Rohu

Labeo rohita

Rohu, Labeo rohita, is a major South Asian freshwater carp native to the river systems of the Indian subcontinent. It is a deep-bodied, silvery fish with a slightly arched back, reddish fins in many adults, and a small downturned mouth used for feeding in midwater and near the bottom. In natural rivers it moves with seasonal flows and spawns during the monsoon. As a food fish, rohu is valued for firm flesh and rapid growth under pond culture.

Farmers commonly raise rohu in earthen ponds as part of Indian major carp polyculture with catla and mrigal, taking advantage of different feeding levels within the same water body. Hatcheries usually rely on induced breeding because dependable spawning requires river-like seasonal conditions. Good production depends on oxygen, temperature, plankton management, stocking density, and supplemental feed rather than simply adding fish to a pond. Rohu can reach sizes far beyond a home aquarium, so it is mainly a farm, market, research, or public-display species rather than a typical pet fish.