Types of Freshwater Fish Farmed in Vietnam

Vietnam’s aquaculture production is divided into freshwater species and marine species. Most of its production is centered around the farming of freshwater species or around inland species.

Freshwater Species

The Mekong River Delta produces a bulk of Vietnam’s freshwater species, and the most popular species, cultivated in the area is catfish (Pangasius Hypophthalmus and Pangasius Bocourti). Other species of fish that contribute significantly to production volumes are carps and carp variants like the silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys Molitrix), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon Idellus), common carp (Cyprinus Carpio), bighead carp (Aristichthys Nobilis) and the major Indian carps including catla (Catla Catla), rohu (Labeo Rohita) and mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala).

Other species include the climbing perch (Anabas Testudineus) and Indonesian snakeheads (Channa Micropeltes). As far as shrimps and prawns are concerned, production is dominated by the giant river prawn.

While tilapias are farmed, they are not as popular as they are in other Southeast Asian countries and that could be because, among other things, tilapias might not be suited to the local palate or the market might be saturated, by exports from other South East Asian countries.

Marine Species

The most common marine species cultivated in Vietnam’s coastal water are lobsters (Panulirus spp.), groupers (Epinephelus spp.) and seaweed (Gracilaria Verrucosa). Other brackishwater species include shrimps (Penaeus Monodon), mud crabs (Scylla spp.), and bivalves (Meretrix spp. and Anadara spp.). These species are cultured particularly in South Vietnam.

New species include cobia (Rachycentron Canadum), abalone (Haliotis spp.), maculated ivory whelk (Babylonia Areolata), silverlip pearl oyster (Pinctada Maxima spp.), whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus Vannamei) and barramundi (Lates Calcarifer).