Question

What is the meaning of the term 'aquaculture'? Name any three animals which can be cultured by this method.

Answer 1

• Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of fish, crustaceans, molluscs, aquatic plants, algae, and other organisms. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations of aquatic animals.
  
• Three animals which can be cultured by this method are:
  

1. Fish - The farming of fish is the most common form of aquaculture. It involves raising fish commercially in tanks, fish ponds, or ocean enclosures, usually for food. Worldwide, the most important fish species used in fish farming are carp, salmon, tilapia, and catfish.
   
2. Molluscs - Aquacultured shellfish include various oyster, mussel, and clam species. These bivalves are the filter and/or deposit feeders, which rely on ambient primary production rather than inputs of fish or other feed.
   
3. Other groups - Other groups include aquatic reptiles, amphibians, and miscellaneous invertebrates, such as echinoderms and jellyfish. Commercially harvested echinoderms include sea cucumbers and sea urchins. In China, sea cucumbers are farmed in artificial ponds as large as 1,000 acres.