Question

Adhesive eggs are seen in case of which fish ?

• A. Catla
• B. Mrigal
• C. Common carp
• D. Tilapia

Hint:

Common carp spawners require grass or artificial substrates called "kakabans" in breeding hapas to collect their adhesive eggs and prevent them from adhering to the hapa walls or suffocating on the bottom.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Fish eggs are categorized based on their physical properties and behavior in water as adhesive, non-adhesive, semi-adhesive, floating, or sinking eggs.
Adhesive eggs possess a sticky outer mucilaginous layer that hardens and adheres to aquatic vegetation, rocks, or other substrates upon contact with water.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) belongs to the family Cyprinidae and is renowned for laying highly adhesive eggs.
During spawning, the female deposits eggs on submerged aquatic plants, weeds, or artificial substrates (like kakabans).
The stickiness prevents the eggs from drifting away in currents or sinking into muddy pond bottoms where they would suffocate due to lack of oxygen.
In contrast, Indian Major Carps such as Catla (Catla catla) and Mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala) lay non-adhesive, semi-buoyant eggs that swell in water and remain suspended or sink slowly without sticking.
Tilapia, on the other hand, exhibits mouthbrooding behavior where eggs are incubated inside the buccal cavity of the parent, requiring no adhesive attachment to substrates.

Step 4: Final Answer:
Among the given options, the common carp is the species that produces highly adhesive eggs.