A reverie country like Bangladesh is full of different fishes. As a country of rivers and marshes, Bangladesh is a favourable habitat for fish. It has always been available in abundance in this country. Different species of fish are available in this country. Different species of fish are found in canals, rivers, ponds, tanks, and other water bodies. At present, due to various reasons, water bodies are shrinking. To meet the need, fish breeding has been introduced. Many exotic fish are also being cultivated in the country all year round. Bangladesh people are fond of fish. They are called bangles with rice and fish. This is why the demand for fish is very high in the country. The Hilsa is the national fish of this country. Fish is the main source of animal protein in Bangladesh. It is vital for the growth of children. Besides animal protein, fish also contains vitamin A and calcium. People of Bangladesh also consume dried fish. Mostly, marine fish are dried and eaten.
Marine Fish:
Fishes found in saltwater are called saltwater or marine fish. There are 442 species of fish in the Bay of Bengal. Of them, only about 20 species are collected commercially. Marine fishes are harvested from the upper and lower zone of water. Prominent species that live in the upper zone of water include Hilsa, Pomfret, Sword Fish, Bombay duck, Threadfin, Butter Fish, Dogfish, etc. Jew Fish, Pike, Eel, Goat Fish, Rabbit Fish, Shark, etc. are the major fishes in the lower zone of water. There are about 24 species of sharks in the Bay of Bengal.
Freshwater Fish:
Freshwater fishes live in rivers, canals, ponds, and other water bodies. Almost there are 260 species of freshwater fish in Bangladesh. Prominent among them are Rui, Catla, Boal, Chital, Koi, Chingri, Magur, Mola, Baim, Punti, Chela, Khoilsha, etc [local names]. These fishes feed on tiny living organisms that exist in water, like algae, dead plant leaves, underwater organic matters, etc. About all the freshwater fishes spawn in the rainy season. Several species of freshwater fish are at risk of extinction as the farmers use chemical fertilizers and insecticides in their fields.
Fish Farming:
Pesci culture or fish-firming has been introduced due to the diminishing natural breeding of fish and to meet up the increasing demand of people. Both local, as well as exotic fishes, are cultivated, though the exotic species often get preference. Prominent locally cultured fishes include Rui(Salmon), Koi( Climbing fish), Magur( Catfish), Chingri(Prawn/Shrimp), etc. Notable among exotic cultured fishes are Talapia, different types of Carps (Salmon category), Thai Pangash, Rajpunti, Mohashol, etc. Also, Shrimp is one of the major cultivated fishes in Bangladesh. The country earns a lot of foreign currency every year by exporting Shrimp after meeting up the demand.
Gluttonous Fish:
Fishes that feed on smaller species are generally called gluttonous fish. Prominent gluttonous fishes of Bangladesh include Shol, Gojar, Boal, Chital, Pangash, Foli, Magur, etc. They mostly feed on young carp. When various fishes are cultivated in ponds, lakes, and other local water bodies, extra caution is taken to protect other fishes from the gluttonous ones. However, gluttonous fishes are rich in proteins and nutrients. This is why they are cultivated commercially due to lucrative business.
Aquarium Fish:
Various multi-colored beautiful fishes are cultured in the aquarium. These are exotic fishes of red, blue, black, golden, and silver color. At the beginning of the twentieth century, nearly 150 foreign species were brought to the country. Most of them were aquarium fish. Popular aquarium fishes in Bangladesh include Goldfish, Angelfish Tetra etc.
Hazardous Fish:
Some foreign species of fish are harmful to our health and the environment. Due to a lack of awareness and greed for easy profit, many people are eager to cultivate these fishes like African Magur(catfish) and Piranha. They are very harmful to our health due to being over-fleshy without many proteins. These categories feed on garbage and stools discharged from toilets. They randomly devour local fishes. Experts believe that these hazardous fishes can cause the extinction of many local species.
Different Types of Fishing Instruments:
There are some notable ways and means of fishing easily. They include hooks, traps and nets, and current nets. But current nets are widely used to catch young fish. It hampers breeding and reduces the amount of fish in the local water bodies like ponds, canals, tanks, and so forth. People use current nets mostly during the rainy season to catch in great quantity. But they hardly think about the motherfishes. Hooking is a hobby of some people. They like to catch fish in ponds, canals, and tanks with some bait.
