Vetki fish is a species of catadromous fish. Vetki fish family is Latidae. Vetki fish inhabit temperate to subtropical waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, including brackish estuaries, coastal lagoons, and bays. Vetki fish range from North Carolina to Chile on the east coast of the United States as well as from southern Argentina to northern Chile on the west coast of South America.
Vetki fish are found in the Gosairhat and Noakhali areas of the Feni River. Vetki fish are an important commercial fish species in Bangladesh. In the state of Gujarat, India Vetki fish is found in the Meghalaya region. In other states of India, Vetki is fished as an off-season by-catch of prawn fisheries during the summer months. In Taiwan, Vetki is a popular food among local people.
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How to identify Vetki fish?
Vetki fish body is silver in color with dark brown stripes. The eel-like mouth is white. The tail of vetki fish is longer than its head and looks similar to a lizard tail due to its skin folds.
Vetki fish has scales on the surface of the body and gill covers are present. Vetki fish grows up to 1 foot (30 cm) in length and may reach 4 feet (1.2 m) in maximum length.
Habitat and characteristics
Vetki fish inhabits fresh, brackish, and marine waters. Vetki fish migrate during the monsoon season. Vetki fish appear to be more active in the late evening and continue to feed throughout the night. Chin river delta in Bangladesh provides excellent habitat for Vetki fish.
In Bangladesh, Vetki fishes are collected from coastal lagoons, estuaries, and bays of the Bay of Bengal by various gears including seines and cast nets.
Feeding habits
Vetki fish inhabit shallow waters and are not strong swimmers. Vetki fish move about in small schools. Vetki fish have small eyes and a chin barbel, and feed on crustaceans, shrimps, small fish, mollusks, worms, insect larvae, and insects; occasionally eat zooplankton.
Vetki fish are omnivores. Vetki fishes and shrimps are known to be the prime decomposers of dead organic matter in the ecosystem they belong to.
Uses
Vetki fish is a popular food fish in Taiwan. The fishing industry around Taiwan has developed the technique of catadromous fish farming. Fish farmers feed Vetki fish with pellets containing protein and vitamins.
Vetki fish are an important commercial species in Bangladesh and India, especially in coastal areas of northeastern Bangladesh where they are caught by casting nets or seining from boats at night from May to October.
Breeding
Vetki fish breed in freshwater and brackish water. The breeding season lasts from April to October. Vetki fish eggs are demersal, sticky, and adhesive. Vetki fish hatch after 23 to 24 days of incubation at a temperature of 25 °C (77 °F).
Vetki fish farming
In Taiwan, Vetki fish is a popular food among the local people and many households raise it for food. Aquaculture of Vetki is being developed as a supplementary food source in Taiwan.
Vetki fish farming uses an intensive semi-closed pond system. The ponds are located at a higher elevation to prevent direct contact with the seawater.
Special Considerations
Vetki fish is an endangered species in India, Bangladesh, and Taiwan. Vetki fish have a wide range of geography, from North Carolina to Chile on the east coast of the U.S.A. As well as from southern Argentina to northern Chile in the west coast of South America.
People are harvesting Vetki fish for food in Bangladesh, however, this fishery is declining due to illegal fishing activities and habitat degradation. People are farming Vetki fish as an off-season by-catch of prawn fisheries during the summer months. However, review the breed profile of the Vetki fish in the following table.
Best 11 Notes
| Name | Vetki fish |
| Other names | Scaly bullhead, Barramundi Fish, coral, Bhetki, jitada fish, chonak fish, barramundi fish |
| Order | Cypriniformes |
| Family | Latidae |
| Genus & Species | Pareutropius vetki (Hamilton, 1822) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Cypriniformes |
| Family | Catostomidae |
| Genus | Pareutropius Vetki Hamilton, 1822. Common name vetki fish. |
Conclusion
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