'Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi'
Abstract
The pearl spot Etroplus suratensis the State Fish of Kerala is an indigenous cichlid fish distributed along the east and west coasts of India. The pearl spot wealth was about 2,000 tonnes in 2001 in Kerala. In 20 1 I , it decreased to about 300 to 350 tonnes. In addition to its high demand in the local market it has good export market also.
Pearl spot is farmed using wild seeds in traditional ponds in Kerala. The average production is about 1 000 kg/ha/year over 8-10 month grow-out period. Pond culture is not
recommended for large scale production of the fish.
However, culture of this species in cages has shown its
potential for monoculture and polyculture with other
brackishwaterfishes. Cage culture is the most suitable method to enhance pearl spot production
