Guwahati, April 30 -- Reported by Roopak Goswami

Guwahati: In a significant boost to sustainable fisheries and biodiversity conservation, scientists at the ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute have successfully achieved India's first captive breeding and larval rearing of Channa stewartii, a prized ornamental fish native to the upper Brahmaputra River, without the use of hormones.

Popularly known as the Assamese snakehead, Channa stewartii commands a high market value of Rs 600-1,200 per pair. However, rising demand has led to heavy dependence on wild collection from hill streams, raising concerns over overexploitation and habitat stress.

To address this, ICAR-CIFRI's Guwahati Regional Centre initiated targeted research und...