INTRODUCTION
Meghalaya situated in the north‐eastern region of India, is endowed with a rich variety of flora and fauna
The Meghalayan subtropical forests have been considered among the richest botanical habitats of Asia
The average temperature varies between 3.9oCand15.6oC in winter and climbs upto 15oC and 23.3oC during summer
With the hill rising to 2,000m, the state is cool despite its proxiiimity to tropics Meghalaya has two drainage systems namely Brahmaputra in the North and Barak in the South
Important rivers of Brahmaputra drainage are Umiam, Kopili, Myntang, Jingiram and Simsang, Kynshi, Umngot and Myntdu of Barak drainage
The North Eastern Region of India is considered as one of the hotspots of freshwater fish biodiversity in the world
Of approximately 806 species inhabiting freshwaters of India, the Northeastern India is represented by 267 species blbelong ing to 114 genera under 38 famili es and 10 orders The State of Meghalaya is found to be riched in its ichthyofaunistic diversity with 165 species so far been reported from the State belonging to 85 genera under 31 families and 9 orders
A survey on the icthyofauna in six districts of Meghalaya has revealed 48 species belonging to 32 genera, 17 families and 6 orders
The present study aims to update the ichthyofaunal diversity in the streams and rivers of Meghalaya district wise and to get a total picture of the distribution of fish species in the State
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Random field surveys were conducted during 2007-08 in different water bbdiodies of six distri cts of MMhleghalaya viiz. East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, Ribhoi, Jaintia Hills, East Garo Hills and South Garo Hills
The collection of fish samples were done using various types of nets and also from nearest fish landing centers
The specimens were preserved immediately in 5% formaldehyde
Identification is done following standard literature and with the help of expertise available at Zoological Survey of India, Shillong RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Table 1: Details of the surveyed rivers in Meghalaya Sl. No. River and Province Collection site Geographical position Altitude (m) 1 River Umryngkha, JH Dawki NN25 25o11’ 10”-EE92 92o01’ 25” 100
2 River Myntdu, JH Jowai N 25o26’59.5”-E 92o12’06.2” 1402
3 River Kesoweh, JH Umkiang N 25o03’45” -E 92o23’10” 40
4 River Umkyrpon, JH Khliehriat N 25o21’31.2”-E 92o22’11.5” 1172
5 River Um-Mynkseh, JH Ladrymbai N 25o19’50”-E 92o19’45” 1160
6 River Umkhen, RD Nongpoh N 25o54’30”-E 91o52’50” 600
7 River Shella, EKH Shella N 25o10’45”-E 91o38’40” 100
8 River Kynshi , WKH Nongstoin N25N 25o30’30 ”-E91E 91o16’15 ” 1310
9 River Simsang, EGH Williamnagar N 25o30’30”-E 90o37’ 259
10 River Simsang, SGH Baghmara N 25o11’30”-E 90o38’30” 365
11 River Lubha, JH Sonapur N 25°06’36.7”-E 92º21’54.2” 28 JH - Jaintia Hills; RD - Ribhoi District; EKH - East Khasi Hills; WKH - West Khasi Hills; ESG - East Garo Hills; SGH - South Garo Hills Table 2: Physico -chemical properties of the w ater of some ri vers of Meghala y a
Sl. No. Rivers/Streams & Location pH DO (mg/L) Conductivity (mS)
1 Kopili river, Iooksi (JH) 3.7 2.6 0.85
2 Kmai-um river, Rymbai(JH) 2.6 4.8 0.23 3 LbhLubhariver, Sonapur (JH) 686.8 464.6 0140.14
4 Myntdu river, Thamar (JH) 4.3 4.7 0.14
5 Umngot river, Dawki (()JH) 6.8 10.6 0.10 6 Umtrew river, Byrnihat (RD) 6.6 10.2 0.11
7 Umtyngar river, Kyrdemkhla (EKH) 6.4 7.02 0.14
8 Simsang river, Williamnagar (EGH) 6.0 4.8 0.11 9 Rompha river, Baghmara (SGH) 6.2 5.1 0.14 10 Simsang river, Baghmara (SGH) 636.3 626.2 0120.12 Table 3: Distribution of fish fauna in six districts of Megyghalaya
Sl. No Name of the district Orders Families Genera Species
1 East Khasi Hills 2 2 6 7
2 West Khasi Hills 2 2 2 2
3 Ribhoi District 1 1 6 9
4 Jaintia Hills 6 13 24 30
5 East Garo Hills 3 5 7 10
6 South Garo Hills 4 6 7 10 7% 2% 2% 13% Cypriniformes Silu rifo rm es Perciform es 20% 56% Syn bran chiform es Belon ifo rmes Tetraodontiform es
Per cent distribution of different orders of fishes in water bodies of Meghalaya Table 4: Diversity of fish fauna in six districts of Megyghalaya Sl. Order Family Genus Species EKH JH WKH RH EG SG No. 1 Cypriniformes Cyprinidae Salmostoma bacaila √ 2 phulo √ 3 Barilius bendelisis √√ √ 4 Chela laubuca √ 5 Esomus danricus √ 6 Danio aequipinnatus √√ 7 dangila √ 8 Brachydanio rerio √√√ 9 Amblypharyngodon mola √ 10 Cyprinus carpio √ 11 Neolissocheilus hexagonolepis √√√ 12 hexastichus √√ 13 chola √√ √
14 Puntius shalynius √ 15 sophore √ 16 sarana √ 17 Cirrhinus reba √√ 18 boga
19 Labeo gonius √ √ 20 calbasu √√ 21 pangusia √ 22 Garra gotyla √ 23 lamta √ 24 Psilo- Psilorhynchus balitora √ rhynchidae 25 Balitoridae Balitora brucei √ 26 Acanthocobitis botia √ 27 Cobitidae Botia dario √ 28 Lepidocephalus guntea √ 29 Siluriformes Bagridae bleekeri √
30 Mystus menoda √ 31 cavasius √√ 32 Siluridae Ompok bimaculatus √ 33 pabo √ 34 Schilbeidae Clupisoma garua √ 35 Sisoridae Bagarius bagarius √ 36 Clarias batrachus √
37 Hetero- Heteropneustes fossilis √ pneustidae 38 Perciformes Nandidae Badis badis √
39 Gobiidae Glossogobius giuris √√
40 Belontidae Colisa fasciatus √
41 gachua √√ √
42 Channidae Channa punctatus √√ 43 stewartii √
44 Synbranchi- Macrognathus aral √√
45 formes Masta- pancalus √√ 46 cembelidae Mastacembelus armatus √
47 Beloniformes Belonidae Xenentodon cancila √√
48 Tetraodonti- Tetrao- Tetraodon cutcutia √ formes dontidae
EKH – East Khasi Hills (River Shella); JH - Jaintia Hills (River Myntdu, Umryngkha, Umkyrpon, Um-Mynkseh, Kesoweh River); WKH - West Khasi Hills (River Kynshi); RH - Ribhoi District (River Umkhen, Umiam); EG – East Garo District; SG – South Garo District ¾ Major percentage of species belonged to order Cypriniformes followed by the orders Siluriformes and Perciformes represented by 5 families each
¾ The areas surveyed includes both high altitude (above1000m) and low altitude (below 1000 m) sites
¾ Diversity of fish species is quite less in the places of higher altitude like Khleihriat, Jowai, Ladrymbai and Nongstoin as compared to low altitude sites like Dawki, Williamnagar and Baghmara
¾ In the district of East Khasi Hills, six species have been found as compared to the West Khasi Hills which is represented by only two species ¾ Nine species have been recorded from Ribhoi district and thirty t species could be ffdound from JJitiaintia Hills
¾ From the district of East Garo Hills ten species were collected and another ten species from South Garo Hills
¾ The higher diversity seen in the water bodies of Jaintia Hills District maybeduetolargenumberofspeciesfoundinthe big rivers (Umryngkha, Lubha, Umkiang) at lower altitudes, having warmer water and not polluted by coal mining effluents ¾ Majority of the Silurian fish species (seven out of nine) come under threatened categygory either endangered or vulnerable. Comparatively very few species of cyprinids (five out of twenty eight) are threatened
The factors influencing the status of fish diversity in the State include:
Variousdestructivemethodslikedynamiting, poisoning by locally available herbs, chemicals like copper sulphate and lime and the freely available agriculturalpesticides or insecticides are indiscriminately used for fishing Fishes are indiscriminately caught by gill nets, cast nets during the spawning runs
Recently, one of the main factors which have played an important role inthe dlidecline of the fish populilation inthe rivers of Meghalaya is the pollution caused by coal mining operation in Jaintia and Garo Hill Districts. Both the districts have large rivers which sustain higher icthyodiversity
At the same time it is seen that the drainage system affected by coal mining and cement factory effluents show very less diversity in icthyofauna ¾ Major rivers of the State which contribute maximum towards riverine fish production are heavily affected by run‐ off water from the coal mining areas upstream
¾ The water bodies are badly affected by contamination of AidAcid Mine DiDrainage (AMD) oriiiginat ing from mines and spoils, leaching of heavy metals, organic enrichment and silting by coal and sand particles
¾ Extremely low pH condition in the water accelerates weathering and dissolution of silicate and other rock minerals, thereby causing the release of other elements such as aluminum, manganese, copper, cadmium etc. into the water ¾ The polluted water not only has declined the fish population but also contaminated agricultural fields, natural water resources and created scarcity of drinking water
¾ Low pH, low DO, higher sulphate content and turbidity in water of coal mining areas are affecting the aquatic life and less diversity of fish fauna
¾ It has been reported that a total of 12 taxa of algal community were recorddded from AMD idimpacted streams as compared to 57 taxa from unimpacted stream belonging to Bacillariophyceae and a few from Chlorophyceae ¾ This may be one of the causes for less food and oxygen availablity for fish in AMD impacted water bodies
The possible conservation measures are:
Reclamation of polluted water bodies and liming of water to neutralize acidic water and to keep lakes and ponds safe for aquatic life
Prevention of use of piscicides in rivers
There is an immediate need to create awareness among the users specillially fish ermen agaitinst use of poison either chemical or natural CCtiaptive bbdireeding of few species which are either endddangered or vulnerable like Puntius shalynius, Cirrhinus reba, Garra gotyla, Ompok bimaculatus, Bagarius bagarius, Clarias batrachus, Mystus bleekeri, Neolissocheilus hexastichus
General awareness among the people, consumers, students, NGOs for taking up programme to conserve the fish fauna
¾ Most obvious causes of biodiversity loss have been habitat loss, over‐exploitation, and introduction of invasive species
¾ Despite the discovery of several new species to date, the rate of increase of pressure on this fauna is high that extinc tion may be expected even before discovery Stream i n coal m in ing area Aband one d p it Myntdu river Coal dumping in Jaintia Hills Wet lands away from coal Entrance of a rat hole coal mine mining area Different water bodies surveyed BtiBotia didario Cirrhi nus reba
Labeo gonius Labeo pangusia Neolissocheilus hexagonolepis Puntius sarana
Macrognathus aral Puntius chola Macrognathus pancalus Brachydanio rerio
Puntius shalynius Danio dangila
Important Ornamental and food fishes of Meghalaya
AGKNOWLEDGEMENT
• The authors are thankful to, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong for financial support under UPE scheme of UGC to Life Sciences
• The encouragement and the facilities provided by the Head of Department of Zoology for carrying out the work is highly acknowledged
• Authors are grateful to Ms. Nibedita Sen, Scientist and Officer-in- Charge, Zoological Survey of India for helping in identification of the specimens