Preparing for ICAR AIEEA-PG (Fisheries Science), AICE-JRF/SRF, ASRB NET, or a state fisheries officer exam? Coldwater fisheries — trout, mahseer and snow trout of the Himalayas — is a favourite examiner’s hunting ground, because it packs history, taxonomy, institutes and current affairs into one small syllabus block. Here are 20 practice MCQs covering the introduction of trout to Kashmir, the golden mahseer, ICAR-DCFR, and India’s trout economy today. Attempt the questions first, then check the answer key — every answer carries its source.
Why coldwater fisheries matters for exams
Coldwater fisheries is the fisheries science of India’s hills — Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. It is small in volume but huge in exam weightage: the story of trout in Kashmir is 125 years old, the golden mahseer is the “tiger of the rivers”, and ICAR’s coldwater institute at Bhimtal is a one-line question that appears again and again. Add the current-affairs angle — Jammu & Kashmir produced about 3,010 tonnes of trout in 2024-25, making it India’s largest trout-producing region — and this topic can fetch you easy marks in both the subject paper and the general-awareness section.
Coldwater species at a glance
| Fish | Scientific name | What to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Rainbow trout | Oncorhynchus mykiss | Native to the Sacramento River region, west coast USA; the main farmed trout in India; grows best around 15°C |
| Brown trout | Salmo trutta | Introduced to Kashmir in 1899; red-orange spots on the body, adipose fin edge tipped red |
| Golden mahseer | Tor putitora | “Tiger of the rivers”; state fish of Himachal Pradesh; DCFR cracked its year-round breeding (Patent No. 432763) |
| Snow trout | Schizothorax richardsonii | The common Himalayan snow trout of fast-flowing hill streams |
| Chocolate mahseer | Neolissochilus hexagonolepis | Mahseer of the north-eastern hills |
| Deccan mahseer | Tor khudree | Mahseer of the Deccan rivers |
ICAR AIEEA-PG 2026 — the exam facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Conducted by | National Testing Agency (NTA) for ICAR |
| 2026 exam date | 4 July 2026 (computer-based test) |
| Result declared | 29 August 2026 |
| Paper pattern | 120 MCQs, 480 marks, 2 hours, English only |
| Subject group | Fisheries Science is one of the PG subject groups |
| Counselling | Through the ICAR counselling portal (icarcounseling.com) |
| 2027 cycle | No notification yet as of 11 November 2026 — watch the NTA ICAR portal |
Practice Questions
Q1. The ICAR-Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research (DCFR) is headquartered at:
- (a) Bhimtal, Uttarakhand
- (b) Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
- (c) Solan, Himachal Pradesh
- (d) Gangtok, Sikkim
Q2. ICAR-DCFR was founded in 1987 as the:
- (a) Central Institute of Fisheries Technology
- (b) National Research Centre on Coldwater Fisheries (NRCCWF)
- (c) National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources
- (d) Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute
Q3. Brown trout was first introduced to Kashmir in:
- (a) 1863
- (b) 1899
- (c) 1908
- (d) 1912
Q4. The first consignment of brown trout ova sent to Kashmir in 1899 consisted of:
- (a) 10,000 ova from the UK, courtesy of the Duke of Bedford — the batch perished en route
- (b) 1,800 fry from Scotland that survived and were stocked at Harwan
- (c) 5,000 ova from Norway that hatched at Achabal
- (d) 2,000 fry from the USA that were released in the Jhelum
Q5. The first successful batch of brown trout fry reached Kashmir in:
- (a) December 1900, from Scotland
- (b) December 1905, from England
- (c) 1899, from Norway
- (d) 1912, from Canada
Q6. The first spawning (egg-taking) of brown trout in Kashmir was done at Harwan, near Srinagar, in:
- (a) December 1900
- (b) December 1905
- (c) 1908
- (d) 1912
Q7. The trout hatchery at Achabal in Anantnag district was built in:
- (a) 1899
- (b) 1905
- (c) 1908
- (d) 1912
Q8. The scientific name of rainbow trout is:
- (a) Salmo trutta
- (b) Oncorhynchus mykiss
- (c) Salvelinus fontinalis
- (d) Salmo salar
Q9. The scientific name of brown trout is:
- (a) Oncorhynchus mykiss
- (b) Salmo trutta
- (c) Tor putitora
- (d) Schizothorax richardsonii
Q10. Rainbow trout is native to:
- (a) The Sacramento River region, west coast of the USA
- (b) The River Thames, England
- (c) The Danube River, Europe
- (d) The Murray River, Australia
Q11. The scientific name of the golden mahseer is:
- (a) Tor tor
- (b) Tor khudree
- (c) Tor putitora
- (d) Neolissochilus hexagonolepis
Q12. The golden mahseer (Tor putitora) is the state fish of:
- (a) Himachal Pradesh
- (b) West Bengal
- (c) Kerala
- (d) Gujarat
Q13. According to Menon (1992), how many species of mahseer were identified in Indian waters?
- (a) Three
- (b) Four
- (c) Five
- (d) Seven
Q14. The snow trout of the Himalayan streams is:
- (a) Schizothorax richardsonii
- (b) Tor putitora
- (c) Salmo trutta
- (d) Labeo rohita
Q15. The chocolate mahseer is:
- (a) Tor khudree
- (b) Neolissochilus hexagonolepis
- (c) Tor tor
- (d) Schizothorax richardsonii
Q16. The Deccan mahseer is:
- (a) Tor putitora
- (b) Tor khudree
- (c) Neolissochilus hexagonolepis
- (d) Oncorhynchus mykiss
Q17. Trout belong to the family:
- (a) Cyprinidae
- (b) Salmonidae
- (c) Cichlidae
- (d) Channidae
Q18. Brown trout can be recognised in the field by:
- (a) Red-orange spots on the body and the adipose fin edge tipped with red
- (b) A pink lateral band and a deeply forked tail
- (c) Large cycloid scales and a terminal mouth with barbels
- (d) Vertical dark bars and a spotted dorsal fin
Q19. Rainbow trout grow best in water at around:
- (a) 5°C
- (b) 15°C
- (c) 25°C
- (d) 35°C
Q20. Which region was India’s largest trout producer in 2024-25, with about 3,010 tonnes?
- (a) Himachal Pradesh
- (b) Uttarakhand
- (c) Jammu & Kashmir
- (d) Sikkim
Answer Key
| Q | Answer | Why — source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | (a) | ICAR-DCFR is headquartered at Bhimtal (Nainital), Uttarakhand (ICAR). |
| 2 | (b) | Carved out of CIFRI in 1987 as the National Research Centre on Coldwater Fisheries; 34th Foundation Day was celebrated on 24 September 2021 (ICAR). |
| 3 | (b) | Brown trout was introduced to Kashmir in 1899 (Himachal Pradesh Department of Fisheries; Times of India, 29 June 2026). |
| 4 | (a) | The first batch — 10,000 ova from the UK, courtesy of the Duke of Bedford — perished en route for want of quick transport (Times of India, 29 June 2026). |
| 5 | (a) | The second shipment arrived from Scotland in December 1900 with 1,800 fry; 1,000 went to Harwan/Dachigam (Times of India, 29 June 2026). |
| 6 | (b) | The first spawning/egg-taking of brown trout (Salmo trutta fario) was done in December 1905 at Harwan, and a hatchery was established there in 1905-06. |
| 7 | (c) | The Achabal hatchery in Anantnag district was built in 1908, from where brown trout ova were sent across Kashmir. |
| 8 | (b) | Rainbow trout is Oncorhynchus mykiss; brown trout is Salmo trutta — the classic exam trap. |
| 9 | (b) | Brown trout is Salmo trutta (Himachal Pradesh Department of Fisheries). |
| 10 | (a) | Rainbow trout are natives of the Sacramento River region, west coast of the USA (Himachal Pradesh Department of Fisheries). |
| 11 | (c) | Golden mahseer is Tor putitora; it is called the “tiger of the rivers”. |
| 12 | (a) | Golden mahseer is the state fish of Himachal Pradesh (also of Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh). |
| 13 | (c) | Menon (1992) identified five species of mahseer in Indian waters (Himachal Pradesh Department of Fisheries). |
| 14 | (a) | Snow trout is Schizothorax richardsonii, the common Himalayan hill-stream fish. |
| 15 | (b) | Chocolate mahseer is Neolissochilus hexagonolepis. |
| 16 | (b) | Deccan mahseer is Tor khudree. |
| 17 | (b) | Trout belong to family Salmonidae — they carry the small fleshy adipose fin behind the dorsal fin. |
| 18 | (a) | Brown trout show red-orange spots on the body and the adipose fin edge tipped with red (Himachal Pradesh Department of Fisheries). |
| 19 | (b) | Rainbow trout thrive best in cold water around 15°C; warm water above 20°C stresses them. |
| 20 | (c) | Jammu & Kashmir produced about 3,010 tonnes of trout in 2024-25 — India’s largest — supported by the Kokernag hatchery and 2,000+ private trout units (Ministry data, June 2026, via Times of India). |
How to use this question bank
- Attempt all 20 questions in 15 minutes, then score yourself with the key.
- Read the “Why” column — it gives you the exact fact and source to quote in descriptive answers and interviews.
- Memorise the species table: scientific names of trout and mahseer are among the most repeated questions in ICAR AIEEA-PG Fisheries Science.
- Revise with our other question banks: India’s Fisheries Institutes MCQs, Fish Breeding MCQs, Water Quality MCQs, and the ASRB NET 2026 prep guide.
Official links
- NTA ICAR portal (AIEEA-PG/AICE results and notifications): exams.nta.nic.in/icar
- ICAR-DCFR Bhimtal: ICAR — DCFR celebrates Foundation Day
- Kashmir trout history and 2024-25 production data: Times of India, 29 June 2026
All facts verified against official and primary sources as of 11 November 2026: ICAR (DCFR Foundation Day, 24 September 2021), Himachal Pradesh Department of Fisheries (Game Fishes page), Times of India (29 June 2026, Ministry of Fisheries data), and NTA ICAR portal records (AIEEA-PG 2026: exam 4 July 2026, result 29 August 2026). No expired windows; the 2027 AIEEA cycle notification is awaited and is stated as such.