass mortality in swim-up fry in
rainbow trout was experienced at in Uttrakhand
due to unidentified causative agent.
• The diseased larvae showed an axial swimming
behavior or crock screw swimming motion,
darkening of caudal peduncle region with upward
twisting of the tail portion.
• With our limited cell culture facilities we have
been able to observe cytopathic effect in BF-2
cells from infected material.
• The pathogenic fungi was isolated from tissue and
water samples of trout and identified as Saprolegnia
parasitica and Saprolegnia diclina with cotton like
appearance, elongated zoosporangia and pear shaped
primary sporangium.
• High temperature increases the chances of infection.
• The dead eggs were more susceptible to the fungal
attack during incubation.
• 2% Solution of the bark of Kaphal (Myrica esculenta)
tree and 3% solution of the marigold leaves (Calendula
officinalis) were tested ( bath treatment of 15 min. for 3
alternate days) in the infected eggs& fry of rainbow
trout and found more effective than the malachite
treatment.
• Extract of Harad ( Myrobolus indicus) was used for
infected eggs of trout( 20% sol.). This extract
performed a biofilm on the eggs to protect the attack of
fungal spores.
Developing Mycelium /Oogonia of
Saprolegnia
 Seasonal variation in Proximate Composition
of O. mykiss

S.No. Elements (%) Feb-May June-Sep Oct-Jan

Pond Pond Pond

1 Moisture 72.39 77.03 78.52

2 Protein 17.33 17.44 17.10

3 Fat 2.69 4.39 3.58

4 Ash 1.02 1.57 1.19

 Fatty Acid Analysis
Tor putitora Oncorynchus mykiss
Component Conc (%) Area % Comp Conc (%) Area %
C8 (Octanoic) 0.004 0.0006        
C10 (Decanoic) 0.004 0.000006      
C11 0.196 0.002 C11 0.022 0.154
Dodecanoic 0.045 0.0006 C12 0.090 0.592
C13 0.006 0.000007 C13 0.020 0.121
Tetra decanoic 1.013 0.012 C14 0.593 3.429
C14:1 0.021 0.0002 C14:1 0.034 0.192
C15 0.144 0.0016 C15 0.064 0.348
C15:1 0.085 0.0009      
Hexa decanoic 8.792 0.093 C16 4.200 21.894
9-hexadecanoic 1.410 0.015 C16:1 1.567 8.188
C17 0.221 0.001 C17 0.137 0.528
C17:1 0.045 0.0004 C17:1 0.047 0.231
Octadecanoic 0.105 0.001 C18 1.592 7.525
9-octadecanoic 4.663 0.046 C18:1n-9 5.053 24.346
Octadecadienoic 0.040 0.0003 C18:2n-6 0.011 0.050
C18:2n6 14.251 0.1304 C18:2n6 3.109 13.774
Octadecatrienoic 0.287 0.002 C18:3n-6 0.119 0.488
C18:3n-3 2.611 0.021 C18:3n-3 1.224 4.879
Eicosanoic 0.211 0.001 C20 0.054 0.246
C20:1 1.626 0.014 C20:1 0.250 1.103
C20:2 0.552 0.004 C20:2 0.185 0.778
C20:3n-6 0.653 0.005 C20:3n-6 0.193 0.743
Eicosatetraenoic 3.662 0.022 C20:4 0.790 2.395
C20:3n-3&C21 0.151 0.001 C20:3n 0.092 0.369
Eicosapentaenoic 3.074 0.0204 C20:5n-3 0.734 2.376
Docosanoic 0.078 0.0006 C22 0.024 0.105
C21:1 2.980 0.025 C21:1 0.199 0.842
13,docosenoic 0.084 0.0006      
C22:2 0.563 0.504 C22:2 0.139 0.608
Docosahexaenoic 11.659 0.063 C22:6n-3 2.424 6.420
C24 0.046 0.0004      
C24:1 0.241 0.002 C24:1 0.045 0.187
 Amino acids of Golden Mahseer
Amino acids gmAA/16gmN)
Aspartic acid 7.400
Threonine 3.679
Serine 4.219
Glutamic acid 7.040
Proline 6.555
Glycine 7.300
Alanine 4.953
Cystine Nil
Valine 3.980
Methionine 3.612
Isoleucine 3.241
Leucine 7.610
Tyrosine 5.587
Phenylalanine 5.612
Histidine 0.542
Lysine 8.86
Arginine 3.228
Tryptophan 6.22

Total 89.638
 Amino acids of Rainbow Trout
Amino acids (gmAA/16gmN)
Aspartic acid 8.447
Threonine 5.801
Serine 6.514
Glutamic acid 4.777
Proline 9.542
Glycine 6.864
Alanine 6.048
Cystine Nil
Valine 4.841
Methionine 3.082
Isoleucine 6.388
Leucine 5,614
Tyrosine 8.290
Phenylalanine 2.925
Histidine 0.916
Lysine 3.41
Arginine 6.427
Tryptophan 6.12