Promotion of indigenous species in aquaculture is imperative for sustainable aquaculture production and
conservation of aquatic biodiversity. Indigenous sahar (Tor putitora) constituted substantial natural fishery
in major riverine and lacustrine ecosystem of Nepal in past. Presently their diversity has been threatened by
various anthropogenic activities. With the conservation and aquaculture ·point of view, considerable
development has been achieved on artificial propagation of this species. Performance ofT. putitora on its
growth and yield in different eco-region are under evaluation.
Growth experiment of sahar with different age cohort was conducted in ponds at Pokhara valley and
Tarahara, representing northern mid hill and southern plain, respectively during February 2005 to July 2005.
The growth of sahar was faster in warmer environment as evidenced by significant different (P<0.05) in
body weight gain was found between Tarahara (66.5 g) and Pokhara (52.8 g) after 120 days of rearing of
small size (3.5-4.0 g) sahar at mean water temperature of 26.3 and 29.1 °C, respectively. Differences in
initial stocking size were also found to affect growth rate of sahar. Sahar stocked with initial average weight
of 4.0 g grew at the rate of 0.40 g.day-1 while the growth rate of large size (24.9 g) sahar was 0.49 g.day-1
during February to June in Pokhara and the differences were significant (P<0.05). One-year old fingerling of
sahar (50.9 g) grew much faster (1.12 g.day- 1) and attained final weight of 219.4 g within 150 days in
Tarahara. These results indicate that sahar has a growth potential comparable to that of slow growing
aquacultured species (viz. rohu), but comparatively fetch a very high market price and is of high cultural
value.

Promotion of indigenous species in aquaculture is imperative for sustainable aquaculture production and
conservation of aquatic biodiversity. Indigenous sahar (Tor putitora) constituted substantial natural fishery
in major riverine and lacustrine ecosystem of Nepal in past. Presently their diversity has been threatened by
various anthropogenic activities. With the conservation and aquaculture ·point of view, considerable
development has been achieved on artificial propagation of this species. Performance ofT. putitora on its
growth and yield in different eco-region are under evaluation.
Growth experiment of sahar with different age cohort was conducted in ponds at Pokhara valley and
Tarahara, representing northern mid hill and southern plain, respectively during February 2005 to July 2005.
The growth of sahar was faster in warmer environment as evidenced by significant different (P<0.05) in
body weight gain was found between Tarahara (66.5 g) and Pokhara (52.8 g) after 120 days of rearing of
small size (3.5-4.0 g) sahar at mean water temperature of 26.3 and 29.1 °C, respectively. Differences in
initial stocking size were also found to affect growth rate of sahar. Sahar stocked with initial average weight
of 4.0 g grew at the rate of 0.40 g.day-1 while the growth rate of large size (24.9 g) sahar was 0.49 g.day-1
during February to June in Pokhara and the differences were significant (P<0.05). One-year old fingerling of
sahar (50.9 g) grew much faster (1.12 g.day- 1) and attained final weight of 219.4 g within 150 days in
Tarahara. These results indicate that sahar has a growth potential comparable to that of slow growing
aquacultured species (viz. rohu), but comparatively fetch a very high market price and is of high cultural
value.