The Telangana government has declared murrel’ as the State fish. Murrel’ (channa striatus) is the seventh State icon identified by the government for different species. The earlier icons were: State bird Pala Pitta (Indian Roller or Blue Jay); flower Tangedu (Tanner’s Cassia); fruit Mango; tree Jammi chettu (Prosopis Cineraria); sport Kabaddi and animal Jinka (deer). By an order, the government also issued guidelines on Wednesday to regulate exotic fish culture like Tilapia so as to conserve the indigenous aquatic diversity in the water bodies of Telangana. The guidelines were recommended by an expert committee on animal and fish biodiversity. The order said there were 109 fish species found in rivers, canals and water bodies in the State and many of them were nearly threatened and vulnerable. Therefore, it was decided to permit Tilapia fish nurseries only if they were already registered with the Fisheries Department.
2016, The Hindu