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to 10 inches in the first year. Its sexual maturity, breeding habits and
season are similar to those of Catla and Rohu. It grows to over three feet.
(7) OTHER SMALLER CARPS AND BARBS
There are other varieties of carps which are of lesser importance from
culturable point of view, though they are important for food value. The
Kalbasu (Labeo calbasu) grows to about 8 to 10 inches in a year, feeding
on algae, snails and worms in the ponds. The fringed-lipped carp (Labeo
fimbriatus) is the commonest carp in Maharashtra waters and is locally
called 'Tambir’. This fish is also a bottom feeder. It is almost as good as
Rohu in taste and flavour but comparatively slow in growth.
The white carp (Cirrhina cirrhosa), whic h is a bottom and column feeder
like Mrigal, grows to about 20 inches in size. It is not very common in
Maharashtra, but is found occasionally in some streams. The pig-mouth
carp (Labeo kontius) is a vegetable feeder mainly feeding on filamentous
algae. It is known to grow to a length of about 2 feet. The Reba (Cirrhina
reba) is widely distributed in Vidarbha region. It is a slender form, mainly
feeding on plank tonic algae and growing to about 11 inches in one year.
The Bata (Labeo bata) though slow growing attains a length of about two
feet. All these carps breed in monsoon.
There are about 28 species of the genus Puntius commonly called barbs,
recorded from Maharashtra. Of these, P. kolus (Kolshi), P. dobsonii (Potil
or Parag) and P. sarana (Posti or Darai) are medium sized fish. Although
not very much prized as food fish, they do constitute a fishery of a minor
nature on account of their comparatively frequent occurrence in the
Deccan waters. P. dobsonii and P. jerdoni are considered as synonyms.
According to market demand, the ' Potil' is considered to be the best of the
three and is known to grow to about 6 kg. in deep pools and reservoirs.
The Sarana barb (Puntius sarana) or the olive carp which is distributed
throughout India, grows to a length of about a foot. It is a voracious
feeder, feeding mainly on decaying plants, gastropods, worms, insects etc.
FAUNA 158