KHAKHRA DHAND IN THE PUNJAB AS PROBABLE BREEDING GROUND
AND NURSERY FOR THE THAILA FISH, CATLA CATLA (HAMILTON)
By UDE SINGH RAI, M.Sc., Ph.D., Warden of Fisheries, East Punjab, Palampur
(Received for publication on 16 April 1947)
(With one text figure)
I N a recent Symposium on the 'Factors Influencing the Spawning of Indian carps' ; several
fishery scientists, namely, Hora, Mookerjee, Hamid Khan, Amjad Husain, Das and Das Gupta,
Sundara Raj, Moses, Dasen, Langdale Smith, Mazumdar and Nazir Ahmad, participated in the
discussion. The general conclusions arrived at were thus summarized by Hora in his concluding
remarks:
' The flooded condition of a river or a tank is the primary factor that is responsible for the spawning
of Indian carps. It has also been brought out that intensive flooding capable of inundating vast
shallow areas, which form the spawning grounds of fish, could only induce the spawning of Indian
Carps. By creating floods artificially, which should be of sufficient intensity so as to inundate
spawning grounds, at Radhanagar, Midnapore and at Satkania, Chittagong, it has been possible to
induce spawning and reversely when low floods in the Punjab did not inundate spawning grounds,
the fish refused to come out for spawning though they were sexually mature. The high pH and
oxygen content value of water are a necessary corollary to floods but have no independent value
in inducing spawning. Both pH value and oxygen tension could be artificially controlled, but it
will generally be conceded that these factors by themselves have no value unless the spawning grounds
are covered for some time, so as to enable fish to induce in amorous play, liberate eggs and give
sufficient warmth for the helpless larvae to pass a few days of their life in the seclusion and rich
pasturage characteristic of shallow waters.
One other factor of importance which seems to affect spawning independently of floods, is the
temperature. It has been observed in the Pubjab that as soon as the temperature rose from 76°F.
to 96°F., the fish, which had responded to the floods, deserted the spawning grounds. Similarly,
Das and Das Gupta found that in the Kurkuti Bundh, Midnapore, so long as the temperature was
above 84°F. two batches of fish were induced to spawn successfully but the third batch refused to
spawn as the temperature had fallen to 81°F. Mr Langdale Smith's observations on the breeding
of Mahseer and from our knowledge of the factors influencing the spawning of European Carp, it
is also clear that temperature is a factor of considerable importance.'
From the observations recorded below regarding the probable breeding of Catla in the Khakhra
'Dhand', it would appear that flood is undoubtably a primary factor though it is not caused by the
monsoon rains but by the melting of snow. Unfortunately no regular records of temperature were
maintained but from the analysis of total salts and pH given here it is clear that waters of the 'Dhand'
undergo considerable variation in these respects at the time of the breeding of the fish.
THE KHAKHRA ' DHAND'
The Khakhra ' Dhand' is situated in the course of the Khakhra tributary of the Sutlej river and
is an extensive low, marshy area, situated in the jurisdiction of the village Bhangala, near Valtoha
Railway station, in the District of Amritsar. It is one and a half miles long and at least quarter
of a mile broad during the flood season, but during the dry season its breadth shrinks and is not more
than one hundred yards. It is connected with the river Sutlej by a perennial channel which is
about a mile in length, and is fed by the Khakhra 'Dhand'.
1. Proc. Nat. Inst. Sci. India, IX, pp. 303-330 (1945)
245
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