Distribution and Abundance of Prawns in the Freshwater Habitats of Bangalore, South India
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Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Anim. Sci.), Vol. 95, No. I, February 1986, pp. 77-87. © Printed in India. Distribution and abundance of prawns in the freshwater habitats of Bangalore, South India KV ANANTHA RAMAN, S RAVICHANDRA REDDY and KATRESHAKUNTALA Department of Zoology, Bangalore University, Jnana Bharathi, Bangalore 560056, India MS received 10 July 1984;revised 31 May 1985 Abstract. Fifty three freshwater habitats located in and around Bangalore (South India) were surveyed for studying the distribution and abundance of prawns. The survey indicated that, the habitats were rich in prawn fauna, harbouring one species of Palaemonid, Macrobrachium lanchesteri (de Man) and 3 species of Atyids, Caridina nilotica (Roux) var benqalensis, Caridina rajadhari (Bouvier) and Caridina weberi var sumatrensis (de Man). Macrobrachium lanchesteri and Caridina nilotica were more widelydistributed than Caridina rajadhari and Caridina weberi. The results throw light on the pattern of distribution and species composition of these prawns in relation to the nature of the habitats. Keywords. Prawns; distribution; abundance. 1. Introduction In an earlier report, Anantha Raman et al (1978)have described the occurrence ofone species of palaemonid and 3 species of Atyid prawns in the freshwater habitats of Bangalore. All these prawns are either important commercially (Johnson 1968; Guerrero and Guerrero 1979)or have ecological significance (Hart 1980)in freshwater habitats. The present paper describes the distribution of these prawns in the lentic and lotic habitats of Bangalore. 2. Materials and methods During the early part of 1978,53 freshwater habitats located in and around the North and South taluks of Bangalore (figure 1) were surveyed for the occurrence and distribution of freshwater prawns. The nature of each habitat was noted. From each habitat, prawns werecollected using a plough net (mesh size:0-75 x 0-75 ems),specially designed for the purpose. This facilitated the capture of prawns above the sizeof10 mm in total length and ensured that all available species were represented. In each habitat, the net was operated randomly 5 times for a total distance of 20 m and using the dimensions of the net and the distance ploughed, the average number of prawns collected per 20 m 2 was determined. After collection, the prawns were preserved in ice and transported to the laboratory. In the laboratory, the samples ofprawns collected were identified using standard keys (Tiwari 1947; Holthuis 1950, 1965, 1978)and the distribution patterns of these prawns in the different habitats were recorded. 77 78 KV Anantha Raman. S Ravichandra Reddy and Katre Shakuntala India 77 35 Karnataka o m. I' o k. I Banga/o'" • Mill ion Cit ies -A i' Links 13 00 BANGALORE NOR TH AND BANGALORE SOUTH TALUKAS (!:OSI. HOS . _HIGHWAY ..... RAILWAY 0 4 B 16 mrs, t I j , , i 0 6 12 24 kms. M,.,.. _ ._. Taluk Boundary .......•..... Road ---...--... Railwa y • Town _ Bangalore North If//, " Sout h Figure 1. Topographic location of taluks of Bangalore District. 3. Observations and results Except for one lotic habitat represented by the Vrishabhavathi rivulet, the inland habitats in and around Bangalore are mostly represented by perennial or seasonallentic habitats which include pools/ponds/tanks/reservoirsjIakes. Most of the habitats are rainfed and the water is regularly used for purposes of irrigation. In many of the habitats, human activities have been considerable, leading to the drainage of domestic/industrial wastes. Distribution and abundance offreshwater prawns in Bangalore 79 BANOALORE NORTH o 1 3 4 mls, I o , 1 3 ~ kms, ······· ROAD - RA ILWAY _ .- CORPORATION AREA RS RA ILWAY STATION TANKS 1 ."IESSARAGHA TTA 7 SETTYHAL LI 14 ~A CHA RA KA NA HA LL I 2 I VARAKONDAPIJRA 8 KODAGEHALLI 15 SANKY 3 YELAHAN KA 9 HE BBA LA 16 SAN EGURU VANAL LI 4 CHIKKA BANAVARA 10 N AG AVARA 17 ULSOOR 5 ABBIGERE 11 H EN NUR 18 NAGARABHAVI 6 j AKKU R 12 KALAGODAHA LLI 13 DASARAHALLI Figure 2. Freshwater habitats located in the North t.alult of Bangalore. During the survey, 4 species of prawns, one belonging to the family Palaemonidae (Maerobrachium lanchesteri (de Man); size range: 10-56 mm total length) and 3 species belonging to the family Atyidae (i. Caridina rajadhari (Bouvier); size range: 10-32 mm TL; ii. C. nilotica Roux var bengalensis; size range: 10-34 mm TL and iii. Ci.weberi var sumatrensis (de Man); size range: 10-30 mm TL) were collected. Figure 2 represents the location of the freshwater habitats in the Bangalore North 00o Table l. Distribution and abundance of prawns in the freshwater habitats of Bangalore North taluk. The numbers indicated in column 2 ~ correspond to the habitats denoted in figure 2. In columns 3 and 4, only the ranges are represented. ~ ~ Distribution (%) Habitat Density of prawns § So Nature of the habitat number (Number/20 nr') M.I. c.e. Cr. Cw. l::l A. Perennial habitats I. Rainfed; fairly deep in the centre; grassy vegetation at the shallow margins; open waters devoid of weeds; bottom se- rt.I) diment mostly made up of clay and sand 1,9and15 45-333 47-82 18-51 0--18 <1-3 ii. As above but infested with Eicililornia sp. 3 273 <1 78 19 2 ~ iii. As in i. but with rocky bottom 18 5 100 <:l IV. As in i. or ii. but with considerable drainage of domes- tic/industrial effluents 17 t £;- l::l B. Seasonal habitars ~ i. Rainfed; grassy vegetation at the margins open waters devoid of weeds; bottom sediment made up of clay & sand 2,5,7,8 15-483 8-100 (}...44 0--27 0--35 ~ ii. Rainfed; fairly deep with slushy bottom; with Eichhornia sp. 10 531 4 58 37 i III. Rainfcd; shallow with slushy/rocky bottom; no aquatic ~ vegetation in the margins 4,6 and 11 ... iv. Shallow with considerable drainage of domestic sewage/in- ~ C'.l dustrial effluents 12, 13, 14 and 16 ~ c: M.I.: M. lanchesteri (de Man); Cn.: C. lIi/orim (Roux) var bengalensis; Cr.: C. rajadhari (Bouvier); Cw.: C. weberivar sumatrensis (de Man). ::r ...l::l S" Distribution and abundance offreshwater prawns in Banga/ore 81 BANOALORE SOUTH o 2 3 ~ mls b; 2 3 4 kms ....•.. .. ROAD -- RAILWAY _._. CORPORATION LIMITS 12 A GARA ...!1.... 13 rADlrUR 50 1~ N ArAN DAHAi LI TANKS 15 MADIVALA 16 r ELL AKUNTE 1 RACH ENA HA LLI 11 MA NGAMMANAPALrA 2 KA LKERE 1. LlNGA N NA TANK 3 rEIEM ALL APPA TANK 11 DD RASA NA PAL YA ~ /(RISH NA RA JA PURA 20 SAR AKI 5 BENNIGANA HA LLI 21 VASANT HAPURA • DODDN E/(/(UNDI 22 DO REKERE 7 TOO BARAHALLI 23 ARAKERE • VARTHUR 2~ HULIMAU 9 CH ALL AGHATTA 25 GDTTlG ERI 1-4 M ISTRIPA LYA 2& BASA VANAPURA 11 BELLAN DUR Figure 3. Freshwater habitats located in the South taluk of Bangalore. taluk and table 1 gives the description of the distribution and abundance ofprawns in relation to the nature of these habitats. It is evident that prawns are absent in habitats receiving domestic/industrial effluents and habitats with shallow margins and grassy vegetation appeared to support a rich fauna of these natantians. That the sewage has adverse effects on the survival/physiological energetics of food conversion in M. lanchesteri is reported earlier (Ponnuchamy et al 1980). It is quite likely that the microdistribution and abundance of both Macrobrachiumsp. and Caridina spp. may be dependent on the nature of bottom sediment and/or aquatic vegetation (seeCarpenter 1978). The location of the freshwater habitats of Bangalore South taluk are represented in figure 3 and the details of the distribution and abundance of the prawn species in relation to the nature of these habitats is represented in table 2. As in the Bangalore North taluk, distribution and abundance of the prawns appear to be dependent on the absence of effluents, the type of bottom sediment and the presence of aquatic vegetation. 00 IV Table 2. Distribution and abundance of prawns in the freshwater habitats of Bangalore South taluk, The numbers indicated in column 2 correspond 10 the habitats denoted in figure 3. In columns 3 and 4, the ranges are represented. >: ~ Distribution (~~) ;l.. ::s Habitat Density of prawns l::l 2 ::s Nature of the habitat number (Number/20 m ) M.I. Cn. Cr. Cw. So l::l A. Perennial habitats i. Rainfed; grassy vegetation in the margins; open waters devoid '"~ of weeds; bottom sediment mostly made up of clay and sand 4, 5, 15, 16,21, l::l .::s 24 and 25 21-409 <1-71 17-42 <Hi7 0-58 til 11. As above but infested with Eichhornia sp. 12 147 II 47 43 - 1Il. As in i. but with rocky bottom 18 - -- - l::l '"<:l iv. As in i. and ii. but with considerable drainage of domestic §: sewage/industrial effluents 8 and II - - - - - s ~ B. Seasonal habitats l::l I. Rainfed; grassy vegetation III in the margins; open waters '" devoid of weeds; bottom ~ sediment mostly made up of 1,2,6,10,14,17 l::l clay and sand 19, 22 and 23 3-443 3-100 0-90 <HiI 0-40 S. ii. Rainfed; fairly deep with slushy bottom; infested with ~ Eichnorniajiiydrilla 3 and 20 8-12 0-32 59-69 0-29 2-9 sp. ~ iii. Shallow with slushy/rocky bottom; no aquatic vegetation in ~ - --- the margins 7 and 26 E" iv. Shallow with considerable drainage of domestic sewage/in- ~ s::: dustrial effluents 9 and 13 - - - - ...::s s::. is'" Distribution and abundance offreshwater prawns in Bangalore 83 Table 3 presents the data on the distribution and abundance of prawns in the freshwater habitats around Bangalore North and South taluks.