Hyderabad: The Central government apparently skipped Telugu in the Rangeen Machhli app, which provides multilingual information on popular ornamental fish species in eight Indian languages.
Whether hobbyists seeking guidance on fish care or farmers looking to diversify their breeds, the app offers comprehensive details on care, breeding, and maintenance practices. But when personal details are entered after downloading the app, a menu pops up to select one from eight languages – English, Odia, Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Punjabi, Malayalam and Tamil.
However, an option to select Telugu language is not seen leaving many people from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh disappointed. According to a statement, a standout feature of the app is the “Find Aquarium Shops” tool, enabling users to discover nearby aquarium stores. This dynamic directory is regularly updated by shop owners, promoting local businesses while providing users with reliable sources for ornamental fish and aquarium-related products.
The app includes educational modules for both newcomers and professionals in the ornamental fish industry. The “Basics of Aquarium Care” module covers essential topics such as types of aquariums, fishes, water filtration, lighting, feeding, day to day maintenance, while the “Ornamental Aquaculture” module focuses on breeding, rearing of different ornamental fish.
On September 12, 2024, the Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh introduced the “Rangeen Machhli” mobile app at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA) in Bhubaneswar.
According to the statement, India boasts a rich diversity of ornamental fish, with over 195 indigenous varieties reported from the North-East Region and Western Ghats, and nearly 400 species from marine ecosystems. The majority of ornamental fish exported from India are wild varieties, primarily collected from the rivers of the North-East and Southern States, which contribute about 85 per cent of the country’s total ornamental fish exports.
Among the 195 reported species from the North-East, 155 are of ornamental value. The Western Ghats, one of the world’s 34 ‘Biodiversity Hotspot’ areas, is home to numerous freshwater fish species, 40 of which are of ornamental value, with 37 being endemic to the region.
Around 90 per cent of India's ornamental fish trade focuses on freshwater species, while the remaining 10 per cent involves marine species. Most ornamental fish breeders in India primarily breed exotic species, with only a few involved in breeding indigenous, marine, or brackish water fish.
Goldfish is the most popular species among hobbyists, leading its breeding to dominate the Indian ornamental fish sector. Besides common livebearer varieties, breeders also focus on specialized species like Oscar, Flower Horn, Tetras, Discus, and Cichlids.