Question

Which of the following is a catadromous fish?
A. Hilsa sp.
B. Mystus sp.
C. Anguilla sp.
D. Channa sp.

Answer 1

Hint: Fishes are craniate aquatic animals. They possess gills and lack limbs with digits. Various types of fishes include bony fish, cartilaginous fish, lampreys and hagfish.

Complete answer: Most species of the fishes are cold-blooded which means that the body temperature of fishes varies with the changing ambient temperature. Fishes are found abundantly in water bodies. Many species of fishes migrate long distance for the purpose of spawn. Spawn is nothing but the release of eggs and sperm aquatic animals in water bodies. In order to understand the movement of migration of fishes, scientists have further classified fishes into different groups known as anadromous, catadromous, amphidromous, potamodromous and oceanodromous. The fishes that are born in saltwater and migrate as a juvenile to the freshwater for the purpose of growth are called catadromous fishes. Catadromous fishes spawn in the ocean after they migrate back from the freshwater. Some of the examples of catadromous fishes are American eel, Inanga, European eel, and Longfin eel. The European eel is a catadromous fish which belongs to the Anguilla species of fishes. Therefore, Anguilla sp. is a catadromous fish.
So, option C is the correct answer.

Note: The European eel is one of the endangered species. The process of spawning takes place at far from the offshore where the eggs hatch. The female eel can lay eggs upto 4 million a year and dies after laying the eggs. Catadromous fishes live mostly in freshwater.