1 FRESHWATER FISH FAUNA OF RIVERS OF 2 SOUTHERN WESTERN GHATS, INDIA 3 4 Anbu Aravazhi Arunkumar1, Arunachalam Manimekalan2 5 1Department of Biotechnology, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore 641 021. 6 Tamil Nadu, India 7 2Department of Environmental Sciences, Biodiversity and Molecular Lab, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 8 641 046, Tamil Nadu, India. 9 Correspondence to: Anbu Aravazhi Arunkumar (
[email protected]) 10 https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.882214 11 12 13 Abstract. This paper provides information on the diversity of freshwater fish fauna of six river systems of 14 Southern Western Ghats. The fishes were collected using cast net, dip net, gill net and drag net from various 15 streams and rivers. There are about 31 sites in which a total of 64 species belonging to 6 orders, 14 families and 16 31 genera were recorded. Among them the order Cypriniformes was dominant with 3 families’ 18 genera and 49 17 species (76.6%) compared to other orders. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis were performed to 18 express the contribution of the variables and its influence on the species diversity. Interestingly, of the 31 sites 19 Thunakadavu stream, Gulithuraipatti, Athirappalli, Naduthotam, Nadathittu, Mullaithodu, Thonanthikla, 20 Noolpuzha and Sinnaru exhibited high variations in species diversity. Nearly fifteen species were found to be 21 threatened to the Western Ghats. Garra periyarensis and Cirrhinus cirrhosus are known to be vulnerable and 22 Hemibagrus punctatus is Critically Endangered because of various anthropogenic activities. The study clearly 23 indicates that certain timely measures has to be taken immediately to protect the fishes in Southern Western 24 Ghats.