Exploring ontogenic development and larval rearing of striped murrel (Channa striatus)

The striped murrel (Channa striatus) is an economically valuable species in aquaculture due to its high price, medicinal properties, rapid growth, widespread consumer appeal, and ability to thrive in high-density intensive farming owing to its air-breathing capabilities. Despite these advantages, challenges in larval rearing hinder the production of high-quality fingerlings with increased survival rate. This review examines current larval rearing protocols for striped murrel, identifies bottlenecks, and explores digestive development during early stages to enhance understanding of its ontogeny. While advancements have been made, there are gaps in knowledge regarding the roles of specific genes and hormones during early development, and the impact of environmental factors on larval survival and metabolism. To address these gaps, this review draws an extensive knowledge acquired from studies on other fish species, examining digestive and metabolic genes, hormones, and environmental factors, with the goal of advancing larviculture practices for striped murrel. In addition, this review provides insights into the methodologies for studying the digestive system during early developmental stages of striped murrel larvae.