◆ Scientific name: Misgurnus mizolepis ◆ Common name: muddy loach ◆ Taxonomic position: Cobitidae ◆ Description and ecological character

 The species inhabit freshwater environments with silt bottom in Korea and China. The adult fish is known as omnivorous in nature but can be cultured with only artificial feed. In nature, the spawning season is about May to June. This fish can obtain oxygen from the water using both gill and intestine. The adults weighing 20g produce 15,000 eggs each time. The hatching time of the fertilized eggs is 40 hrs at water temperature 20^oC.

◆ Aquaculture technique

○ Seedling production: The egg of this species is so small that farmers should induce ovulation and insemination artificially. Dose of hormone to inject is 6-10IU HCG/g body weight. Farmers should take out the testis and grind within physiological saline solution to get sperm. Hatching larvae is so small as 4 mm in TL that have to prepare tiny food organism such as rotifers sizing about 200㎛. The food organism is changed to others such as bloodworm later when the fry reached 30 mm in TL.

○ Culture: The pond should be equipped with any blocks from fish escaping and can be cultured with rice. Easy to manage pond size is about 150 m². This fish can be grown to table fish within 4 to 5 months. Stocking density will be 400-600g/m². Feeding rate is 3-6% in summer season. Keep water clearness less than 25 cm.

Rice-field culture	Earthen pond culture	Drain facility with prevention device of loach