Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks us to identify an "Anadromous" fish. Anadromous fishes are migratory species that spend most of their adult lives in saltwater (seas/oceans) but migrate upstream into freshwater (rivers) to spawn (reproduce).
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
• Diadromous fish migration involves travel between marine and freshwater environments. It is classified into two major categories: anadromous and catadromous.
• Anadromous fishes (such as salmon, shad, and Hilsa) live in the sea and migrate to freshwater rivers to spawn. Once the eggs hatch, the juveniles mature in the river and eventually migrate back down to the sea.
• Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) is a classic example of an anadromous clupeid fish. It inhabits marine and estuarine environments but migrates long distances upstream into rivers like the Ganges and Padma for spawning.
• Catadromous migration is the exact opposite of anadromous migration. Catadromous fishes live in freshwater rivers but migrate to the sea to spawn. The eel (Anguilla) is the most famous example of a catadromous fish.
• Labeo (such as Rohu, Labeo rohita) is a purely freshwater fish that spends its entire life cycle in freshwater rivers and lakes without migrating to the sea.
• Channa (snakeheads) are air-breathing freshwater fishes that live, feed, and spawn exclusively within freshwater bodies.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Among the choices, Hilsa is an anadromous fish that migrates from the sea to fresh water to spawn.