Rangeen Machhli App: ICAR-CIFA Launches Mobile App for Ornamental Fish

New Delhi, Sep 13 (PTI) ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA) has developed a mobile app 'Rangeen Machhli' for providing crucial information about ornamental fisheries to fish farmers and aquarium shop owners.

On Thursday, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh launched the 'Rangeen Machhli' mobile app at ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA), Bhubaneswar.

"Developed by ICAR-CIFA with support from the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the app is designed to meet the growing needs of the ornamental fisheries sector, providing crucial knowledge resources for hobbyists, aquarium shop owners, and fish farmers," according to an official statement on Thursday.

The 'Rangeen Machhli' app provides multi-lingual information on popular ornamental fish species in eight Indian languages, making it accessible to a wide audience.

The app can be downloaded from the Google Play store from this link https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ornamentalfish.

"Whether hobbyists are seeking guidance on fish care or farmers looking to diversify their breeds, the app offers comprehensive details on care, breeding, and maintenance practices," the statement said.

One of its key features is the "Find Aquarium Shops" tool, which allows users to locate nearby aquarium shops through a dynamic directory updated by shop owners, promoting local businesses and connecting users with reliable sources for ornamental fish and aquarium-related products.

In addition, the app includes educational modules for both newcomers and professionals in the ornamental fish industry.

The "Basics of Aquarium Care" module covers essential topics such as types of aquariums, fishes, water filtration, lighting, feeding, day to day maintenance, while the "Ornamental Aquaculture" module focuses on breeding, rearing of different ornamental fish.

In his address, Singh highlighted the increasing importance of the ornamental fisheries sector and said his ministry is giving a strong emphasis on its development, recognising the sector's potential for generating employment and contributing to the economy.

The aquarium hobby has to be promoted in a bigger way in the country, he added.