Climbing perch Anabas testudineus is a high-priced fish, nutritious and economically profitable for small- to medium-scale fish farmers, who can obtain fry from local paddy fields and low-lying inundated areas in late summer, monsoon and post-monsoon periods. Climbing perch is a facultative air-breathing fish that is able to move between water bodies by undertaking short migrations overland. This article describes techniques for climbing perch and major carp aquaculture, including use of biofloc systems, preparation of live feeds including mealworms, and some concerns regarding the hybridisation of native Indian strain of A. testudineus with an imported Vietnamese strain.

In this issue:

• 31st NACA Governing Council held online.
• SDG-aligned Artemia Aquaculture Workshop held in China / online.
• Policy brief on sustaining the future of the global seaweed industry.
• Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report
• Training Course on Mariculture Technology in Asia-Pacific.

In this issue:

Habitat breeding and seed rearing of a near threatened featherback, Chitala chitala; Wild seed collection and modified-extensive farming of Mystus gulio in inland water bodies of South 24 Parganas, West Bengal; Freshwater pearl culture practices and challenges in India; Next generation probiotics: Future therapeutics for sustainable aquaculture; NACA Newsletter.

The cultivable small- to medium-sized bagrid catfish Mystus gulio is an estuarine species sold as a high-priced food fish in retail markets in cities and towns of southern West Bengal. M. gulio is a good addition to mixed species culture-based fisheries in canals in the Indian Sundarbans region. It adapts and grows well in freshwater ponds and is recommended for freshwater fish culture in areas of the Sundarbans vulnerable to saline water intrusion. This article describes the seed collection, nursery and grow-out practices of M. gulio as practiced in modified-extensive mixed culture systems in West Bengal, India.

The humped featherback, Chitala chitala is considered to be one of the most commercially important food, sport, aquarium and highly priced cultivable fish in Assam. However, over exploitation, habitat degradation and pollution has caused wild populations to decline in recent decades, to the point where the species is categorised as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Here we present the biological aspects of breeding and larval rearing protocols of the humped featherback, which has been prioritised as a new candidate species for freshwater aquaculture in India. The information will also aid in stock enhancement and conservation of this species.