Question

Of all the carps, which is considered as the tastiest fish?
(a)Catla catla
(b)Labeo rohita
(c)Cirrhina mrigala
(d)Channa marulius

Answer 1

Hint: This species of fish belongs to the carp family and is mainly found in rivers in South Asia. It is a big omnivore fish and extensively used in aquaculture.

Complete answer:
The Rohu (Labeo rohita) commonly called the Rui or Tarp is a freshwater fish that belongs to the carp family Cyprinidae. This fish doesn’t get easily caught. It is considered to be a sacred delicacy in some regions for India and is eaten at all special occasions.
This fish which is found in the southern part of Asia is considered as the tastiest and delicious fish among all the carps and is consumed by most people in India. It is also found in the rivers of northern and central and eastern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar, and has also been introduced into some of the rivers of Peninsular India and Sri Lanka.

Additional information:
The body is elongated with a dorsal profile which is generally convex, the colour of the body is bluish above and silver at the flanks with reddish eyes. It possesses a dark band at the caudal peduncle in the juvenile stage. Additionally, it has reddish tinge can be seen at the dorsal, pelvic, anal and caudal fins. One distinguishing feature is that the lips are fringed and the maxillary barbells are prominent.
These fishes are generally solitary and reach maturity between two and five years. The spawning areas are most often in the shallow waters of flooded rivers. They may live up to ten years in the wild, growing to a maximum length of 200 cm (78.74 inches) and can weigh up to 45 kgs (99.21 pounds) . Today, they are widely cultured in ponds and on fish farms, but do not breed well in calm waters so induced spawning often becomes necessary.
So, the correct answer option (B) Labeo rohita.

Note: In India, the major carps include Catla (Catla catla), Rohu (Labeo rohita) and Mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala). They are the mainstay of freshwater aquaculture. These are also the most preferred farm fishes because of their fast growth and higher acceptability to consumers. Cyprinus carpio (Common carp), Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Silver Carp), Ctenopharyngodon idella (Grass Carp) are some of the exotic major carps which are well adapted to Indian water.