Freshwater Fish Diversity of West Bengal, India © 2017 JEZS Received: 08-01-2017
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Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2017; 5(2): 37-45 E-ISSN: 2320-7078 P-ISSN: 2349-6800 JEZS 2017; 5(2): 37-45 Freshwater fish diversity of West Bengal, India © 2017 JEZS Received: 08-01-2017 Accepted: 09-02-2017 HS Mogalekar, J Canciyal, CP Ansar, D Bhakta, I Biswas and Deepak HS Mogalekar Kumar Department of Fisheries Biology and Resource Management, Abstract Fisheries College and Research In the present communication, an attempt has been made to provide a systematic classification of Institute, Tamil Nadu Fisheries freshwater fishes of West Bengal along with their local names, environment and conservation status, as University, Thoothukudi, Tamil far as possible. We recognized 267 species of freshwater fishes (186 primary freshwater species, 81 Nadu, India secondary freshwater species), belonging to 12 orders, 40 families and 123 genera. Thirteen species of exotic fishes have been introduced to freshwater bodies of the state. The top order with diverse species J Canciyal Department of Fisheries composition was Cypriniformes (117 species, 46 genera and 4 families). The most diverse family was Resource Management, Faculty Cyprinidae with 84 species and 35 genera. Freshwater fishes of West Bengal revealed existence of 109 of Fishery Sciences, West Bengal ornamental fishes, 92 food fishes and 66 were ornamental or food fishes. Out of the 267 freshwater University of Animal and fishes, 17.97% are under threatened or near threatened categories. Updated checklist will lead to a better Fisheries Sciences, Kolkata, understanding of the freshwater fish diversity of West Bengal for development and conservation planning West Bengal, India processes. CP Ansar Keywords: Freshwater fish fauna, conservation status, West Bengal Regional Agricultural Research Station, Kumorokam, 1. Introduction Kottayam, Kerala, India West Bengal is the only state of India that extends from the Himalaya to the Bay of Bengal [1, 2] D Bhakta and located between Latitude 21º38' N to 27º10' N and Longitude 85º38' E to 89º50' E . A Department of Fisheries large portion of the state occupies the transitional zones between the Himalayas in the north Resource Management, Faculty and the Chhotanagpur plateau in the west to the plains of the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta in the of Fishery Sciences, West Bengal southern and eastern sections [1]. West Bengal is enriched with 6.08 lakh hactor of freshwater University of Animal and Fisheries Sciences, Kolkata, fisheries resources in the form of Ponds and Tanks (2.88 lakh hactor), Beels and Boar (0.41 West Bengal, India lakh hactor), Reservoirs (0.27 lakh hactor), 22 river drainage basins (1.72 lakh hactor) and Canals (0.80 lakh hactor) [2]. Basins of river Ganga (81% of area), river Brahmaputra (12%), I Biswas river Subarnarekha (4%) and two small coastal rivers (3%) provide an important domain for Department of Fisheries freshwater fish biodiversity in West Bengal [1]. Resource Management, Faculty of Fishery Sciences, West Bengal India is an exceptional hotspot of freshwater fish diversity with a high degree of endemism [3-4] University of Animal and contributing to the World's biological resources . Understanding of species and Fisheries Sciences, Kolkata, communities reveal crustal facts necessary to the management of ecosystem and habitat [5]. West Bengal, India Main causes of the decline of native fish species are habitat loss and species introductions. The conservation of the freshwater fishes has never been adequately addressed in India which has Deepak Kumar Gopalgaon, Chunvati, Sastri been mainly due to lack of scientific data and perception about the criteria to be used for the Nagar, PO: Srikanthapur, characterization and designating conservation status of threatened fishes. Knowledge of the Balasoure, Oidisha, India species composition and distribution patterns of fishes are fundamental for conservation and management of native fish fauna [5]. In this concern an attempt has been made to acquire information on fundamental variables like taxonom, distribution, environment, maximum size, pattern of human use and conservation status of freshwater fishes of West Bengal to standardize the clean taxonomic nomenclature to agreed-upon standards. 2. Methodology In the present communication, an attempt has been made to compile a list of freshwater fishes Correspondence HS Mogalekar of West Bengal based on published literature in the form of research articles, monographs and [5-31] Department of Fisheries Biology species checklists from 2003 to 2015 . Number of freshwater fishes reported in West and Resource Management, Bengal with note on list of collectors, list of collecting stations along with their habitat, Fisheries College and Research locality and geographical co-ordinates are provided in Table 1. The publications describing the Institute, Tamil Nadu Fisheries freshwater fish fauna of the West Bengal was collected, reviewed and presented in Table 1 [6- University, Thoothukudi, Tamil 23] [24-31] Nadu, India , information on fishes discovered newly were collected and list of freshwater fish ~ 37 ~ Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies species was extracted in Table 2. Classification of all taxa freshwater fishes of the West Bengal suggests that 10 species follows Talwar and Jhingran [32] and fishbase [33] and the valid are under endangered category, 11 species are under nomenclature of species was adopted as per the Catalogue of vulnerable category, 27 species are under near threatened Fishes of the California Academy of Sciences [34]. The list of category, 168 species are least concern, 22 species are data fishes is prepared based on coloration pattern, shape and deficient and 29 species have not been evaluated against maximum size. Information on the conservation status of all IUCN red list criteria (Table 2). Out of the 267 freshwater taxa in this paper was retrieved from the International Union fishes, 17.97% are under threatened or near threatened for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) categories and 82.02% are under non threatened categories. Red List Categories and criteria [35]. Species under endangered category include Gudusia chapra, Botia almorhae, Botia lohachata, Lepidocephalichthys 3. Results and Discussion arunachalensis, Tor putitora, Tor tor, Amblyceps A complete list of freshwater fishes of West Bengal along arunchalensis, Clarias magur, Pangasianodon with their local name, environment, maximum size, human hypophthalmus and Pillaia indica. Over the years 13 species use pattern and current IUCN Red List conservation status is of exotic fishes have been introduced to freshwater bodies of provided in Table 2. We recognized 267 species of freshwater the West Bengal and these include species such as Carassius fishes (including 186 primary freshwater species, 70 species auratus, Ctenopharyngodon idellus, Cyprinus carpio, were freshwater cum brackish water and 11 species were Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, freshwater cum brackish water cum marine habitats), Gambusia affinis, Poecilia reticulata, Oreochromis belonging to 12 orders, 40 families and 123 genera from the mossambicus, Oreochromis niloticus, Osphronemus goramy, freshwater bodies of West Bengal (Table 2 and 3). The top Clarias gariepinus, Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus and three orders with diverse species composition were Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Table 2). Cypriniformes (117 species, 46 genera and 4 families), West Bengal has rich freshwater fish genetic resources Siluriformes (79 species, 36 genera and 12 families) and constituting about 28.34% to the freshwater fish diversity of Perciformes (39 species, 17 genera and 10 families) (Table 3). lndia [33]. Among documented fishes, maximum species have The most diverse family was the Cyprinidae with 84 species ornamental value which has been already been noticed in and 35 genera, followed by Sisoridae with 32 species and 11 publications of Mishra et al. [6], Das [18], Dey et al. [19], Nath genera, Bagridae with 19 species and 7 genera, Cobitidae with and Patra [23]. Invasive alien fish species has been emerging as 17 species and 5 genera (Table 2). a growing threat to biodiversity of small indigenous fishes. In Freshwater fishes of West Bengal revealed existence of 109 this back drop, achieving sustainable utilisation of indigenous ornamental fishes, 92 food fishes and 66 were ornamental fishes, appropriate planning for conservation and management and/or food fishes (Table 2). Conservation status of the strategies are of utmost importance. Table 1: Number of freshwater fishes reported in West Bengal with note on habitat and locality of work [Geographical co-ordinates]. Collectors of No. of List of collecting stations of Freshwater Fishes [Habitat, Locality and Geographical co-ordinates] Freshwater Fishes Species Tributaries of main rivers, rivers, irrigation canals, natural ponds, innundated lowland from Midnapore, Mishra et al. [6] 103 Bankura a.nd Hooghly Districts [22-23.3°N; 86-88.3°E] Bhakta and Churni River at Chakdaha in the district of Nadia [23ºN and 88.5ºE] 8 Bandyopadhyay [7] Bhakta and Ten perennial pond of Ramnagar, East Midnapore district [21.8°N and 87.8°E] 45 Bandyopadhyay [8] Chakraborty and Major rivers, like Atrai, Punarbhaba, Tangan, Jamuna, in minor rivers, like Ichhamoti, and in kharis 49 Bhattacharjee [9] like, Kalkali, Kashiani and Brahmani. Beels visited were Danga and Gochina in south Dinajpur district Karala river, a tributary of Teesta river at Jalpaiguri district [26º47'13''N, 88º32'17''E Aquiduct; Patra and