Silver Cyprinid (Omena)
Rastrineobola argentea
Silver cyprinid is a small pelagic fish, reaching about 8cm, endemic to the Lake Victoria basin and known locally as omena in Kenya, dagaa in Tanzania, and mukene in Uganda.
Species
Fish
Family
Danionidae
Climate requirements
A warm tropical lake species living in Lake Victoria's upper water layers at roughly 22-26C, migrating vertically to stay deep by day and rise near the surface at night; confined to Kenya's Lake Victoria basin.
Husbandry guide
Omena is not pond-farmed; it is caught wild with small-mesh seine and lift nets, usually fished at night with light attraction as shoals rise after dark. Catches are sun-dried immediately on raised racks or mats along the lakeshore, since most landing sites lack refrigeration and the fish spoils fast. It feeds naturally on zooplankton, so no artificial feed input is needed, but drying quality and hygiene strongly determine whether the batch grades for human food or animal feed. Farmers or cooperatives engaging with omena are typically in the value chain (buying, drying, aggregating, transport) rather than production, since aquaculture rearing of the species has not been established.
Economic importance
Omena is a major low-cost protein source for East African households and a key input to Kenya's fish/animal-feed industry, with a value chain employing an estimated two million-plus people across the region.