Freshwater fishes and zoogeography of Pakistan

by

MuhammadR. Mirza

Department of Zoology, GovernmentCollege, Lahore, Pakistan

Contents

Abstract 144

I. Introduction 144

Acknowledgements 145

II. Geographical account 145

Location 145

Physiography 145

1. The Northern Montane Region 146

2. The northwestern hills 147

3. The Submontane Indus Region 147 4. The Indus plain 147

5. The Baluchistan Plateau 148

Climate 148

Natural vegetation 148

Hydrography 149

1. The Indus drainage system 149

2. Internal drainage system 150

3. Coastal drainage system 150

III. Historical sketch 150

IV. Freshwater fishes of Pakistan 152

Class Teleostomi 152 .

Subclass Actinopterygii 152

Cohort Taeniopaedia 153

Cohort Archaeophylaces 153

Cohort Euteleostei 153

Superorder Ostariophysi 153

Order Cypriniformes 153

Order Siluriformes 160

Superorder AcantJhopterygii 162

Order Atheriniformes 163

Order Channiformes 163

Order Synbranchiformes 163

Order Perciformes 163

Class Elasmobranchii 164

V. Zoogeography of Pakistan 164

Zoogeographical classification of freshwater fishes 165

Primary freshwater fishes 165 Secondary freshwater fishes 166

Peripheral freshwater fishes 166

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Zoogeographical divisions of Pakistan 167

I. High Asian Division 167

II. Aba-Sinh Division 168

III. Northwestern Montane Division 169

IV. Indus plain, hills & South Baluchistan Division 171 adjoining . . .

V. Northwestern Baluchistan Division 171

VI. Discussion and conclusion 174

I Oriental . Region 175 II. West Asian Transitional Region 176

Summary 176

References 176

Abstract on the fishes of North West Frontier Province;

and Ahmad & Khan (1974) on the freshwater The freshwater fish fauna of Pakistan is briefly discuss- of and fishes Sind. In addition, several new species ed. It is predominantly South Asian but High Asian and subspecies have been described from various West Asian elements are also present. The African ele- parts ment is hardly perceptible. Five zoogeographical divisions of this country by Ahmad & Mirza (1963a); of Pakistan the basis of the are proposed on composition Banarescu & Mirza (1965); Mirza (1967); Mirza of their fish fauna: (I) the High Asian Division; (II) the & Naik (1969); Mirza, Banarescu & Nalbant Aba-Sinh Division; (III) the Northwestern Montane Divi- (1969, 1970); Mirza & Kashmiri (1971); Banarescu sion; (IV) the Indus plain and adjoining hills Division; and (V) the Northwestern Baluchistan Division. South ot Mirza (1972); and Mirza & Awan (1973). Thus,

Asia and High Asia are two there is need for the of recognized as subregions an urgent preparation a within the Oriental Region, while West Asia is treated comprehensive report on the freshwater fishes of as a transitional region. Pakistan.

The work on the freshwater fishes of Pakistan,

has been does I. INTRODUCTION which published so far, not include

the with the of zoogeographical aspect exception

No freshwater fishes few comprehensive report on the a cursory remarks by some ichthyologists of Pakistan has been since the published ever (Day, 1880; Zugmayer, 1913; Hora, 1937a; Berg,

and of fresh- inception of this country from the partition of the 1940; Mirza, 1974). The importance

South Asian subcontinent in 1947. Day (1889) water fishes in zoogeography has, nowever, been reported about 100 species of freshwater fishes widely recognized both by ichthyologists and from this area, some of which have proved invalid general zoogeographers. The freshwater fishes are

bound the land ines- by subsequent researchers. N. Ahmad (1963) listed closely to masses and are

confined their 104 species (including 3 exotic species) from this capably to own drainage system. Their region. Qureshi (1965) published a monograph on dispersal from one drainage system to

another be the common freshwater fishes of Pakistan. He, can only affected by the hydrographie

did caused and climatic factors however, not mention a number of important changes by geological

of the of for human inter- species including the entire subfamily snow (exception made, course,

So trouts (Schizothoraoinae), which abounds in the ference). they are most likely to preserve old

distribution northern and northwestern parts of Pakistan, viz. patterns (Darlington, 1957; Lagler et

Northern Areas, North West Frontier Province, al., 1962; Norman & Greenwood, 1963). Most of northern Punjab and northeastern Baluchistan. In the rivers fall directly or indirectly into the sea fact, the subfamily Schizothoracinae is the sole but migration from one river system to another is

of the in representative family Cyprinidae the not facilitated by this means, since the sea offers

of Pakistan. how- effective barrier Trans-Himalayan part Recently, an to most of the freshwater ever, a number of important papers on the fresh- fishes. On the basis of the salt tolerance, the fresh-

fishes of water various regions of Pakistan have water fishes are generally classified into three main been & little published: Ahmad Mirza (1963b) on the categories: the primary freshwater fishes have hillstream fishes of and Mirza for salt Kaghan Swat; or no tolerance waters; the secondary

the (1972) on freshwater fishes of Baluchistan; freshwater fishes are confined to the inland waters

Mirza & (1973 a b), and Mirza & Ahmad (1974) but have slightly better tolerance for salt waters;

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and the peripheral freshwater fishes are primarily The present investigations are based on the

associates marine but spend some time in fresh water during fishes collected by the author and his

their life histories (De Beaufort, 1964). Myers from different regions of Pakistan, and also on

in the (1949) has further classified the peripheral fishes the fish collection present the Museum of

but others treat them together. Obviously the Zoological Survey Department of Pakistan,

primary freshwater fishes are the most important Karachi.

in zoogeography, while the peripheral freshwater

fishes have little or no importance from the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS zoogeographical point of view as marine routes are

available to them for The dispersal. secondary The author wishes his of to express deep sense gratitude freshwater fishes less are important as compared to Prof. Dr. J. H. Stock, Institute of Taxonomie Zoology with the primary freshwater fishes but do give (Zoölogisch Museum), University of Amsterdam, for taking keen interest in this work and for his able guid- some clues about the zoogeography of certain ance. Thanks are also due to Dr. H. Nijssen, Curator of areas (Lagler et al., 1962). Fishes, Zoölogisch Museum, University of Amsterdam, Wallace made a distinction between (1876) for his kind suggestions.

geographical distribution and local distribution. The author is obliged to Mr. M. Farooq Ahmad, zool-

Darlington (1957) carried it still further and ogist, Zoological Survey Department of Pakistan, Ka- rachi, for lending the fish collection in his custody, and recognized three levels: a) geographical distribu- to Miss Sualeha Khatoon, Department of Zoology, Uni- tion, in the broadest sense, over the whole world, versity of Karachi, Karachi, for presenting a valuable distribution in selected of b) regional areas the collection of fishes from the Sind Province.

world, and c) local distribution which includes The author is indebted to his colleagues Drs. Azizullah and Masudul Hasan Bokhari of the Departments of species geography and ecology. In the present Zoology and Geography, respectively, of the Government report the emphasis is mainly laid upon the region- College, Lahore, for their precious advice during the al distribution, although the other are also aspects course of the work. discussed wherever it is found necessary.

The present publication is based upon the in-

vestigations, on systematics, ecology and II. GEOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT

zoogeography of the freshwater fishes of Pakistan,

undertaken by the author since June, 1961. Almost Location

all the regions of Pakistan have been surveyed The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is situated during this period and the data have been pub- roughly between 24° to 37° N and 61° to 78° E. lished in various short reports. Since the present It is surrounded by Afghanistan and China in the report is mainly concerned with the zoogeograph- north, Kashmir and India in the east, India and ical aspect of the freshwater fishes of Pakistan, the Arabian Sea in the south, and by Iran and the origin, evolution and dispersal of the higher Afghanistan in the west (see fig. 1). Its area is taxa are discussed. Except one elasmobranch fish, about 806,000 km2 (310,400 square miles). Pristis microdon Latham, 1794, which is known to

ascend the river Indus considerable dis- up to a Physiography tance beyond the tidal influence, all the other

species belong to the infraclass Teleostei, subclass Before discussing the physiography of Pakistan,

the of Actinopterygii and class Teleostomi. The classifi- a brief account of physiography the con-

cation followed for the teleostean fishes is mainly tinent of Asia is necessary. Structurally the

after Greenwood et al. (1966, 1967), modified northern part of Asia is one stable block of of the after Rosen & Patterson (1969) and Rosen & ancient rock which was once a part great

Greenwood (1970). Since the distribution of fishes northern continent, Angaraland. Immediately

is mainly determined by the hydrography and the south of this area lies a system of folded moun-

from other physiographic features of land, a brief tains extending the Mediterranean to the

Pacific The and the other geographical account is also given before the coast. Himalayas moun-

discussions tain of Pakistan of systematic and zoogeographical are ranges are a part this system.

South of this of folded mountains attempted. The work done on the systematics of complex another

freshwater fishes of Pakistan far, is block of hard ancient rock is situated which once the so very

briefly reviewed in a historical sketch. Finally, on was part of the great southern continent, Gond- wanaland, from Brazil Australia. The the basis of the present study, different zoogeo- extending to graphical divisions are proposed. Arabian Plateau and the Deccan Plateau are

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block. of Deccan Plateau remnants of this southern Between Angara- part the materials brought by

land and Gondwanaland, there was a shallow sea, the rivers from the folded mountains were

in known as the Tethys Sea, the Mesozoic Era and deposited. Thus, the Indo-Gangetic plain was

part of the Tertiary. The folded mountains formed which consists of layers of alluvial deposits

emerged from this sea. Sandy material brought over 2000 m thick (K. S. Ahmad, 1969). down by the rivers accumulated on the bottom of Pakistan has a diverse and varied topography

the and formed sandstone. In other of from the snow-clad of the Hima- sea parts ranging peaks

the sea, shells and bones of sea animals layas, the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush in the

formed limestone. this almost level accumulated and In way a north to near the sea in the south at

thick layer of sedimentary rock accumulated the Rann of Kutch. About 40 % of its area is

between the two ancient continents. With the composed of the Indus plain with mountains in

cooling of its interior, the earth contracted and the north and west and a plateau in the southwest.

the two continental blocks were drawn towards It can be divided into the following physiograph-

each other. The sedimentary rock between them ic regions (cf. figs. 1-2):

was compressed and contorted to form the folded

1. The Northern Montane Region. — mountains. These movements in the earth's crust

also caused the northern part of the Deccan This region comprises the Himalayan and the Plateau subside and this to depress. On subsided Trans-Himalayan ranges and their valleys in the

Fig. 1. Physiography of Pakistan and Kashmir.

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extreme north of Pakistan. The Himalayas com- 3. The Submontane Indus Region. —

prise a series of several more or less parallel or

This area consists of: (a) the three plains of even converging ranges intersected by different

and Their width from Peshawar, Kohait and Bannu, all west of the Indus; valleys plateaus. ranges (b) the Potwar Plateau, east of the Indus; (c) the 160 to 402 km, while the length of the central Salt off the southern of axial the is Range, marking boundary range, "Great Himalaya", about 2412 the both in Bannu and Potwar and cut km from the great bend of the river Indus in the region the Indus at the head of the northwest to the similar bend of the Brahmaputra through by re- & Lear- in the southeast (Wadia, 1966). The connecting markable Kalabagh reentrant (Spate

link between the Himalayas and the Trans- mouth, 1967).

The Vale of Peshawar forms a semicircle of Himalayan ranges is the great mass of the Pamirs 2 lowland of some 5700 km surrounded by moun- — the roof of world. the From the Pamirs the ,

tains on three sides and on the fourth side Himalayas extend to the southeast as an unbroken open

towards the Potwar Plateau in the east. It is wall of snow-covered mountains with an average drained by the rivers Kabul, Swat, Kalpani and height of more than 6100 m (Nanga Parbat 8127 m). their tributaries. North of the Himalayas lies the great range of the The Kohat lies than the Peshawar Karakoram. It extends from the Pamirs in the Valley higher and Bannu It is about 460 and northwest to the river Shyok in the southeast. Its plains. m high is broken limestone It is drained length from the river Hunza to the river Shyok is by west/east ridges. by the KohatToi which falls into the Indus. about 402 km. Many of its peaks are above 7315

The Bannu plain is an alluvial basin drained by m, with K2 (Mt. Godwin Austen) 8610 m, the the rivers Kurram and Tochi. The second highest peak in the world. The Hindu bordering mountains rise abruptly from the basin edge and Kush Range runs from the Pamirs to the south- isolate it more or less completely from the Punjab west into Afghanistan. Its highest peak — Tirich plain. Mir (7700 m) — is situated in Chitral, Pakistan. The Potwar Plateau lies in the north of the

Salt Range. Its height varies from 350 to 600 m.

2. The northwestern hills. — There few are a outlying spurs of the Salt Range in the south and of the Kala Chitta Range in the

north. The streams there are generally deep set From the Hindu Kush, three minor ranges (fall-

from and of no use for irrigation. The valleys of the ing 7700 m in the north to about 1525 m

Haro and Soan across the plateau from the in the south) run southwards to the river Kabul pass foot hills in the the Indus in the between which flow the rivers Swat, Panjkora and east, to west.

The Salt starts in the Tilla and Chitral. South of the river Kabul lies the Safed Range Jogi Jhelum Bokrala ridge near and runs southwest to Koh Range which runs from west to east and

varies the north of the river Jhelum for some distance from 4734 m in the west to about 1000 m

before northwest to cross the Indus near in the angle between the Kabul and the Indus in turning

the Kalabagh ( K. S. Ahmad, 1969). West of the Indus, east. Across the river Indus, it becomes con-

tinuous it continues south into the districts of Bannu and with an outer Himalayan arc through the Dera Ismail Khan. It is marked off from Kala Chitta to the Jhelum sharply Range up gorges. The the in the south but sinks area between the Safed Koh and the river Tochi Punjab plain more

is gently towards the Potwar Plateau in the north. a tangle of arid hills up to about 1515 m, with These hills are generally from 750 to 1000 m high a general west/east trend cut across from north-

but at Sakesar they reach up to 1525 m. The Salt west to southeast by the upper Kurram Valley. In the Bhittani Range consists of two parallel ridges, in between country, between Bannu and Jandola, which elevated fertile is in- be an plateau situated, there seems to an arcuate arrangement convex tersected by ravines and salt laikes. to the west; the spurs of the northwestern hills and of the Salt Range nearly meet in the Pezu 4. The Indus plain. — gap between Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan (Spate

& Learmouith, 1967). Between the rivers Kurram The Indus plain starts from foot hills of the and Gomal lies the of Wazliristan. In the and in the north and hilly area Himalayas the Salt Range

and extreme south of Waziristan, the hills merge into continues to the Rann of Kutch the Arabian the Sulaiman Range between the Punjab and Sea in the south. It is surrounded by the hills of northern Baluchistan. the North West Frontier Province and Baluchistan

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in the and into the Indo-Gan- It is to 2745 The of the west passes vaster up m high. west boundary forms Sind is formed Kirthar hills which getic plain. The Indo-Gangetic plain a great plain by the are Baluchistan Plateau is curve from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal about 2120 m high. The

than 600 Several and is regarded as one of the most important more m high. ranges run across Kakar plains of the world. It is more than 3200 km long it from northeast to southwest. The Toba

the and from 240 to 480 km broad and has several and Chagai ranges separate it from Afghan- outstanding features like the dead flatness and istan. The Central Brahui Range runs from gentle seaward slope, the sudden rise of the Hi- northeast to southwest. It is about 362 km long

with of its above It is almost malayas from the level plain, the immense thick- some peaks 3355 m.

of continuous with Toba in the ness, enormous width and uniform character the Kakar Range

Kharan-Makran in the alluvium (Stamp, 1967). northeast and with the ranges

K. S. Ahmad (1969) divided the Indus plain into the southwest thus isolating northwestern Baluchi- the Indus the and the stan from the of Pakistan. The area in the upper plain or Punjab plain rest lower Indus plain or the Sind plain. The Punjab northwest is almost desert with a few salt lakes or

Hamuns plain comprises the northern part of the Indus like the Hamun-i-Lora and the Hamun-i- plain. It is draiined by the Indus and its five main Mashkel. Several ranges like the Ras Koh, the tributaries: the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Siahan Range, the Central and the Coastal Makran

from to west with somewhat Beas and the Sutlej. The river Beas lies in Indian ranges run east a

southward trend. The in territory. The northeastern part of the Punjab ranges are higher the

northeast and decrease in in plain is about 200 to 300 m high but it gradually gradually elevation southwest. decreases in its height towards its southern ex- the tremity. The level plain consists chiefly of fertile alluvia deposited by the rivers. Near Sargodha, Climate

Chiniot and Sangla some old dry hills rise above The climate of Pakistan varies from place to the plain. The submontane plain west of the Indus, place according to the latitude and the altitude. the Sulaiman is known as Derajat or piedmont, The whole area lies between roughly 24° and 37° divided into the districts of Dera Ghazi Khan and latitude and hence in the warm temperate zone. Dera Ismail Khan. The piedmont deposits slope and A large part is situated away from the sea gradually down to the plain. there are high mountain ranges in the north and The lower Indus plain comprises the Sind Prov- west. On the whole, the climate is arid and ex- ince. It differs from the Punjab plain in that it treme or of continental type. The temperature been has formed by the changing course of the varies from several degrees below freezing point in lower part of the Indus. West of the Indus lies the the winter 47°C montane zone during to as high as high Kirthar piedmont which slopes gently to the in some areas in the plains during summer. The river alluvium. The central Sind plain between the north- rainfall also varies greatly from 7.5 cm in left bank of the Indus and the Thar Desert is a western Baluchistan to about 150 cm in certain level alluvial plain laid down by the Indus. In the areas in the Punjab and North West Frontier east it merges into desert where the landscape is Province. Humidity is generally low and the air is dominated by sand dunes (K. S. Ahmad, 1969). for the of the in the dry greater part year except

coastal areas where there is of moisture in 5. The Baluchistan Plateau. — plenty

the air. K. S. Ahmad (1951, 1969) divided this The plateau of Baluchistan lies west of the Su- area intofour major climatic regions. laiman and Kirthar ranges. The Sulaiman Range

runs from south of the river Gomal in the north Natural vegetation hills for to the Marri-Bugti in the south a distance

rainfall natural of about 480 km. Its highest peak at Takht-i- Due to low the vegetation gen-

Sulaiman is about 3360 m, but generally these erally consists of tough grass or dry stunted

bushes with in the less In mountains are about 1830 to 2135 m high. At the some trees dry areas. there of southern end of the Sulaiman Range, the Marri the montane regions are patches pine

and hills forest. S. Ahmad has classified the Bugti run from southeast to northwest K. (1969)

the pointing towards the Quetta node. Between the forests of Pakistan into 5 categories: (1)

Kundar and the Zhob tributaries of the Gomal northern and northwestern mountain forests; (2)

Bela runs the Toba Kakar Range from the northeast to the Baluchistan hill forests; (3) the riverain or The the southwest for a distance of about 480 km. forests; (4) the tidal forests; (5) the Rakhs.

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Fig. 2. Hydrography of Pakistan and Kashmir.

makes bend area with forests has considerably increased in the lake Panggong it a sharp and

Pakistan since its independence. cuts through the Ladakh Range, which it pierces

again above the Shyok confluence. The Ladakh

Hydrography between the two Indus forms Range gaps a

wall of 304 km. The Indus and the The of Pakistan in the straight Shyok water resources are many flow parallel 32 to 48 km apart, and between form of streams, rivers, lakes and ponds. The them the range rises 3050 to 5790 m. In the east, streams and rivers can be grouped into three in Ladakh, the whole catchment as well as the major systems: immediate in Baltistan valley is narrow, but the

1. The Indus drainage system. — catchment widens. At Skardu, where the northern

and its kilometres below This system includes the river Indus Shigar comes in a few the Shyok, tributaries. The Indus rises on the northern flanks the Indus is often about 152 m wide and about 3 of the Kailas Range in western Tibet. It flows in m deep, even in winter (Spate & Learmouth, 1967).

breaks river a great northerly curve until it through The Gilgit, after receiving the river Hunza that range and is joined by the Gartang. The in the north, joins the Indus at Bunji. The Indus main river flows between the Kailas and the here turns to the south round the Nanga Parbat. eastern Ladakh ranges. This long course is gen- A few miles downstream the Indus receives the erally from southeast to northwest but south of river Astor from the south. From Bunji, the Indus

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flows south and west, and passes into the North III. HISTORICAL SKETCH

West Frontier Province. In this province, it re- ceives several small streams including the river The ichthyological studies in the South Asian

Brandu from the Buner Valley and the Siran subcontinent were initiated in Bengal when Ham-

Attock is receives ilton monumental from the Hazara District. At (1822) published his mono- the river rivers the the Kabul, which is joined by the graph on "Fishes of Ganges". This great

Chitral, Swat and Kalpani in its way. From At- ichthyologist was one of the pioneers in this field. tock towards the south and "As the the Indus flows re- According to Myers (1964:41) : year ceives the rivers Kurram, Tochi and Gomal from 1851 dawned, it is notable that in only three mi- the and the Haro and Soan from the of west east nor areas of the earth had the greater part in addition to several small hill torrents. Near the fish fauna been discovered, named, and de-

it receives the combined Mithankot, Panjnad, scribed. One comprised the coastal seas and fresh formed the union of the five tributaries of by great waters western Europe, where ichthyology was of the Indus: the Jhei the the um, Chenab, Ravi, born. Another was the coastal part of New Eng- the Beas and the Sutlej. The river Beas joins the land and New York, where the work had been

in Indian The Ravi Jhe- Sutilej territory. and the done by Mitchili, LeSueur, De Kay, and Storer. lum the Chenab before it the join joins Sutlej The third, almost unbelievably, was the valley Uch form near to the Panjnad. Below Mithankot, of the Ganges, in India, where a remarkable river Indus flows the very slowly, and ultimately Scotsman, Francis Buchanan Hamilton, had done falls into the Arabian Sea near Karachi. It with re- the job the help of no one, by 1822". ceives several hill from the Kirthar torrents Range The earliest work on the fishes of some parts in the west. of Pakistan was done by M'Clelland (1842), who

fishes collected Wil- published a report on the by

liam Griffith during the 1835 to 1842 from — years 2. Internal drainage system. some areas of Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.

He reported 11 species from the 80lan Pass and There are several streams in northwestern Ba- Quetfta, and 25 species from the Khyber Pass in- luchistan which like neither join any big river the cluding 4 new species: Opsarius bicirratus, Silurus fall into Indus, nor directly the sea. Instead they indicus, Ophiocephalus indicus and O. montanus. end in the salt lakes or hamuns. Several small Another collection of fishes was made by Sir streams in the Quetta Pishin District, arising from Alexander Burnes during the years 1837-1838from the Toba Kakar Range, join to form the river the rivers Kabul and Indus. The record of these Lora. The Lora, after receiving several small fishes was preserved in the form of 32 drawings tributaries, enters into Afghanistan. After taking a present in the library of the Asiatic Sooiety of small turn it into the District again passes Chagai Bengal. Hora (1927) identified these fishes from where (it flows (into the Hamun-i-Lora. A similar the plates and reported on them. river is the Mashkel. It originates from eastern In the second half of the nineteenth century, Iran and into Baluchistan the passes western near Francis Day dominated in the field of ichthyology border of the Kharan and Makran districts. After of South Asia. His early work was mostly con- receiving the river Rakhshan from northern Ma- fined other Pakistan. to areas than In 1871-72, he kran, it passes northwards and flows into the mentioned 16 species of fishes from the Punjab Hamun-i-Mashkel. In addition there are other, and Sind in his monograph on the Indian Cypri- small seasonal streams, which form temporary nidae, and described the following new species: lakes or hamuns in northwestern Baluchistan. Barbus (Puntius) punjabensis, Barilius (Pachysto-

mus) modestus, Chela punjabensis, Cirrhina sind-

3. Coastal drainage — system. ensis, Scaphiodon watsoni, S. irregularis, Barbus

(Puntius) waageni. In his monumental book on

Several! small rivers and streams in the coastal the "Fishes of India" (1875-78), he described

into 100 of freshwater fishes from this areas flow directly the Arabian Sea. Among about species de- these, the rivers Hab, Porali, Hingol, and Dasht area, out of which the following species were are the most important. scribed as new: Labeo caeruleus, L. microphthal-

several In he 26 There are large lakes in the Sind Prov- mus, L. nigripinnis. 1880, reported spe- ince, including the Manchar and Kalri lakes which cies of fishes from the Sind-Baluchistan hills, and are the largest lakes inPakistan. described 2 new species, viz. Scaphiodon microph-

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thalmus and S. milesi from Quetta and Gwadar, from the Zoological Laboratories of Government respectively. In 1889, in the "Fauna of British College, Lahore. H. Khan (1946) made a fishery

India" which of the river Indus within the limits of the series, he reported the same species survey were described in the "Fishes of India". Günther Punjab and listed only the common game fishes.

(1889) reported 3 species of fishes from north- The Islamic Republic of Pakistan came into western Baluchistan. Out of these, two species, existence in 1947. The work on the freshwater viz. Cirrhina afghana and Noemacheilus kessleri fishes of West Pakistan was very slow during the

described Aloock were as new. (1898) reported 5 first 15 years. In 1956, Sufi revised the Oriental species from the Yasin River (Northern Areas), fishes of the family Mastacem bel idae and described including one new species, Noemacheilus yasinen- the variations in the 3 species of this genus found

in Pakistan. One later he recorded 33 sis. year spe-

In first cies of from the Lake in Sind the half of the present century some ad- fishes Kinjer (Sufi, ditions were made to our knowledge of the fishes 1957a); in another paper (Sufi, 1957b), he report- of Pakistan by several ichthyologists. Jenkins ed Glyptothorax cavia (Hamilton, 1822) and G.

described fishes from from the Peshawar and (1910) some the western part telchitta (Hamilton, 1822) of Baluchistan In he including one new species, Scaphio- Hyderabad divisions, respectively. 1958, don baluchiorum. Zugmayer (1912) described the recorded Chela laubuca (Hamilton, 1822) from the

6 fishes from Balu- and divisions. Misra following new fresh waters of Khairpur Hyderabad (1962)

mentioned 70 of freshwater fishes chistan: Scaphiodon watsoni var. belensi. S. dauke- only species si, Labeo gedrosicus, L. macmahoni, Noemachei- from West Pakistan. lus baluchiorum and N. brahui. In 1913 he the 1962-1970, the in the pub- During years progress field lished his comprehensive paper on the fishes of of ichthyology was qulite rapid in Pakistan.

Baluchistan in which he reported 35 species of In 1962, Siddiqi listed 18 species from the river freshwater fishes in addition to the marine species. Bolan; R. M. L. Khan (1962) reported 29 species

Regan (1914) recorded 6 species from southern from the Marala-Ravi Link Canal; Sufi (1962)

revised the fish of the Waziristan, including two new species, Discogna- fauna Manchar Lake and thus wanae and Schizocypris brucei. While a stu- recorded 43 species; Sajid (1962) recorded Pristis

microdon dent at Government College, Lahore, Hora (1919) Latham, 1794 from the river Indus near

the fish fauna of which distance of 293 km from wrote a report on Lahore, Hyderabad at a about

the In he submitted in partial fulfilment for the M.Sc. sea. 1963, Sufi published a checklist of the

of the fishes of the degree Punjab University. He recorded 42 genus Glyptothorax Blyth, 1860 and species of fishes from Lahore. This report, how- recorded G. platypogonoides (Bleeker, 1855) from

the Peshawar ever, was not published. In 1921, he described one Division; N. Ahmad (1963) reported new species, viz. Garra montis-salsi, from the Salt 104 species of freshwater fishes from West Paki-

Range, of the Punjab. In 1923, in his paper on stan; Ahmad & Mirza (1963a) described 4 loaches the fishes of of the Noemacheilus the Salt Range, he described two new genus Van Hassölt, 1823 species, Scaphiodon readingi and Noemacheilus from Swat, including two new loaches, N. naziri

in addition known and N. in another punjabensis, to some already punjabensis naseeri; paper species. Prashad & Mukerji (1930) recorded 35 (Ahmad & Mirza, 1963b) they recorded 9 species speoies of fishes from the Manchar Lake. In 1933, from Kaghan and Swat. In 1964, Ahmad & Mirza

Hora redescribed 3 loaches from Baluchistan (Ho- reported 3 species of fishes from the river Kurram

Noemacheilus In ra, 1933a), and one new species, near Parachinar. 1965, Qureshi published a prashari from Kohat (Hora, 1933b). In 1934, he monograph on the common freshwater fishes of

described described 5 speoies from Chitral including one Pakistan; Banarescu & Mirza (1965) a new speoies, Noemacheilus choprai. H. Khan new loach, Noemacheilus lindbergi, from Afghan-

(1934) published his observations on the habits istan and West Pakistan; Mirza (1965) reported and habitats of 51 species of fishes from the Pun- 18 species from the Kalat District; Mirza & Naik jab. Hora & Mukerji (1935) reported Noemachei- (1965 a &b) recorded 7 species from the Quetta lus gracilis Day, 1876 from a stream about 13 km Pishin District, and 22 species from the Sibi Dis- from Attock, and Mukerji (1936) recorded Schi- trict. In 1966, Mirza described 4 species of snow zothorax longipinnis Heckel, 1838 from Skardu. trouts from the Quetta Division; Mirza & Naik

Ahmad the recorded fishes from the N. (1943) published a monograph on (1966) 8 species of Lora- fishes of Lahore in which he described 49 species lai District. In 1967, Mirza described a new mah- from the areas within a radius of about 24 km seer, Tor zhobensis, from the river Zhob in Balu-

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chistan; Mirza & Naik (1967) revised the fish and fisheries of the lower Indus Basin. In 1974, fauna of the river Bolan and recorded 12 species Mirza discussed the ichthyogeography of Baluchi- in addition to those already reported by Siddiqi stan and the adjoining areas of the Indus plain;

(1962). In 1968, Mirza discussed the hill-stream Mirza & Hameed (1974) described 13 species of fishes from West Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. In sisorid fishes from Pakistan and Azad Kashmir;

1969, Mirza, Banarescu & Nalbant described two Mirza & Ahmad (1974) listed 41 species from the

Dera Ismail Khan Ahmad & Khan new loaches, Noemacheilus pakistanicus and N. District; (1974) harnaiensis, from Baluchistan; Mirza (1969) pub- reported 75 species of freshwater fishes from the lished a paper on the genus Cyprinion Heckal, Sind Province.

1842 from West Pakistan and merged C. irregu- lare (Day, 1872) with C. watsoni (Day, 1872); Mir- IV. FRESHWATER FISHES OF PAKISTAN za & Naik (1969) recorded 10 species including one new catfish, Glyptothorax naziri, from the In Pakistan, there are 156 species of freshwater

Zhob District. In 1970, Mirza, Banarescu & Nal- fishes, belonging to 68 genera, 22 families, 9 or- bant described 3 new loaches: Noemacheilus anam- ders and classes. Since deals 2 the present paper

barensis, N. horai machensis and N. rupecola ale- with the zoogeographical aspect, the exotic spe- pidotus from West Pakistan, and redescribed N. cies of fishes have been omitted. More emphasis baluchiorum Zugmayer, 1912; Mirza (1970a) re- has been given to the ostariophysian fishes (the vised the fishes of Lahore and recorded 16 species 47 ostariophysian genera are particularly empha- in addition to those already reported by N. Ah- sized) and other primary freshwater fishes, as mad (1943); Mirza (1970b) described 5 species they are more important from the zoogeographi- of the subfamily Cultrinae from West Pakistan; cal point of view.

Mirza (1970c) recorded Amblyceps mangois (Ham-

from the Jhelum Canal ilton, 1822) upper near Class TELEOSTOMI Shadiwal, Gujrat District. The class Teleostomi includes the bony fishes. During the year of 1971, the east wing of Pa- They are known from the Lower Devonian when kistan was separated as an independent state, four major groups were already well established. Bangla Desh. In 1971, Mirza & Kashmiri listed This means that they originated much earlier, 5 species of the genus Glyptothorax from Pakistan perhaps in the Ordovician, over 400 million years and described a new subspecies, viz. G. coniros- ago (Lagler et al., 1962). According to McAllister tris punjabensis; Mirza merged Systomus chry- (1968), the subclass Actinopterygii appears to be 1839 sopterus M'Clelland, with Cyprinus sophore the the subclasses of the most primitive among Hamilton, 1822 (Mirza, 1971a); Mirza (1971b) Teleostomi. The bony fishes of Pakistan belong to published a list of freshwater fishes of the Makran this subclass. Islam District; & Siddiqi (1971) reported 21 spe- cies from Jhelum. In 1972, Mirza & Angvi added Subclass ACTINOPTERYGII two more species to the fish fauna of the Zhob

Valley; Banarescu & Mirza (1972) described a The actinopterygian fossils are known from the new loach, viz. Noemacheilus alepidotus nalbanti Middle Devonian. During this period, these fishes from the northern Punjab and Azad Kashmir; were already represented by several diverse forms.

Mirza (1972) published a comprehensive report This suggests that they might have evolved much on 70 species of freshwater fishes of Baluchistan; earlier. The earliest actinopterygian fishes were the

Khatoon & Baqai (1972) reported 33 species of palaeoniscoids, which were probably the ancestors freshwater aquarium fishes from Sind. In 1973, of the remaining groups like the Chondrostei, Ho-

Mirza lostei and published a report on the fish of the Swat Teleostei. These three groups represent

and in Valley adjoining areas (Mirza, 1973a); Mirza three gradations organizational level, the te-

6 Awan (1973) reported on a small collection of leostean fishes have passed from Chondrostei fishes from the river Indus near Kalabagh, and de- through Holostei to Teleostei. scribed two new speoies, Nangra robusta and Clu- The teleostean fossils are known form the Mid-

& Kashmiri recorded in pisoma naziri; Mirza (1973) dle Triassic. Some of them are quite advanced the 28 species from river Soan; Mirza (1973b) re- the details of their structure; it appears that the corded 12 species from the Kohat District and the shift from the holostean to the teleostean level Hussain adjoining areas; (1973) listed 65 species began much earlier, perhaps in the late Palaeozoic from the Sind Province in his the fish paper on (Greenwood et al., 1966; Myers, 1967). According

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to Myers (1967: 617), "There is indirect but up to 4600 m. This cohort is represented by two

mounting evidence that the Mesozoic origin of superorders: Ostariophysi and Acanthopterygii.

teleostean occurred fresh many groups in water.

This is especially true of the great superorder Os-

tariophysi, to which the majority of the primary Superorder Ostariophysi

freshwater fishes of the world belong, and partic-

true of the included order The ularly Cypriniformes ostariophysian fishes are among the most

— the caracoids, cyprinoids, and their very close successful teleostean fishes. According to Rosen

relatives." From the very beginning, three distinct & Greenwood (1970), the gonorhynchiforms and

lines of teleostean fishes are which the sister The perceptible, ostariophysians are two groups. have been as three cohorts by Green- fossils to the Cre- recognized gonorhynchid extend up Upper

wood et al. viz. Archaeo- (1967), Taeniopaedia, taceous. The Cretaceous form of this group is Euteleostei. phylaces and little different from the modern ones. This means

that the common ancestor of the two sister groups

Cohort TAENIOPAEDIA might be much older. According to the revised

classification proposed by Rosen & Greenwood This cohort includes the elopomorphs, the eels (1970), the Gonorhynchiformes are included in the and the herring-like fishes, which are primarily series Anotophysi, and the Cypriniformes and Si- of them and marine. Some are very primitive quite luriformes in the series Otophysi within the super- close to the holostean level of organization. This order Ostariophysi. The series Anotophysi is not cohort is represented by two species in the inland represented in Pakistan. waters of Pakistan. One of them, Gadusia chapra

(Hamilton, 1822), is widely distributed in the Indus Series OTOPHYSI plain while the other, Macrura (= Hilsa) ilisha

(Hamilton, 1822), is now restricted to the lower The members of this series originated from some

of Ghulam Mu- in the ancient parts the river Indus up to the protacanthopterygians southern con-

hammad Barrage, though it has been found up to tinent in the Mesozoic Era. The characoids and the siluroids became distinct Bhakkar in the past (Hora, 1927). They belong to before the fragmen- the family Clupeidae, order Clupeiformes and tation of this landmass which occurred either

the superorder Ciupeomorpha. during Jurassic or, more probably, in the late

Triassie. The cyprinoid fishes evolved in Asia

Cohort ARCHAEOPHYLACES from some toothless protocyprinid characoid Which

got across the Tethys Sea from Africa. In Eurasia, This cohort includes exclusively the freshwater differentiated into the familial they largest group fishes grouped into the superorder Osteoglosso- of the Ostariophysi, and invaded in the Tertiary morpha. They are descendents of some pholido- both Africa, across the greatly shrunken Tethys, phoroid holosteans and have not given rise to other and North America via the Bering land bridge teleostean fishes. They were once almost cosmopol- (Regan, 1922; Myers, 1967). This series comprises itan, but now they are confined to the tropical two orders, namely the Cypriniformes and the regions of South America, Africa, Asia, New Siluriformes.

Guinea and Australia, except one genus which is found in North America et al., 1966; (Greenwood Order CYPRINIFORMES In Pakistan this is Banarescu, 1971). group repre- In Pakistan this order is represented by the sented by two species, Notopterus notopterus (Pal- cypri- noid fishes. The cyprinoid fishes originated and las, 1769) and N. chitala (Hamilton, 1822), of the evolved in South-East Asia and family Noptopteridae, order Osteoglossiformes. dispersed west- wards along the southern face of the Both of them are Oriental species and are found Himalayas through the Indo-Braham and the in the Indus plain. River along

northern face through a similar water channel in

the Tertiary. Cohort EUTELEOSTEI The Cyprinoidei are much more successful than

This cohort comprises the majority of the te- any other group of the ostariophysian fishes. In leostean both freshwater marine. fishes, and Pakistan, there are 90 to They species belonging 29 gen- almost all of and occupy sorts aquatic habitats success- era two families of these fishes, which form

and from fully, range the ocean depths to altitudes more than 57% of the entire freshwater fish fauna

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the the into subfamilies of this country. Among Cyprinoidei, Cy- cyprinid genera on the basis of

prinidae are the most primitive and ancestral. osteology. The classification followed here is based

on over-all similarity and is mainly after Banares-

cu (1968, 1972). Family CYPRINIDAE In view of the large number of speoies (which

is comprise more than 41% of the freshwater fish This important family of the freshwater fishes fauna of the and of distributed in Africa (except Madagascar), Asia, country) genera the Cyprini- brief of and Europe and North America. They are absent in dae, a account the subfamilies genera is Australia and South America except those which given.

have been introduced. They originated in Sooth-

East Asia and have spread in the other parts of CULTRINAE the world. The cyprinid fossils are known from Subfamily

the beginning of the Oligocene deposits (Nikol'skii,

the is much older. This subfamily is mainly Oriental except for one 1961), but it appears that group which is found in Pakistan has received its cyprinid fauna from genus (Pelecus Agassiz, 1835),

is as the three sources: Europe (Banarescu, 1967a). It regarded

most the 1. The majority of the cyprinid genera are pri- primitive subfamily among Cyprinidae of Pakistan In this it marily South-East Asiatic. They have dispersed (Mirza et al., 1974). country

is 5 to 3 westwards along the southern face of the Hima- represented by species, belonging gen-

Indo-Braham All the are Oriental and none of them layas through the great River. These era. genera extends the Central Brahui in the have reached to the Central Brahui beyond Range genera up and the Siwalik hills in the north. Range in Baluchistan but not beyond. Some of the west, They are,

westwards however, widely distributed in the Oriental Region. genera, however, have dispersed along

southern Baluchistan into southern Iran and even

farther. Genus Pseudoxygaster Banarescu, 1967

Central Asiatic. 2. The snow trouts are primarily This Pseu- genus comprises only a single species From Central Asia, they have dispersed westwards doxygaster gora (Hamilton, 1822), which is en- through some water passage along the northern demic to the South Asian Subregion of the Orien- face of the Himalayas as far as Turkey (Hora, tal Region. Due to the presence of the quadrate- 1952; Banarescu, 1960; Ladiges, 1960). In Pakistan metapterygoid fenestra and the absence of radii most of them are distributed in the Trans-Hima-

in most of the scales, this seems to be the in genus layan areas but some of them have dispersed the Cultrinaeof South Asia. most primitive among the streams and rivers south of the Himalayas

through the Trans-Himalayan sections of the Indus Genus Salmostoma Swainson, 1839 and its tributaries; they have reached northeastern

Baluchistan east of the Central Brahui Range This also is distributed in South genus widely (Mirza, 1974). Asia. Like Pseudoxy gaster, it has the quadrate- 3. The West Asian like Cyprinion Heckel genera few metapterygoid fenestra but its scales have a and Capoeta Cuvier & Valenciennes and the sub- is also of the radii. Thus it one most primitive have been received genus Discognathus Heckel, genera among the Cyprinidae. It is represented by via some water ways flowing eastwards from two species in Pakistan which are distributed in West Asia. Among these, only the genus Cyprinion the Indus plain and the adjoining hilly areas: Sal- has been able to disperse eastwards beyond the mostoma bacaila (Hamilton, 1822) and S. punjab- Central Brahui Range via southern Baluchistan, ensis (Day, 1872). while the remaining genus and subgenus are only

known from northwestern Baluohistan west of the Genus Chela Hamilton, 1822 Central Brahui Range and north of the Kharan-

Makran Oriental ranges. This genus is widely distributed in the

The Cyprinidae are represented by 65 species, Region as far as Thailand. There is no quadrate- belonging to 26 genera and 4 subfamilies. metapterygoid fenestra but the scales have only a

This very speciose family has been divided into few radii. It is represented by two species in Pa- various subfamilies by different authors. As point- kistan which are widely distributed in the Indus ed out by Regan (1911), Ramaswami (1955), and plain and the adjoining hills: Chela cachius (Ham-

it is Banarescu (1968), not possible to group the ilton, 1822) and C. laubuca (Hamilton, 1822).

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Subfamily DANIOINAE Genus Labeo Cuvier, 1817

This subfamily is closely related to the Cultrinae This genus is distributed in Asia and Africa. In as indicated by the presence of the quadrate- Pakistan there are 15 species of this genus out of

the which 3 Labeo caeruleus 1877, L. metapterygoid fenestra in genera Opsariichthys species, Day, Bleeker, 1863 and Zacco Jordan & Evermann, gedrosicus Zugmayer, 1912 and L. macmahoni

1902. They are represented by 8 species belonging Zugmayer, 1912, are endemic to the southwestern to in Pakistan. of them of Pakistan. The 12 5 genera None possesses parts remaining species are the quadrate-metapterygoid fenestra. Except for widely distributed in South Asia: L. calbasu (Ham-

ilton, L. L. rohi- the genus Barilius Hamilton, 1822 which extends 1822), gonius (Hamilton, 1822), into Africa, all the ta (Hamilton, L. dero West Asia and genera are 1822), (Hamilton, 1822), Oriental. L. fimbriatus (Bloch, 1797), L. pangusia (Ham-

ilton, 1822), L. dyocheilus (M'Clelland, 1839), Genus Barilius Hamilton, 1822 L. boggut (Sykes, 1841), L. boga (Hamilton, 1822), This 3 in Pakistan genus is represented by species L. microphthalmus Day, 1877, L. sindensis (Day, which restricted South Asian are to the Subregion 1872) and L. nigripinnis Day, 1877. of the Oriental Region: Barilius vagra (Hamilton, Genus Cirrhinus Cuvier, 1817 1822), B. bendelisis (Hamilton, 1822) and B. bola

Pakistan known (Hamilton, 1822). In they are This genus is endemic to the Oriental Region. It from the Indus plain and the adjoining hilly areas. is represented by two species in the Indus plain

and the Genus Danio Hamilton, 1822 adjoining hilly areas: Cirrhinus mrigala (Hamilton, 1822) and C. reba (Hamilton, 1822). This is Oriental It genus endemic to the Region. Both of them are widely distributed in South Asia. is represented by one species in the submontane areas of Pakistan, Danio devario (Hamilton, 1822). Genus Crossocheilus Van Hasselt, 1823

Genus Brachydanio Weber & De Beaufort, 1916 This is also Oriental genus but extends into Iran

and Afghanistan. In Pakistan it lis represented by This Oriental genus is represented by one species Crossocheilus latius diplocheilus (Heckel, 1838), in the northern submontane regions of Pakistan,

which is widely distributed in the submontane re- Brachydanio rerio (Hamilton, 1822). gion surrounding the Indus plain and extends into Genus Rasbora Bleeker, 1859 southeastern Iran.

This genus is widely distributed in the Oriental Genus Garra Hamilton, 1822 Region. In Pakistan, only two species have so far been recorded from the Punjab (Misra, 1962): This genusis widely 'distributed in Asia and Africa.

Rasbora rasbora (Hamilton, 1822) and R. dani- It originated in South-East Asia and then dispers- conius (Hamilton, 1822). ed into West Asia and Africa. In West Asia, it

has differentiatedinto many endemic genera, de- Genus Esomus Swainson, 1839 scribed by Karaman (1971). A. G. K. Menon

This is also Oriental. It is represented by (1964) a of genus proposed complicated way dispersal in the and Sind Provinces of for in the form one species Punjab these fishes of waves, which was

Pakistan, Esomus danricus (Hamilton, Karaman Within this 1822). questioned by (1971). genus

two subgenera can be recognized. Subfamily BARBINAE Garra Subgenus Hamilton, 1822, sensu stricto This is the largest subfamily of the Cyprinidae, which is widely distributed in the fresh waters of This subgenus is widely distributed in Asia and

Asia, Africa and Europe. It is represented in Pa- Africa. It is represented by two species in Paki- kistan 43 13 Garra and G. by species, belonging to genera. stan: gotyla (Gray, 1832) wanae

these, two and Among genera one subgenus are (Regan, 1914).

West Asiatic while the remaining genera are A. G. K. Menon (1964) and Karaman (1971)

Oriental, but some of them have in treated G. representatives wanae (Regan, 1914) as a synonym of Asia and Even the of the G. rossica West Africa. ancestors (Nikolsky, 1900). The present author

West Asian believed have does with them there 4 genera are to dispersed not agree as are barbels

East Asia Siberia Asia in G. from through to West wanae but only two in G. rossica. On re-

of the the of (Banarescu, 1972). quest author, types G. wanae were

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checked by Mrs. M. Clarke, British Museum are 4 species of this genus known from Pakistan,

(Natural History), London, who made the follow- one of which (Tor zhobensis Mirza, 1967) is en-

remarks: "I examined of Dis- demic northeastern Baluchistan. ing have the types to The remaining

for and find that do T. T. tor cognathus wanae you they species, putitora (Hamilton, 1822), (Ham-

have four barbels. We have only a few badly ilton, 1822) and T. mosal (Hamilton, 1822), are

for distributed in South Asia. preserved speoimens of Garra rossica compar- widely

ison but they appear to differ from Discognathus Genus Puntius Hamilton, 1822 wanae in several characters. D. wanae has a higher

number of gill rakers (12 compared with 9-11) This genus is also Oriental. It originated in South-

and also has scales on back, chest and belly East Asia and dispersed westwards up to south-

whereas G. rossica does not." eastern Baluchistan. It is not known from north-

western Baluchistan. There are 11 species so far Subgenus Discognathus Heckel, 1842 known from Pakistan. They can be grouped into

3 sections basis This subgenus is characterized by the presence of on the of their osteology. Among

two barbels and the poorly developed sucker. The these speoies, Puntius sarana (Hamilton, 1822)

isolated poorly developed sucker was regarded as a prim- occupies an position. The scales in this

itive feature by A. G. K. Menon (1964), but species are more or less rectangular and longer

struc- than broad with the Karaman (1971) regards it as a degenerate as compared remaining spe- cies in ture. It appears that Karaman's view is more which the scales are somewhat dome-shaped

probable as the forms with a poorly developed and broader than long. The number of vertebrae

sucker are restricted to West Asia and not to in P. sarana is about 36 as compared with about

South-East Asia — the centre of origin for Garra. 30 in the other species. Thus, it appears that P.

different The subgenus Discognathus is represented by one sarana belongs to a stock.

species in northwestern Baluchistan west of the Among the remaining species, P. sophore (Ham-

Central Brahui Range and north of the Kharan- ilton, 1822) has a frontoparietal fontanel, which is absent in all other Makran ranges, Garra rossica (Nikolsky, 1900). species (including P. sarana). This fontanel is absent in all other species of Cy- Genus Aspidoparia Heckel, 1843 prinidae of South Asia so far studied (Ramaswa-

mi, 1955; Mirza, So This genus is Oriental but is represented in West 1973c). P. sophore appears

Asia also. be There is only one species, Aspidoparia to phylogenetically distinct.

morar (Hamilton, 1822) in Pakistan, which is The other 9 Puntius species known from Paki-

widely distributed in South Asia but is also found stan are: P. titius (Hamilton, 1822), P. ticto (Ham-

in the peripheral areas of West Asia. ilton, P. 1822), phutunio (Hamilton, 1822), P. ge- lius (Hamilton, 1822), P. conchonius (Hamilton, Genus Catla Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1844 1822), P. punjabensis (Day, 1872), P. vittatus This genus is also Oriental. In Pakistan, it is rep- (Day, 1872), P. terio (Hamilton, 1822) and P.

resented by one species in the Indus plain and waageni (Day, 1872).

the adjoining hills, Catla catla (Hamilton, 1822). A:1 these species are widely distributed in South

Asia, except P. waageni, which is endemic to the Genus Amblypharyngodon Bleeker, 1859 Salt Range of the Punjab.

This Oriental genus is also represented by one Genus Chagunius Smith, 1939 species in the Indus plain and the adjoining hills,

Amblypharyngodon mola (Hamilton, 1822). The occurrence of this genus in Pakistan needs

confirmation. According to Misra (1962) this ge- Genus Osteobrama Heckel, 1842 nus is represented in the Punjab (Pakistan) by C.

also This also is This genus is Oriental. It is represented by chagunio (Hamilton, 1822). genus

one species with three races in the Indus plain endemic to the Oriental Region.

and the adjoining hilly areas, Osteobrama cotio Genus Cyprinion Heckel, 1842 (Hamilton, 1822).

Tais is genus West Asiatic. It is represented by Genus Tor Gray, 1833 one species, Cyprinion watsoni (Day, 1872), in the

This is genus widely distributed in Asia and Afri- submontane areas up to the Safed Koh-Cheerat ca. It is Oriental but has into and the Kala Chitta the north and primarily spread ranges hills in

West Asia and Africa from South-East Asia. There Azad Kashmir (the river Poonch near Palak) in

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the east. This species is also known from Afghan- this group reside in the torrential streams of Cen-

istan, Iran and Masqat. tral Asia, although a few of them are also found

along the southern face of the Himalayas and the Genus Cuvier & 1842 Capoeta Valenciennes, Since riv- adjoining hill ranges. several Himalayan

have ers Trans-Himalayan sources, it This genus also is West Asiatic. Günther (1889) appears that the Schizothoracinae might have dispersed reported Capoeta steindachneri Kessler, 1872 from into the rivers the southern face of the Hi- Nushki in northwestern Baluchistan. But more along

malayas via the sections of these recent authors (Berg, 1964; Karaman, 1969a) did Trans-Himalayan

the of this into this rivers (A. G. K. Menon, 1954). not extend range genus area. In Pakistan, the Schizothoraoinae are mainly It appears that this genus is rare even in north- distributed in the Northern Montane but western Baluchistan. C. steindachneri was treated Region

natio of C. heratensis some of them are also found in the northwestern as a capoeta (Kayserling, areas to the Central Brahui There 1861) by Berg (1964) and Karaman (1969a). hilly up Range.

9 to far known are species, (belonging 5 genera so

fromPakistan. Subfamily SCHIZOTHORACINAE

Genus Schizothorax Heckel, 1838 This subfamily includes the famous snow trouts

The Heckel includes the or mountain barbels of the High Asian Subregion genus Schizothorax

of the cold snow trouts with four barbels. It is the Oriental Region. They are confined to most prim- itive the Schizothoracinae of regions as a rule, or at least to localities possessing genus among Pa-

snow-fed kistan and is closer to the ancestral form. Within rivers, many of which end in lakes and

do reach the extend from Anatolia this 3 of trouts be differen- not sea. They genus, types snow can

to Afghanistan, Pakistan, U.S.S.R., Kashmir, tiated on the basis of the shape of the mouth, the relative of through Tibet along the Himalayas to the hills of development the lips and the labial

the Yunnan Province of China (Day, 1876; Bana- fold, and the presence or absence of the papillated

labial sucker. In like rescu, 1960). They are specialized for the hill- some species, Schizothorax

stream life and show wonderful adaptations. They esocinus Heckel, 1838 and S. nasus Heckel, 1838,

the are rarely found in the submontane areas. Due to mouth is horseshoe shaped and the lower labial

their ecological and zoogeographical importance, fold is interrupted in ithe middle; in other species, like they have been nomenclaturally recognized as a S. labiatus (M'Clelland, 1839), the mouth is

subfamily. M'Clelland (1842) proposed the sub- still horseshoe shaped but the lower labial fold is

familial name Schizothoracinae for them, which better developed, continuous and trilobed; in still

other was widely accepted by the subsequent authors. species, like S. plagiostomus Heckel, 1838,

Recently, however, Karaman <1971) and Banares- the mouth is transverse and crescent shaped, the

cu treated them as a tribe within the sub- labial fold is modified into a well (1972) developed pa- Barbinae. view family In of the ecological, zoo- pillated sucker. From the evolutionary point of

geographical and evolutionary significance of this view, it appears that the species with horseshoe-

the author is inclined retain the mouth and labial fold the group, present to shaped interrupted are

subfamilial rank. related and From They are closely to, most primitive. these species, the snow derived perhaps from, the Barbinae. trouts with horseshoe-shaped mouthand continuous the Schizolhoracinae, the Schizo- labial fold Among genus have evolved by further development thorax appears to be the most primitive and prob- of the lips and the labial fold. From the species ancestral with with ably respect to the remaining gen- continuous labial fold, the species with well evolution era. The of these fishes appears to have developed labial suckers have evolved by further occurred in the direction of the reduction of the labial scales, elaboration of fold into a papillated barbels and number of of rows teeth (NikoJ'skii, sucker. This is advantageous for clinging to the

1961; Karaman, 1969b). The ancestors of the Schi- rocks and stones at the bottom of mountain zothoracinae migrated from South-East Asia into streams and rivers.

Central Asia, probably in the Pliocene, before the On the basis of the absence presence or of the of labial major upheavals the Himalayas (Hora, 1953). sucker, these snow trouts were assigned to Central In Asia, they proliferated into various gen- different genera by various authors. Heckel (1838) era and and westwards as far »the for species dispersed proposed genus Schizothorax some species as Even of snow Turkey (Banarescu, 1960; Ladiges, 1960). trouts with four barbels and with or

the of the and of labial sucker described now, majority genera speoies without a by him from the

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Kashmir Valley. M'Clelland (1839) proposed the Genus Diptychus Steindachner, 1866

with labial sucker name Oreinus for the species a This genus is restricted to the High Asian Sub- and restricted the name Schizothorax Heckel for region of the Oriental Region. It is represented those without it. In 1842, he proposed the name Areas of by one species in the Northern Pakistan, described Racoma for some snow trout species by Diptychus maculatus Steindachner, 1866. him from Afghanistan. Heckel (1843) proposed

trouts Genus 1866 another name, Schizopyge, for the snow Ptychobarbus Steindachner,

without a sucker. Bleeker (1863) designated Schi- Asia is This genus also is endemic to High and zothorax plagiostomus Heckel as the type species represented by one species in the Northern Areas, Schizothorax Heckel. Since S. of the genus pla- Ptychobarbus conirostris Steindachner, 1866. It well labial giostomus possesses a developed sucker, was treated as a subgenus of the genus Diptychus the name Oreinus M'Clelland becomes a junior by Berg (1964), but the present author feels that Schizothorax Heckel. Bleeker synonym of (1863) it deserves the full generic rank. also proposed Schizothorax curvifrons Heckel,

Genus 1866 1838 as the type species of Schizopyge Heckel and Schizopygopsis Steindachner,

of Racoma Racoma labiata as the type species This in Asia genus is mainly represented High M'Clelland. But most of the authors, including but it is known from West Asia as far as Seistan Day and Hora continued the use of the name as well (Annandale & Hora, 1920). In Pakistan, Oreinus M'Clelland for the snow trouts with the only one species is known, from the Ziarat Valley labial sucker, and Schizothorax Heckel for those and the Northern Areas, Schizopygopsis stoliczkai without the labial sucker. Misra (1962) advocated Steindachner, 1866. for the use of the name Schizothorax Heckel in-

stead of Oreinus M'Clelland and coined a new Genus Schizocypris Regan, 1914

name, Schizothoraichthys (with Schizothorax This genus is unique among the Sohizothoraci- esocinus Heckel, 1838 as the type species), for nae in its distribution. It was described from south-

the fishes which were included in the genus Schi- ern Waziristan by Regan (1914). Its range was zothorax by Day and others. Since the name subsequently extended to Baluchistan and Iran. Schizopyge Heckel is already available for these is It not known from the areas north of the Safed fishes, the name Schizothoraichthys Misra becomes Koh-Cheerat ranges. According to Karaman of former. a junior synonym the (1969b), it is closely related to the genus Schizo- In view of the the author is present situation, thorax, and has probably evolved from this genus of the opinion that the snow trouts with four by the loss of barbels and certain changes in the

barbels and with or without the labial sucker mouth and lips. Its dental formula is closer to that should be included in the genus Schizothorax of Schizothorax Heckel. In Pakistan, only one Heckel. On the basis of the shape of the mouth, species has so far been found in the northwestern structure of the lips, and the presence or absence montane area, Schizocypris brucei Regan, 1914. of the labial sucker, however, the following three

be subgenera may recognized: Family COBITIDAE 1. Schizothorax Heckel, 1838, sensu strioto (type species S. plagiostomus Heckel, 1838) with well The family Gobitidae comprises the loaches which developed papillated labial sucker. are mainly found in the montane and submontane

2. Racoma M'Clelland, 1842 (type species R. regions but rarely in the plains. They are distrib- labiata M'Clelland, 1842) with continuous labial uted in North Africa, Asia and Europe. They fold but without labial sucker. live in clear a shallow, and swift streams among

and the bottom. 3. Schizopyge Meckel, 1843 (type species S. cur- the stones pebbles at

with vifrons Heckel, 1838) interrupted labial fold The Cobitidae originated from some cyprinid and no labial sucker. ancestor in South-East Asia in the Oligocene and

The is 5 westwards genus Schizothorax represented by spread as far as Africa. Among the in species Pakistan, one belonging to the subgenus subfamilies of the Cyprinidae, the Gobioinae seem

S. Schizothorax (viz. plagiostomus Heckel, 1838), to be closely related to the Cobitidae as they have

Racoma in one to (viz. S. labiatus (M'Clelland, similar organization their anatomy. But con- and three 1842)), to Schizopyge (viz. S. esocinus vergent development for this similarity cannot be S. Heckel, 1838, nasus Heckel, 1838 and S. longi- ruled out. Within the Cobitidae, there are three pinnis Heckel, 1838). main phyletic lines, on the basis of which three

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— the and be subfamilies Botinae, Noemacheilinae and Co- following species subspecies appear to balu- bitinae — have been recognized. Among these endemic to this country: 1. Noemacheilus

chiorum 1912 subfamilies, the Botinae show the maximum num- Zugmayer, (endemic to Baluchistan);

hence the 2. N. 1923 the Salt Range ber of primitive characters and are punjabensis Hora, (from of Hora, most primitive; the Noemacheilinae retain some the Punjab); 3. N. prashari prashari

of these characters and hence are intermediate 1933 (described from the northwestern hilly areas

between Botinae and Cobitinae. The Cobitinae in the Punjab and North West Frontier Province;

differ substantially from the above-mentioned sub- 4. N. naseeri Ahmad & Mirza, 1963 (described

from the Swat 5. N. Mirza & families and are regarded as the most advanced Valley); pakistanicus from (Nalbant, 1963). Banarescu, 1969 (known northeastern Ba- luchistan); 6. N. harnaiensis Mirza & Nalbant,

1969 7. N. machensis Subfamily BOTINAE (from eastern Baluchistan);

Mirza & Nalbant, 1970 (from eastern Baluchistan); This subfamily is widely distributed in East, South- 8. N. anambarensis Mirza & Banarescu, 1970 East and South Asia. In Pakistan, it is represented (from eastern Baluchistan); 9. N. alepidotus alepi- by only one genus: Botia Gray, 1831. dotus Mirza & Banarescu, 1970 (from the Swat

Valley and adjoining areas of Hazara). Genus Botia Gray, 1831 The non-endemic species of the subgenus

Oriental Schistura from Pakistan include: N. This genus is endemic to the Region. alepidotus nalbanti Banarescu & kessleri In Pakistan, it is represented by two species in the Mirza, 1972, N.

N. Banarescu & Indus plain and the adjoining hilly areas: Botia Günther, 1889, prashari lindbergi

lohachatta Chaudhuri, 1912 and B. dayi Hora, Mirza, 1965, and N. corica (Hamilton, 1822).

1932. The loaches of the subgenus Schistura in Paki-

stan are quite diverse and fall into the following

sections: Subfamily NOEMACHEILINAE

1. pakistanicus-group : these loaches have large This subfamily is widely distributed in the Oriental and robust naked bodies with complete or almost and Holarctic Regions (excluding North America). complete lateral line, well developed processes Noe- It is represented in Pakistan by one genus: odontiformes, flattened and keeled caudal pedun- macheilus Van Hasselt, 1823. cle, emarginate caudal fin, and lack sexual di-

morphism. N. pakistanicus Mirza & Banarescu, N. Genus Noemacheilus Van Hasselt, 1823 alepidotus alepidotus Mirza & Banarescu, and N. More than one hundred species are described alepidotus nalbanti Banarescu & Mirza belong to under this These are generic name. species quite this group. varied and diverse and form several recognizable 2. these small baluchiorum-group: are loaches with which, at least, deserve the rank of sub- groups scaled lateral line, caudal bodies, incomplete pe- (Banarescu & Nalbant, 1964, 1966, 1968). genera duncle not flattened, slightly forked caudal fin, There are 22 species and subspecies of this genus and well developed sexual dimorphism. The loach-

in Pakistan which can be ascribed to the follow- es of this group are: N. baluchiorum Zugmayer,

ing subgenera: N. anambarensis Mirza & Banarescu and N. ma-

chensis Mirza & Nalbant. Subgenus AcanthocobitisPeters, 1861

3. kessleri-group: these loaches are similar to the

This is endemic the Oriental subgenus to Region baluchiorum-group in body size, caudal peduncle, Pakistan the and is distributed from in west to and caudal fin, but differ in the absence of scales

Thailand in the east. In Pakistan, it is represented and sexual dimorphism. The following loaches

by one species which is restricted to the sub- belong to this group: N. kessleri Günther, N.

montane zone surrounding the Indus plain, Noem- prashari prashari Hora, N. prashari lindbergi Ba- acheilus botia (Hamilton, 1822). narescu & Mirza, N. punjabensis Hora, and N.

naseeri Ahmad & Mirza. Subgenus Schistura M‘Clelland, 1839 4. corica-group: the loaches of this group differ

This subgenus is the largest among the Noema- from the other loaches of the subgenus Schistura

cheili and is mainly distributedin West and South in having spots instead of vertical bands on the

In 13 and sub- sexual Asia. Pakistan, there are species body; dimorphism present or absent; body

this which naked loaches of this species belonging to subgenus, among or scaled. The group are:

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N. corica and N. harnaiensis Mirza & sidae (Hamilton) which are marine, they are mainly confined

Nalbant. to the fresh waters of Asia, Europe, Africa, and

North and South America. There are 3 families Subgenus Paracobitis Bleeker, 1863 of catfishes, Bagridae, Schilbeidae and Clariidae,

common to Africa and South Asia; but they have This subgenus is West Asiatic. It ds represented Clarias and Heterobranchus distinct genera except by one species, Noemacheilus cristatus Berg, 1898, which to both The in northeastern Baluchistan. are common (Regan, 1922). siluriform least fishes, at some of them, have bet-

Subgenus Triplophysa Rendahl, 1933 ter tolerance for salt water and have also, in part, had sea routes available for their dispersal (Myers, This subgenus includes the High Asian loaches. 1967). They were previously included in the subgenus Among the families of the Siluriformes, the 1933 & Nal- Hedinichthys Rendahl, (Banarescu South American Diplomystidae are regarded as bant, 1966; Mirza, 1972), but Banarescu (personal the most primitive by Regan (1922), Greenwood

communication) is now of the opinion that these et al. (1966), and Lundberg & Baskin (1969). But loaches should be included in the subgenus Tri- McAllister (1968) thinks that the family Pime- plophysa. This subgenus is represented in Pakistan lodidae is the most the South primitive among by the following species: Noemacheilus stoliczkai American families. The Bagridae appear to be the Staindachner, 1866, N. 1876, N. gracilis Day, the African and South Asian most primitive among yasinensis Alcock, 1898, N. brahui Zugmayer, families, and perhaps ancestral to most, if not all, 1912, N. stenurus choprai Hora, 1934, N. griffithi of them The of (Regan, 1922). presence an adipose naziri Ahmad & Mirza, 1963 and N. marmoratus dorsal fin in most of the primitive catfish fami-

Heckel, 1838. All these species are restricted to lies, like the Diplomystidae, Bagridae, Iotaluridae the Northern Montane Region N. brahui, except and Pimelodidae, is worth consideration. An which is found in northwestern Baluchistan. adipose dorsal fin is present in most of the pro- Among these, N. stenurus choprai Hora and N.

— of tacanthopterygian fishes an ancestral group griffithi naziri Ahmad & Mirza are probably en- the Ostariophysi. This feature has been retained demic. in the primitive cyprinifbrm fishes, like the Char-

acoidei, but is absent in most of the advanced

Subfamily COBITINAE like the So the of groups, Cyprinoidei. presence an

adipose dorsal fin in catfish families may be re- This subfamily is widely distributed in Eurasia. garded as a primitive feature and its absence as a It contains 14 genera (Banarescu & Nalbant, 1968). derived one. This conclusion is further supported Only one genus is represented in Pakistan: the of the of the by ontogeny genus Clupisoma

family Schilbeidae. An adipose dorsal fin is present Genus Lepidocephalus Bleeker, 1859 in of this both in many genera family, young as

well in adult conditions. This genus is represented in Pakistan by one as But in certain species

of the — species, Lepidocephalus guntea (Hamilton, 1822). genus Clupisoma such as C. garua (Ham-

Two specimens of this species have recently been ilton, 1822) — an adipose dorsal fin is present collected from the Valle of Peshawar the in the but is absent in the adult. Thus the by pres- young

ent author. family Schilbeidae serves as a connecting link

between the catfish families with an adipose dor-

sal fin and those without it. Since the functional Order SILURIFORMES

aspeot of the adipose dorsal fin is not obvious, it

The siluriform fishes originated in the ancient seems reasonable to presume that the catfish fam-

in southern continent the Mes«zoic Era before its ilies with an adipose dorsal fin are more prim-

fragmentation. They differentiated and evolved into itive than those without it. So the families of the

in different groups South America, Africa and Siluriformes known from Pakistan may be ar-

South Asia. South America and Africa have been ranged accordingly.

main of their centres differentiation as is apparent In Pakistan, the order Siluriformes is represent- from the fact that 30 families with about ed 34 18 in fam- nearly by species, belonging to genera 7 2000 found species are in South America or Afri- ilies. All of them are confined to fresh waters

few fam- ca (Greenwood et ai., 1966). Excepting a except one species, Mystus gulio (Hamilton, 1822), ilies, like the Ariidae, Doiichthyidae, and Ploto- which is partly marine.

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Family BAGRIDAE merged with the genus Gagata by Hora & Law

(1941), but Tilak (1963) came to the conclusion The family Bagridae is widely distributed in Asia that the two genera are osteologically distinct. and Africa. In Pakistan, it is represented by two Pakistan, Two species of this genus are found in Bleeker genera, Rita and Mystus Gronovius. one of which, Nangra robusta Mirza & Awan,

Genus Rita Bleeker, 1858 1973, is endemic to the river Indus up to Kalabagh;

the other species, N. nangra (Hamilton, 1822) is This is endemic to the Oriental Region. genus known from the Indus plain as wöll. In there is of Pakistan, only one species this genus, Genus Rita rita (Hamilton, 1822), which is distributed in Glyptostemum M‘Clelland, 1842

the Indus plain and the hilly areas. adjoining This is endemic to the Asian Sub- genus High region of the Oriental Region. It is represented by Genus Mystus Gronovius, 1763

one species, Glyptosternum reticulatum M'Clel- This is widely distributed in the Oriental genus land, 1842, in the Kaghan, Swat, Chitral and Gil-

Region but is also represented in West Asia as git valleys in the northern montane region. far as Iraq (M. A. S. Menon, 1960). In Pakistan,

there 8 Genus 1860 are species including Mystus gulio Glyptothorax Blyth,

(Hamilton, 1822) which is partly marine of this This genus is primarily Oriental but extends into genus known from the Indus plain and the ad- West Asia as far as Turkey (Ladiges, 1964). There M. M. joining hilly areas: aor (Hamilton, 1822), are 5 species of this genus so far known from seenghala (Sykes, 1841), M. cavasius (Hamilton, Pakistan, out of which Glyptothorax naziri Mirza M. vittatus 1822), tengara (Hamilton, 1822), M. & Naiik, 1969 is endemic to Pakistan. This species (Bloch, 1797), M. bleekeri (Day, 1877) and M. is polymorphic and at least two forms can be dis- horai Jayaram, 1954. Out of these M. horai ap- tinguished morphologically. One form occupying pears to be endemic to Pakistan. the Vale of Peshawar, and the adjoining areas

of the Punjab (Haro drainage), has a relatively Family SISORIDAE deep body with shorter maxillary barbels not

The family Sisoridae is widely distributed in the reaching the tip of the pectoral spine. The other form in northeastern Baluchistan Oriental and West Asian Regions. This is the lar- resides and the

of catfishes in is of the North West Frontier Prov- gest family Pakistan, it represent- adjoining part ince. It has and ed by 11 species belonging to 6 genera. a more depressed body longer barbels maxillary reaohing up to or beyond the Genus Sisor Hamilton, 1822 tip of the pectoral spine. It cannot be decided at

This whether these forms dis- genus is endemic to South Asia. In Paki- present are biologically

tinct nomenclatural as sub- stan, it is represented by one species in the sub- to justify recognition

material is this montane areas surrounding the Indus plain, Sisor species. More needed to solve prob-

rabdophorus Hamilton, 1822. lem. The other 4 species of this genus, known

from Pakistan are: G. telchitta (Hamilton, 1822), Genus Bagarius Bleeker, 1853 G. cavia (Hamilton, 1822), G. platypogonoides

and G. Mirza & Kash- This genus is endemic to the Orientai Region. (Bleeker, 1855) punjabensis

1971. It was one of the earliest migrants from South- miri,

Bast Asia to India and then to Pakistan. In Pa- Family SCHILBEIDAE kistan, there is one species of this genus known from the river SuDlej drainage, Bagarius bagarius This family is widely distributed in Asia and

(Hamilton, 1822). Africa but has distinct in the two conti- genera

nents. It was established in both continents before Genus Gagata Bleeker, 1858 their into separation the present conditions, prob-

This also is endemic to the Oriental Re- genus ably in the Mesozoic Era. In Pakistan, there are gion. It is represented by one species in the sub- 5 genera distributed in the Indus plain and ad- montane region surrounding the Indus plain, Ga- joining submontane areas. gata cenia (Hamilton, 1822). Genus Ailia Gray, 1831 Genus Nangra Day, 1877 This genus is endemic to the South Asian

This is endemic Souith Asia. of genus to It was Subregion the Oriental Region and is rep-

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resented one Ailia coila and It by species, (Hamilton, Europe. is represented by two genera in 1822) in Pakistan, which is found in the Indus Pakistan. plain. Genus Wallago Bleeker, 1851

Genus Ailichthys Day, 1871 This genus is widely distributed in the Oriental

as far Indonesia. In Pakistan, it is This genus also is endemic to the South Asian Region as rep-

Subregion of the Oriental Region. In Pakistan, it resented by one species, Wallago attu (Bloch &

Schneider, in the Indus and is known by one species, Ailichthys punctata Day, 1801) plain adjoining

1871, in the Punjab and Sind. hilly areas.

Genus Ompok Lacépède, 1803 Genus Clupisoma Swainson, 1839

This genus is also widely distributed in the This genus is widely distributed in the Oriental In Oriental Region. Pakistan, there are 3 species far Burma. In Pakistan, it is Region as as rep- in the Indus plain and the adjoining hilly areas: resented by 3 species in the Indus plain and the Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch, 1897), O. pabda adjoining hilly areas: Clupisoma garua (Hamilton, (Hamilton, 1822) and O. pabo (Hamilton, 1822). 1822), C. murius naziri Mirza & Awan, 1973 and

C. atherinoides (Hamilton, 1822). Family HETEROPNEUSTIDAE

Genus Eutropiichthys Bleeker, 1862 This family is endemic to the Oriental Region.

It is in the Oriental represented by one the Indus This genus is also distributed in genus plain:

It is in Pakistan Region up to Burma. represented Genus Hete ropneustes Müller, 1839 by one species, Eutropiichthys vacha (Hamilton,

1822), in the Punjab and Sind. This genus is widely distributed in the Oriental In it is Region. Pakistan, represented by one spe- Genus Silonia Swainson, 1839 cies, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch, 1794) in the Indus plain. This monotypic genus is widely distributed in the Oriental Region as far as Burma. Its occur- Family CLARIIDAE Misra rence in Pakistan is doubtful. According to

(1962), this genus is represented in Pakistan but This family is widely distributed in Africa and

N. Ahmad (1963) has denied this. It is interesting Asia. According to Misra (1962), it is represented

that Burnes Silo- the Clarias in to note collected a specimen of by genus Pakistan, but according to nia silondia (Hamilton, 1822) from the river Indus N. Ahmad (1963) it is not found there. near Sehwan in Pakistan (Hora, 1927). Genus Clarias Gronovius, 1763

Family AMBLYCIPITIDAE The genus Clarias is common in Africa and

Asia. It is represented by C. batrachus Linnaeus, This family is endemic to the Oriental Region. 1758, which is widely distributed in the Oriental

It is represented in Pakistan by the genus Ambly- Region. As indicated above, its occurrence in the sole of this M. ceps Blyth, genus family (H. Pakistan needs confirmation. Smith, 1945).

Genus Amblyceps Blyth, 1858 Superorder Acanthopterygii

This genus is represented in Pakistan by one This and species, Amblyceps mangois (Hamilton, 1822), superorder includes the atherinomorph fishes which percomorph are recognized as two which is restricted to the submontane areas sur- series within this (Rosen & Patterson, rounding the Indus plain, but is widely distributed superorder

1969). They are almost cosmopolitan and inhabit in the Oriental Region as far as Thailand (H. M. both marine and Smith, 1945). fresh waters. They originated in the from some protacanthopterygian ancestor

Mesozoic. From the very beginning, they diverged Family SILURIDAE series. into two major groups, recognized as two

This is forms family widely distributed in the Orien- Within each series there are several diverse tal Region and is also represented in West Asia occupying different habitats.

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Series ATHERINOMORPHA Channa Gronovius, 1763, family Channidae: C.

marulius (Hamilton, 1822), C. striatus (Bloch, This series includes only a single order, Atheri- 1793), C. gachua (Hamilton, 1822) and C. puncta- niformes. in tus (Bloch, 1793). They are widely distributed

the Oriental Region. One species, C. gachua, ex- Order ATHERINIFORMES tends into Afghanistan and Iran.

This order is represented in Pakistan by two

suborders, the Cyprinodontoidei and the Exocoe- Order SYNBRANCHIFORMES

toidei. This order is widely distributed in the fresh and

brackish waters of South and East Asia, Australia, Suborder CYPRINODONTOIDEI Central and South America, and tropical Africa.

There is only one family of this suborder known Only one species, Cuchia (= Amphipnous) cuchia from Pakistan. The fishes cyprinodont are sec- (Hamilton, 1822), belonging to the family Cuchiidae freshwater ondary fishes. (Amphipnoidae), is known from the Punjab Prov-

ince of Pakistan.

Family CYPRINODONTIDAE

This family is distributed in the tropical and Order PERCIFORMES

the temperate regions of the world. In Pakistan, This is the largest order of the percomorph fishes. it is two each with represented by genera one spe- They are mainly marine but some are found in cies. One of these genera, Aphaniops Hoedeman, fresh waters. Excepting a few species, they are 1951, is West Asiatic, whereas the other, Aplochei- peripheral freshwater fishes. Out of 20 suborders lus M'Clelland, 1839, is Oriental. Both species recognized by Greenwood et al. (1966), only the Aphaniops dispar stoliczkai (Day, 1872) and inland following 5 are represented in the waters Aplocheilus panchax (Hamilton, 1822), are dis- of Pakistan. tributed in the lower Indus plain and the adjoining

hilly areas. Suborder PERCOIDEI

Suborder EXOCOETOIDEI This suborder is represented by 2 families in Pa-

kistan. This suborder is mainly marine but some species

ascend into rivers and a few speoies are confined

fresh In it is to waters. Pakistan, represented by Family CENTROPOMIDAE (AMBASSIDAE)

one family, the Belonidae.

This family is represented by one genus, Chanda

= Ambassis Cuvier & Valencien- Family BELONIDAE Hamilton, 1822 (

nes, 1828) with 3 species in fresh waters of Pa- This family is distributed in temperate and tropi- kistan, viz. Chanda (= Ambassis) nama Hamilton, cal waters. The Belonidae are mainly marine, but C. Hamilton, 1822 and C. baculis Ham- 1822, ranga they have some freshwater genera. In Pakistan, this ilton, 1822. All the three species are found in family is represented by one freshwater species, the Indus plain and the adjoining hills and belong Xenentodon cancila (Hamilton, 1822), in the In- to the vicarious freshwater fishes, though the fam- dus plain. whole ily as a is primarily marine.

Series PERCOMORPHA Family NANDIDAE

This series includes fishes of variable form and This family is distributed in fresh waters of Asia, habits. marine but enter They are mainly many South it Africa and America. In Pakistan, is rep- into fresh water, and a few are strictly limnic. This resented two Nandus Cuvier & by genera, Va- series is represented in Pakistan by 3 orders. lenciennes, 1831 and Badis Bleeker, 1853, each

with one species, viz. Nandus nandus (Hamilton, Order CHANNIFORMES and Badis badis 1822) (Hamilton, 1822), respec- order includes This some freshwater fishes which tively. Both genera are widely distributed in the

are widely distributed in Asia and Africa. In Pa- Oriental Region, but in Pakistan they are confined kistan, there are 4 species belonging to the genus to the Indus plain.

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Suborder ANABANTOIDEI tributed in the Indus plain. It is also known from

South Africa 320 km inland (Jubb, 1965). This suborder is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical estuarine and fresh waters of the Old Suborder MASTACEMBELOIDEI World. This suborder includes the family Mastacembeli-

dae. They are widely distributed in Africa and Family OSPHRONEMIDAE Asia.

This family is widely distributed in Asia and

Africa. In Pakistan, there are two species be- Family MASTACEMBELIDAE the Colisa Cuvier & Valenciennes, longing to genus This family is represented in Pakistan by 3 species 1831 found in the Indus plain and the adjoining belonging to the genera Mastacembelus Grono- hilly areas: C. fasciata (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) vius, 1763 and Macrognathus Lacépède, 1800, viz.: and C. lalius (Hamilton, 1822). Mastacembelus armatus (Lacépède, 1800), Masta-

cembelus pancalus (Hamilton, 1822) and Macro- Suborder MUGILOIDEI gnathus aculeatus (Bloch, 1795). They are mostly

found in the Indus but M. extends This suborder is almost cosmopolitan and is found plain, armatus

into the hilly areas to 1000 m above sea level. in all the seas. Some of them, however, enter up into fresh waters.

Class ELASMOBRANCHII

Family MUGILIDAE This Class is represented by only one species,

and Pristis microdon to the This family is widely distributed in warm Latham, 1794, belonging

ascend the rivers Pristidae, order if and subclass temperate seas. Some species family Raj ormes,

This was recorded from the riv- whereas a few are confined to fresh waters. In Selachii. species

er Indus near Hyderabad at a distance of about Pakistan, there are two species of the genus Mugil

which known ascend the 300 km from the sea This Linnaeus, 1758, are to (Sajid, 1962). widely riv- rivers far beyond the tidal influence, viz. M. distributed species is also known to ascend the far the tidal in other cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 and M. speigleri Bleeker, ers beyond influence areas

1859. The species Sicamugil cascasia (Hamilton, of the world (H. M. Smith, 1945; Miller, 1966).

1822) seems to be restricted to fresh water. Another species, Rhinomugil corsula (Hamilton, 1822), has V. ZOOGEOGRAPHY OF PAKISTAN also been recorded from fresh waters of Pakistan in based The earliest works zoogeography were by Misra (1962) but not by others. mammals. The of the upon birds and importance

Suborder GOBIOIDEI cold-blooded vertebrates was, however, soon

realized as they disperse more slowly as compared

This suborder includes the shore fishes which are with the warm-blooded vertebrates. Among the distributed in the and widely warm temperate cold-blooded vertebrates, the freshwater fishes seas; some of them are found in fresh waters. have unique value for zoogeographical studies, due

to theirlimitedpower of dispersal. Family GOBIIDAE There are some observations about the distri-

This family is widely distributed along the coasts bution of freshwater fishes in Pakistan and ad-

workers. M'Clelland of all tropical and many temperate seas. Many joining countries by early ascend studied the fish fauna of the rivers, but only a few are bound to (1842) some parts of fresh In be- and India. He water. Pakistan, there are 3 speaies Pakistan, Afghanistan recorded river Kabul longing to the genus Boleophthalmus Cuvier & several South Asian species in the as

Valenciennes, 1837, and one species of Perioph- far as Jalalabad in Afghanistan and remarked

& which known which the thalmus Bloch Schneider, 1801, are that Jalalabad was the farthest limit to to ascend the rivers for a considerable distance, South Asian species extended. Day (1876), in his viz. boddarti B. (Pallas, 1770), B. dentatus Cuvier paper on the fishes of Yarkand, made some re-

& of Valenciennes, 1837, B. dussumieri Cuvier & marks about the fish distribution in some parts

Valenciennes, 1837 and P. koelreuteri (Pallas, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India and re-

1770). Another species, Glossogobius giuris (Ham- garded the Himalayas as the boundary between ilton, 1822), is virtually limnic and is widely dis- the fish fauna of South Asia and that of Tur-

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In of interconnected kistan. a comprehensive paper (Day, 1877-79) Himalayas through a system

freshwater so-called Indo-Braham on the fish distribution in South Asia, he dis- lakes forming the

cussed the derivation of the South Asian fish fau- River during the floods, and along the northern

South na. He observed the West Asian and the Malayan face through a similar ohanndl. That certain

Asian have into Asia and elements in the fish fauna of the hilly areas and species dispersed West

the African and the South-East Asian elements in Africa but not in the opposite direction has been

observed other well K. the fish fauna of the plains, and concluded that by ichthyologists as (A. G.

the South-East Asian element appeared to have Menon, 1954; Kosswig, 1955; Banarescu, I960,

supplanted the prior African element from the 1971; Myers, 1966). Berg (1940) discussed the waters of the plains. In 1880, he studied the fish zoogeography of West Asia and some parts of

fauna of the Sind-Baluchistan hills and recorded Pakistan. He included northwestern Baluchistan

in the Mediterranean northern about two dozen South Asian species and only a Subregion and the

few West Asian forms from these hills. montane areas in the High Asian Subregion of the

In the Blanford the Holarctic while the Indus and the present century, (1901) was Region, plain

first to study the distribution of all the major adjoining hilly areas along with southern Balu- groups of vertebrates in South Asia. He included chistan were included in the Oriental (Sino-Indian) the entire Indus plain (Punjab tract) in the Hol- Region. Mirza (1974) discussed the distribution of arctic the freshwater fishes in Baluchistan and the Region. His analysis of the fish fauna ap- adjoin- pears to be erroneous. Had he analyzed the fish ing areas of the Indus plain and recognized three

divisions within this northwestern Baluchistan fauna of the Indus plain more properly, he would area: have kept this area in the Oriental Region. The with a dominance of West Asian forms; north- early herpetologists, like M. A. Smith (1931) and eastern Baluchistan with a mixtureof South Asian,

Mahendra (1939) followed Blanford and pleaded West Asian and High Asian forms; and South hills for the removal of this area from the Oriental Baluchistan, the Indus plain and adjoining with

Region and its inclusion in the Holarctic Region. predominantly South Asian forms. Jayaram (1974)

Zugmayer (1913), studied the fish fauna of Balu- discussed the distributionof fishes, amphibians and chistan and made some very valuable remarks reptiles in the South Asian subcontinent. He made about the distribution of fishes and other verte- only a few remarks about these animals in Paki-

in He that It that he has been able brates this area. concluded Baluchistan stan. appears not to con-

several is the meeting place of three faunal regions, viz. sult important publications on the ichthyol-

and of which have the Oriental Region on one side, and the Mediter- ogy herpetology Pakistan,

and the Central Asiatic of the 27 his ranean Subregions appeared during the last years. However,

conclusion "the Palaearotic Region on the other. Hora (1937a) that Yunnan-Assam-Burma am- discussed the distribution of the freshwater fishes phitheatre is the centre of origin of the bulk of in South Asia and arrived at the conclusion that the land vertebrates found in India today" (Jay- the South Asian fish fauna originated in South- aram, 1974: 579), seems tenable.

East Asia, most probably in Indo-China, and Zoogeographical classification of freshwater fishes spread westwards by successive waves of migra- tion South Asia used the India the to (he name in The freshwater fishes have been differently clas- old sense) and later to Africa. He further empha- sified from the zoogeographical point of view. sized the dispersal of aquatic animals from east to Among these, the classification proposed by west but not in the reverse direction, and pointed Myers (1949) has proved to be the most useful

that there African element in and has been out was no the widely accepted by other zoogeog-

South Asian freshwater fish fauna. In two other raphers. The freshwater fishes of marine origin papers, Hora (1937 b & c) compared the fish classified as vicarious, complementary, diadromous faunas along the northern and the southern faces and sporadic by Myers, have been lumped into the of the Himalayas, and noted the great variety of peripheral division by others (Darlington, 1957; forms towards the east as compared with those De Beaufort, 1964). The freshwater fishes of Pa- in the west along the southern face of the Hima- kistan belong to the following zoogeographical layas. In 1952, he reviewed the fish geography of categories:

South Asia and pointed to the similarity of the Primary freshwater fishes fish fauna of the Indus and the Ganges river

He traced the fishes freshwater systems. dispersal of from The primary fishes are further classi- east to west both along the southern face of the fied into the ostariophysian and non-ostariophysian

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fishes. Among the ostariophysian fishes about The non-ostariophysian primary freshwater

50 % belong to the family Cyprinidae. There are fishes are represented by the families Notopteridae

19 South Asian, 5 High Asian and 2 West Asian (Notopterus), Channidae (Channa), Nandidae

in Pakistan. and and cyprinid genera (Nandus Badis), Osphronemidae (Colisa) Mastacembelidae and Among the South Asian cyprinid genera the (Mastacembelus Macrogna-

All families in following are restricted to the Oriental Region: thus). these are widely distributed

Salmostoma, Chela, Pseudoxy gaster, Danio, Bra- Asia and Africa. It may be noted that all these

been chydanio, Esomus, Cirrhinus, Catla, Amblypha- families, except the Channidae, have includ-

ryngodon, Osteobrama, Puntius and Chagunius. In ed in the secondary freshwater fishes by Jayaram

addition, there are some genera which are pri- (1974). Although these families have a somewhat

marily South Asian but extend into West Asia and better tolerance for salt water than the ostariophy-

sian their distributionindicates that a few even to Africa. These are: Barilius, Rasbora, fishes, yet they

Labeo, Crossocheilus, Garra, Aspidoparia and Tor. should be treated as primary rather than secondary

The High Asian cyprinid genera are: Schizotho- freshwater fishes.

and rax, Diptychus, Ptychobarbus, Schizopygopsis Secondary freshwater fishes Schizocypris. These genera are mainly distribut-

ed in the northern montane areas but the genus The secondary freshwater fishes are represented by Schizocypris is not known to extend beyond the the family Cyprinodontidae with two genera. One Safed Koh Range. Some species of Schizothorax of these (Aplocheilus) is Oriental, while the other sometimes descend into the rivers of the plain. one (Aphaniops) is widely distributed in West Asia The Asian West cyprinid genera are: Cyprinion and some parts of Africa. and Capoeta. The genus Capoeta lis known from

northwestern Baluchistan, but the Cyprinion genus Peripheral freshwater fishes

is widely distributed in the hilly areas up to the

Safed Koh and Kala Chitta In addition, ranges. These are of least importance from the zoogeo-

West Asian of the one subgenus (Discognathus) graphical point of view. Most of them are only

Garra is in northwestern Balu- from but found genus represented known the coastal areas a few are

chistan. in the upper parts of the Indus plain. Following

The Cobitlidae is three family represented by Myers (1949), the peripheral freshwater fishes may

genera, two of which (Botia and Lepidocephalus) be further classified into the following categories:

are Oriental, while the third one (Noemacheilus) The vicarious freshwater fishes are marine

is widely distributed in the Oriental, the Holarctic derivatives living in fresh waters and not migrating

and the West Asian regions. to the sea. The following species occurring in

The siluriform fishes are represented by 7 fam- Pakistan may be classified into this category:

ilies with 18 genera. Among these, the Ambly- Gadusia chapra (family Clupeidae); Xenentodon

oipitidae and the Heteropneustidae (genera Ambly- cancila (family Belonidae); Cuchia cuchia (family

and are endemic Chanda C. and C. baculis ceps Heteropneustes, respectively) Cuchiidae); nama, ranga

to the Oriental Region, while the other families (family Centropomidae); Glossogobius giuris (fam-

are widely distributed. The family Bagridae is ily Gobiidae); Sicamugil cascasia and perhaps

two Oriental and corsula represented by genera (Rita Rhinomugil (family Mugilidae).

Mystus). The genus Mystus, however, extends into The diadromous fishes migrate from the rivers vice West Asia. Out of six genera of the family Sisori- to the sea and versa. The following

dae, four (Sisor, Gagata, Nangra and Bagarius) species may be included in this category: Macrura

restricted the Oriental while and are to Region, one ilisha (family Clupeidae); Mugil cephalus

genus (Glyptothorax) extends into the Holarctic Mugil speigleri (family Mugilidae).

endemic Region; the genus Glyptosternum is to There are some marine species which are known

High Asia. The family Schilbeidae is widely dis- to enter into the freshwater streams along the

tributed in Asia and Africa but all the Makran river Indus genera coast and the sporadically. known from Pakistan (Ailia, Ailichthys, Clupiso- They are Boleophthalmus dentatus, B. boddarti, B. ma, Eutropiichthys and Silonia) are South Asian. dussumieri and Periophthalmus koelreuteri (family

The Siluridae is Pristis mi- family represented by two Orient- Gobiidae) among the Teleostomi; and al genera, Wallago and Ompok. The family Cla- crodon (family Pristidae) among the Elasmobran- riidae is distributed in Asia and Africa. It is These widely chii. They may be classified as sporadic.

in Pakistan. of represented by one genus, Clarias, fishes are no importance in zoogeography.

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Zoogeographical divisions of Pakistan divisions, the physiography of the country has also

been taken into consideration. The mountain ranges From the distribution of fishes in Pakistan, it is can serve as effective barriers to the dispersal of in clear that this country lies the peripheral zone fishes only if they serve as a watershed for the of the South Asian of the Oriental Subregion the sides and if drainage systems on two opposite

Region. Excepting the Trans-Himalayan areas, they are not intersected by water channels. In the which contain no representative of the South Asian absence of such a barrier, environmental factors fishes, the South Asian are in genera represented like the the the water current, temperature of all of almost parts the country, including north- water, the nature of the substratum, and the western Baluchistan. There is the no genus among of dissolved materials, amount oxygen and other freshwater fishes which could be regarded as determine the dispersal of fishes. Thus, most of endemic to Pakistan. Out of 68 genera of fresh- the snow trouts are restricted to the Trans-Hima- water fishes 6 are Asian and 3 only genera High few layan parts of the Indus system and only a West Asian, while most of the remaining genera come down to the submontane areas. South Asian. A few of marine are genera origin are almost cosmopolitan. I. High Asian Division On the basis of the distribution of the freshwater fishes the following divisions of Pakistan may be This division comprises the northern montane recognized (see fig. 3). In the delimitation of these areas of Pakistan above 1500 m including the

Fig. 3. Zoogeographical divisions of Pakistan and Kashmir.

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Northern Areas and the upper parts of the Chitral, Within the High Asian Division of Pakistan, two

Swat and Kaghan valleys in the North West subdivisions may be recognized which have certain

The and rivers Frontier Province (fig. 3). streams species in common but others restricted to them. of this area characterized water cur- The Schistura of the are by strong subgenus genus Noemacheilus

and cool dear with extends into the of this rents and water rocky to Himalayan part division the pebbly beds. The temperature of water rarely buit not into the Trans-Himalayan part. On the reaches in The characteristic of restricted 25°C, even summer. contrary, some species snow trouts are

the genera are Schizothorax, Diptychus, Ptychobarbus, to Trans-Himalayan areas (table I).

Schizopygopsis, Noemacheilus (subgenus Triplo- physa) and Glyptosternum. Most of the species II. Aba- S in h Division are restricted to the Trans-Himalayan part of this division but few descend into the This includes the southern of a species division parts the

Malakand Division lower Himalayan part and sometimes even into the river (including the part of

the Swat and ai of the Buner the Indus up to Attock, in winter. Valley Valley),

The High Asian fish fauna is derived from the Vale of Peshawar and the submontane Hazara,

South-East Asian fish fauna. It has differentiated north of the Safed Koh, Oheerat and Kala Chitta

and rivers of this into different genera and species during the ranges (fig. 3). The streams area

Pliocene or Pleistocene after isolation in the Trans- are generally fast flowing with cool and clear

Himalayan Region by the upheaval of the waters and pebbly to sandy beds. Since there is a

Himalayas. High Asia was recognized as a sub- great range of elevation from 300 m to above 1000

the climatic conditions from to region of the Holarctic Region by Berg (1940), but m, vary place according to Banareseu (1967b), the High Asian place.

this division is mixture Subregion should be included in the Oriental The fish fauna of a of

Region. South Asian and High Asian forms (table II). No

Table I. Fish fauna of the High Asian Division.

Sr. no. Scientific name Trans- Himalayan Status

Himalayan subdivision

subdivision

Class TELEOSTOMI

Order CYPRINIFORMES

Family CYPRINIDAE

1. Schizothorax plagiostomus Heckel, 1838 + + H. Asian

2. S. esocinus Heckel, 1838 + + H. Asian

3. S. nasus Heckel, 1838 + H. Asian

4. S. longipinnis Heckel, 1838 + H. Asian

5. S. labiatus (MClelland, 1842) + + H. Asian

6. Diptychus maculatus Steindachner, 1866 + H. Asian

7. Ptychobarbus conirostris Steindachner, 1866 + H. Asian

8. Schizopygopsis stoliczkai Steindachner, 1866 + H. Asian

Family COBITIDAE

9. Noemacheilus marmoratus Heckel, 1838 + + H. Asian

10. N. stoliczkai Steindachner, 1866 + + H. Asian

11. N. stenurus choprai Hora, 1934 + + End.

12. N. gracilis Day, 1876 + + H. Asian

13. N. yasinensis Alcock, 1898 + End.

14. N. griffithi naziri Ahmad & Mirza, 1963 + End.

15. N. naseeri Ahmad & Mirza, 1963 + End.

16. N. alepidotus alepidotus Mirza & Banarescu, 1970 + End.

Order SILURIFORMES

Family SISORIDAE

17. Glyptosternum reticulatum MClelland, 1842 + + H. Asian

H. = Sr. = Serial; High; End. = Endemic to Pakistan.

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Table II. Fish fauna of the Aba-Sinh Division.

Sr. no. Scientific name Status Sr. no. Scientific name Status

Class TELEOSTOMI Order SILURIFORMES

Order OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES

Family SILURIDAE

Family NOTOPTERIDAE 33. Wallago attu (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) S. Asian

S. Asian Asian 1. Notopterus notopterus (Pallas, 1769) 34. Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch, 1797) S.

35. O. pabda (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian

Order CYPRINIFORMES

Family HETEROPNEUSTIDAE

Family CYPRINIDAE *) 36. Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch, 1794) S. Asian

2. Salmostoma bacaila (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian

3. S. punjabensis (Day, 1872) S. Asian Family BAGRIDAE

4. Barilius S. Asian S. Asian vagra (Hamilton, 1822) 37. Mystus seenghala (Sykes, 1841)

5. B. bendelisis (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian 38. M. cavasius (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian

6. Danio devario S. Asian Asian (Hamilton, 1822) 39. M. tengara (Hamilton, 1822) S.

* 7. Brachydanio rerio (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian 40. M. bleekeri (Day, 1877) S. Asian

8. Labeo dero (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian

9. Crossocheilus latius diplocheilus Family SISORIDAE

(Heckel, 1838) S. Asian 41. Gagata cenia (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian

Asian 10. Garra gotyla (Gray, 1832) S. 42. Glyptothorax cavia (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian

S. Asian S. Asian 11. Aspidoparia morar (Hamilton, 1822) 43. G. platypogonoides (Bleeker, 1855)

12. Amblypharyngodonmola (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian 44. G. naziri Mirza & Naik, 1969 End.

13. Tor putitora (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian 45. G. punjabensis Mirza & Kashmiri, 1971 S. Asian

14. T. mosal (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian

S. Asian 15. Puntius sarana (Hamilton, 1822) Family SCHILBEIDAE

16. P. titius (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian 46. Clupisoma murius naziri

17. P. ticto (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian Mirza & Awan, 1973 End.

18. P. sophore (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian

19. Schizothorax plagiostomus Heckel, 1838 H. Asian Order CHANNIFORMES

20. S. esocinus Heckel, 1838 H. Asian

21. S. labiatus (M'Clelland, 1842) H. Asian Family CHANNIDAE

S. Asian 47. Channa punctatus (Bloch, 1793)

Family COBITIDAE 48. C. gachua (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian

22. Botia dayi Hora, 1932 S. Asian

23. Noemacheilus botia (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian Order PERCIFORMES

24. N. corica (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian

25. N. stoliczkai Steindachner, 1866 H. Asian Family OSPHRONEMIDAE

26. N. gracilis Day, 1876 H. Asian 49. Colisa fasciata (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) S. Asian

27. N. naseeri Ahmad & Mirza, 1963 End. 50. C. lalius (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian

28. N. griffithi naziri Ahmad & Mirza, 1963 End.

29. N. stenurus choprai Hora, 1934 End. Family MASTACEMBELIDAE

30. N. alepidotus alepidotus 51. Mastacembelus armatus (Lacépède, 1800) S. Asian

Mirza & Banarescu, 1970 End.

between and 31. N. prashari prashari Hora, 1933 End. *) Note added in proof. Insert nrs. 3 4:

S. Asian 32. Lepidocephalus guntea (Hamilton, 1822) S. Asian Chela cachius (Hamilton, 1822)

Mastacembelus and West Asian species has so far been reported from Heteropneustes, Channa,

in this division. The this area. It is interesting to note that the West Colisa are represented High

Asian which is common Asian element is the Schi- genus Cyprinion, quite represented by genus

South of the Safed Koh, Cheerat and Kala Chitta zothorax and the subgenus Triplophysa of the

Noemacheilus ranges in the Koh at Toi and the river Soan, is not genus (table II).

represented in the rivers Kabul and Haro north of

these The South Asian such ranges. genera, as III. Northwestern Montane Barilius, Notopterus, Salmostoma, Chela, Danio, Division

Brachydanio, Labeo, Crossocheilus, Garra, Aspi-

doparia, Tor, Puntius. Botia, Lepidocephalus, sub- This division includes the northeastern part of

Schistura of Baluchistan the Zhob and Loralai genus Noemacheilus, Gagata, Glyp- (comprising and tothorax. Mystus, Wallago, Ompok, Clupisoma, districts and the northern parts of the Sibi

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Table III. Fish fauna of the Northwestern Montane Division.

Ziarat Nari- Zhob Sr. no. Scientific name N.W. Status

Valley Bolan Valley Moun-

Headwaters tains

Class TELEOSTOMI

Order CYPRINIFORMES

Family CYPRINIDAE

— 1. Chela cachius (Hamilton, 1822) — — + S. Asian

— + Asian 2. Barilius vagra (Hamilton, 1822) + + S.

3. Labeo dero (Hamilton, 1822) — + — + S. Asian

4. Crossocheilus latius diplocheilus (Heckel, 1838) — + + + S. Asian

5. Garra gotyla (Gray, 1832) — + + + S. Asian

— — 6. G. wanae (Regan, 1914) — + End.

— — — S. Asian 7. Aspidoparia morar (Hamilton, 1822) +

8. Tor putitora (Hamilton, 1822) — + —■ + S. Asian

9. T. zhobensis Mirza, 1967 — — 4- — End.

10. Puntius ticto (Hamilton, 1822) — + — + S. Asian

— Asian 11. Cyprinion watsoni (Day, 1872) + + + W.

12. Schizothorax plagiostomus Heckel, 1838 + + + + H. Asian

13. S. labiatus (M'Clelland, 1842) + + + — H. Asian

14. Schizopygopsis stoliczkai Steindachner, 1866 + — — — H. Asian

15. Schizocypris brucei Regan, 1914 ? + + + H. Asian

Family COBITIDAE

16. Noemacheilus botia (Hamilton, 1822) — + — + S. Asian

17. N. baluchiorum Zugmayer, 1912 — -f — — End.

18. N. cristatus Berg, 1898 — — + — W. Asian

19. N. prashari lindbergi Banarescu & Mirza, 1965 — + —- — W. Asian

20. N. pakistanicus Mirza & Banarescu, 1969 — — + — End.

21. N. harnaiensis Mirza & Nalbant, 1969 — + — — End.

22. N. anambarensis Mirza & Banarescu, 1970 — + — — End.

— 23. N. machensis Mirza & Nalbant, 1970 — + — End.

Order SILURIFORMES

Family SILURIDAE

24. Ompok pabda (Hamilton, 1822) — — — + S. Asian

Family SISORIDAE

25. Glyptothorax naziri Mirza & Naik, 1969 — + + + End.

Order PERCIFORMES

Family MASTACEMBELIDAE

26. Mastacembelus armatus (Lacépède, 1800) — — + + S. Asian

Kachhi districts) and the northwestern mountains South Asian, High Asian and West Asian forms

the along Pak-Afghan border up to the Safed Koh (table III). There are six species which appear to

Range in the north (fig. 3). The elevation of this be endemic to this division. These are: Tor

area is more than 100 m above sea level. The zhobensis, Noemacheilus pakistanicus. N. har-

mild but summers are the winters are quite cold. naiensis. N. anambarensis and N. machensis from

division from This is demarcated the rest of Paki- northeastern Baluchistan, and Garra wanae from

stan by the Safed Koh Range in the north, the southern Waziristan. It is interesting to note that Sulaiman-Kohat hills in the east, the Marri-Bugti the genus Schizocypris and the West Asian sub- hills in the south and the Central Brahui Noemacheilus Range genus Paracobitis (represented by in the south-west. There is in of the Noemacheilus restricted no sharp boundary cristatus) genus are the north-west, where this division extends into to this division in Pakistan.

Afghanistan. Within this division at least four subdivisions

The fish fauna of division Head- this is a mixture of can be recognized: ZiaratValley, Nari-Bolan

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waters, Zhob Valley, and North-West Mountains. of the Himalayas from east to west. Hence, there

The Ziarat Valley is characterized by having only is a greater variety of freshwater fishes in the east

Schizothoracinae. The Nari-Bolan Headwaters than in the west. The fish fauna of the Indus plain

have three endemic species: Noemacheilus har- is almost entirely South Asian.

naiensis, N. anambarensis and N. machensis. The 2. Potwar Plateau, Salt Range and Kohat hills. —

Zhob Valley has Tor zhobensis and N. pakistani- This area comprises the low hills of the north-

cus as endemic species and N. cristatus is so far ern Punjab Province and adjoining hilly areas of

known only from this valley in Pakistan. The the North West Frontier Province. The fish fauna

Mountains endemic is South but few West North-West have only one predominantly Asian, a

speoies: Garra wanae. Other species are common Asian forms, such as Cyprinion watsoni and

to these subdivisions (table III). Noemacheilus kessleri, have penetrated from the

west. Only two species (Puntius waageni and

Noemacheilus punjabensis) to be endemic IV. Indus plain, adjoining hills & appear

to this subdivision. South Baluchistan Division

3. South-West hills and SouthBaluchistan. —

This division comprises more than 50% of the This subdivision comprises the Sulaiman and

area of Pakistan (see fig. 3). It includes the Indus Kirthar hills and southern Baluchistan south of

plain and the adjoining hills (Kohat hills, Potwar the Marri-Bugti hills, Central Brahui and Kharan-

Plateau, Salt Range, Sulaiman and Kirthar hills) Makran ranges. The fish fauna of this subdivision

of the is also and the southern part of Baluchistan south predominantly South Asian but a few West

Marri-Bugti hills and the Central Brahui and Asian forms, such as Cyprinion watsoni, Aphaniops

Kharan-Makran ranges. The climatic conditions dispar stoliczkai, and perhaps Noemacheilus kess- with moderate leri, known from vary from a marine type tempera- are this area. According to Berg

continental with cold winters and the coastal rivers of Baluchistan and tures to a type (1940), eastern

hot summers in different parts of this division. Iran belonged to a single river system in the Plio-

The fish fauna as a whole is predominantly cene, as the area now occupied by the Arabian Sea

South Asian In surround- land. river served (table IV). the hilly areas was a dry This as a dispersal

ing the Indus plain in the north and west, and in route for the West Asian forms from West Asia to

southern Baluchistan a few West Asian forms are Pakistan and for the South Asian forms from Paki-

met with (Cyprinion watsoni, Noemacheilus stan to the southern part of Iran up to the river

kessleri and Aphaniops dispar stoliczkai). In the Shattul-Arab. About half a dozen of marine forms

extreme north of the Indus plain two species of ascend the rivers of -the Makran coast far above the

the Asian Schizothorax S tidal influence High genus ( . plagio- (Zugmayer, 1913). Only two species,

stomus and S. labiatus) rarely descend into the Labeo macmahoni from South-West Baluchistan,

upper parts of the rivers of the Punjab plain. In and L. caeruleus from the Sind-Baluchistan hills,

the coastal areas and in the lower Indus plain appear to be endemic to this subdivision.

known ascend the The subdivisions 1 and some peripheral fishes are to 2 are more or less ar-

river Indus and the rivers along the Makran coast. bitrary as they have the same composition of fish

This vast division can be divided into three sub- fauna except that the endemic forms are different

divisions: (table IV).

1. Indus plain.—

The Indus is a of the vaster Indo- plain part V. Northwestern Baluchistan

from the Arabian Sea to Gangotic plain extending Division the Bay of Bengal along the southern limits of the

in the northern of South Asian northwestern of Himalayas part the This division comprises the part

subcontinent. The fish fauna of this vast plain is Baluchistan west of the Central Brahui Range and

the that certain north of the Kharan-Makran There essentially same, except genera ranges (fig. 3).

found in the Ganges system are not known from is no boundary on the northern and western sides.

the number of this the Indus system. Generally, genera Topographically area varies from western of freshwater fishes decreases from east to west. slopes of the Central Brahui Range to arid basins

This is understandable because South-East Asia with a few sailt lakes. The temperature also Varies

was the centre of diversification for most of the greatly.

freshwater fishes. From South-East Asia, fresh- The fish fauna of this division is mainly West

water fishes have dispersed along the southern face Asian but a few South Asian forms have pénétrât-

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Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Status End. S. S. S. W. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S.

hills + Balu- + + + & chistan S.W. S.

&

+ + + + + + 4- + + + + Potwar Plateau, Salt Range Kohat hills —— — —— —S. —+ —End. —S. —— — —— —— —— —— —— —— —S. —S. — — — —— —+ —+ —— — 4-

+ + + J. Indus plain + + + + + + + + ? + + + + + + + ? + + ? ? + 1822) 1973 1794) 1822) 1797) 1758) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) Awan, 1871 1822) 1822) (Bloch, 1822) 1822) 1841) 1877) (Hamilton, & 1801)(Bloch, Baluchistan. 1797) Day, 1822) stoliczkai 1877) 1954 (Hamilton, (Hamilton, (Linnaeus, Mirza (Hamilton, vacha fossilis panchax cancila (Hamilton, (Sykes, (Hamilton, (Hamilton, (Hamilton, 1822) dispar 1822) South name (Hamilton, (Bloch, (Day, mangois garua 1822) punctata Schneider, (Hamilton, ATHERINIFORMES CHANNIFORMES (Hamilton, Jayaram, naziri attu bimaculatus (Hamilton, batrachus aor silondia HETEROPNEUSTIDAE CYPRINODONTIDAE 1872) and AMBLYCIPITIDAE & BAGRIDAE SCHILBEIDAE coila SILURIDAE CLARIIDAE BELONIDAE CHANNIDAE rita seenghala atherinoides Scientific cavasius tengara vittatus bleekeri gulio horai murius Heteropneustes pabda pabo Order Aplocheilus (Hamilton, Aphaniops Xenentodon (Hamilton, Order hills Mystus Amblyceps Clupisoma Eutropiichthys (Hamilton, Ailia Ailichthys Silonia Wallago (Bloch Ompok Clarias (Day, Rita M. M. C. O. O. no. M. M. M. M. M. C. Family Family Family Family Family Family Family 99. 100. Family 101. Family adjoining Sr. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. plain,

Indus Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Status Asian S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. End. W. S. S. S. the S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. of hills + & Balu- + + + + + + + + + + + + + fauna chistan S.W. S.

Fish & + Salt hills + + + + + + + + + + + 4- + + 4- + + IV. Potwar Plateau, Range Kohat Table + 4- plain + + + + + 4- + + + + + ? + + + + + ? + + 4- 4- + + + + 4- 4- + Indus i ) 1769) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1872) (Pallas, 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1872) 1832) 1822) 1872) 1822) ilisha (Hamilton, 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) (Day, (Hamilton, (Hamilton, (Hamilton, 1822) 1872) 1872) (Hamilton, gora (Hamilton, (Hamilton, (Hamilton, (Hamilton, (Hamilton, (Day, (Hamilton, TELEOSTOMI lsa) OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES bacaila (Day, (Hamilton, (Gray, (Hamilton, (Hamilton, name Hi notopterus (Hamilton, (Hamilton, CLUPEIFORMES 1822) (Hamilton, CYPRINIFORMES 1822) (Hamilton, (Hamilton, (Day, (Hamilton, (Day, watsoni (Hamilton,L. rohita (Hamilton, chapra (= gaster (Hamilton, rasbora danricus (Hamilton, NOTOPTERIDAE cachius vagra devario gotyla (Hamilton, sarana calbasu Class CLUPEIDAE CYPRINIDAE putitora Scientific Order Order chitala Order laubuca punjabensis bendelisis daniconius titius phutunio gelius sophore conchonius punjabensis vittatus terio waageni gonius Gadusia Macrura (Hamilton, Notopterus Salmostoma Pseudoxy (Hamilton, Barilius bola Rasbora Danio Esomus tor Puntius ticto Cyprinion Labeo Chela Garra Tor L. no. N. C. S. B. B. R. T. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P.

Family Family Family 10. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. . Sr. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 11.

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Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. Cosmopolitan S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. S. Cosmopolitan

+ + + + + + + + + + +

+ + 4- + +

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + ? + + + + + + + AMBASSIDAE) 1822) 1822) 1758 cuchia 1794 (= 1822) nama 1822) 1837 1837 1822) 1793) 1822 — 1801) 1822) 1859 1822 (Hamilton, (AMPHIPNOIDAE) (Hamilton, — boddarti koelreuteri Latham, armatus aculeatus Linnaeus, (Bloch, (Hamilton, Bleeker, giuris (Hamilton, Ambassis) (Hamilton, 1800) corsula 1822) 1822) SYNBRANCHIFORMES Amphipnous) 1822) — PERCIFORMES 1822 Hamilton, Hamilton, Schneider, (Hamilton, cascasia Valenciennes, Valenciennes, RAJIFORMES nandus 1770) 1770) ELASMOBRANCHII (= fasciata 1795) cephalus (= microdon CENTROPOMIDAE NANDIDAE badis OSPHRONEMIDAE & MASTACEMBELIDAE MUGILIDAE GOBIIDAE & & CUCHIIDAE PRISTIDAE gachua punctatus ranga baculis lalius pancalus speigleri dentatus dussumieri „ Boleophthalmus Order Order Chanda Hamilton, Nandus Colisa (Bloch Mastacembelus (Lacépède, Macrognathus (Bloch, Mugil Sicamugil Rhinomugil (Hamilton, Glossogobius (Hamilton, (Pallas, Cuvier Periophthalmus (Pallas, Order Cuchia (Hamilton, C. C. C. C. Badis C. M. M. B. B. Pristis Family Family Family Family Family Family Family Family 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. ' m. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. .„ Cuvier . 124. ' — - 125. - '.. Class 126. - an an an

! | ' Slan Asian Asian Asian S S Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian Asian . Asian Asian As Asian End. End. H.Asian End. End End. End End S. S. S. s S. S. S. S. S. s S S S. S. H. S. S. S. S. W. S. * S. S. s S.

+ + + + + + + + + + +

+ 4- + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

? + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1822) 1912 1822 1822) 1855) 1912 1822) 1973 1839) 1912 1933 1877 1822) 1969 1822) 1822) 1842) (Hamilton, 1822) 1923 1822) 1822) 1822) diplocheilus (Hamilton, mola (Hamilton, (Hamilton, 1889 Hora, 1970 1972 Hamilton, Awan, (Bleeker, 1841) Day, 1877 1872) 1877 (Hamilton, Chaudhuri, (Hamilton, Naik, 1971 Zugmayer, Zugmayer, (Hamilton, & (M'Clelland, plagiostomus Hora, alepidotus (Hamilton, & (Hamilton, Day, latius 1932 botia nalbanti Mirza, telchitta Day, (Day, cotio 1822) morar (Hamilton, chagunio (M'Clelland, (Hamilton, Günther, prashari SILURIFORMES Mirza 1822) (Sykes, (Hamilton, mrigala (Hamilton, 1838) Banarescu, & bagarius (Hamilton, Mirza Kashmiri, 1838 lohachatta Hora, rabdophorus cenia nangra catla & microphthalmus COBITIDAE baluchiorum SISORIDAE platypogonoides & pangusia dyocheilus boggut caeruleus sindensis nigripinnis macmahoni reba labiatus corica kessleri prashari punjabensis alepidotus alepidotus Order robusta cavia naziri punjabensis boga Cirrhinus Crossocheilus (Heckel, Osteobrama Amblypharyngodon (Hamilton, Aspidoparia Chagunius Schizothorax Heckel, dayi Noemacheilus Banarescu Bagarius Gagata Nangra Glyptothorax(Hamilton, Catla Botia N. N. Mirza Sisor G. G. G. Mirza L. L. L. L. L. L. L. L. L. C. S. Family B. N. N. N. N. N. Family N. G. si 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75.

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Table V. Fish fauna of the Northwestern Baluchistan Division.

Sr. no. Scientific name Lora Mashkel Status

drainage drainage

Class TELEOSTOMI

Order CYPRINIFORMES

Family CYPRINIDAE

1. Labeo dero (Hamilton, 1822) + S. Asian

2. L. gedrosicus Zugmayer, 1912 + End.

3. Aspidopariamorar (Hamilton, 1822) + S. Asian

4. Crossocheilus latius diplocheilus (Heckel, 1838) + S. Asian

5. Garra rossica (Nikolsky, 1900) + W. Asian

6. Cyprinion watsoni (Day, 1872) + + W. Asian

7. heratensis Capoeta capoeta (Kayserling, 1861) + W. Asian

Family COBITIDAE

8. Noemacheilus kessleri Günther, 1889 + + W. Asian

9. N. brahui Zugmayer, 1912 + W. Asian

10. N. prashari lindbergi Banarescu & Mirza, 1965 + W. Asian

11. N. baluchiorum Zugmayer, 1912 + End.

Order ATHERINIFORMES

Family CYPRINODONTIDAE

12. Aphaniops dispar stoliczkai (Day, 1872) + W. Asian

ed from the south. The fish fauna of the Lora and submontane areas up to the Central Brahui

Asian but that while Asian drainage system is exclusively West Range, one West genus (Cyprinion) of is mixture of has been able into Baluchistan and the the Mashkel drainage system a to disperse

West Asian and South Asian forms. The division submontane areas surrounding the Indus plain up as a whole may be included in West Asia. There is to the Safed Koh and Kala Chitta ranges in the

about the north. Another West Asian some controversy zoogeographical po- genus (Capoeta) just

sition of West Asia. Berg (1940) included West reaches the northwestern frontier area of Balu-

Asia in the Mediterranean Subregion of the Hol- chistan. The West Asian subgenus Discognathus

is also restricted to northwest- arctic Region. But most of the zoogeographers of the genus Garra

of the that Asia are opinion West should be re- ern Baluchistan.

there is mixture There few of freshwater garded as a transitional zone as a are a genera primary of from and different elements the Holarctic, Oriental fishes, which are common to South Asia Afri-

Dar- Asian and Ethiopean Regions (De Beaufort, 1951; ca, but they are represented by the South

It that these lington, 1957). species. appears even genera are pri-

Within this division, two subdivisions may be marily Oriental but have dispersed westwards recognized: 1. the Lora drainage system north of through West Asia into Africa. "In other words, the Koh with West Asian intercontinental, invasion, Ras Range exclusively as in any filter-bridge

and 2. the Mashkel south almost the forms, drainage system it was entirely common, dominant

of Asian and there of this range, with a mixture West Asiatic genera which colonized Africa. Also,

the South Asian forms (table V). Only one species, can be no doubt in this instance that transfer

Labeo to be endemic to the was none older Afri- gedrosicus, appears a one-way affair, for of the

Mashkel reached Asia". 1966: drainage system. can groups (Myers, 768). Thus the fish fauna of Pakistan is composed of

three elements: the South Asian, the High Asian VI. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION and the West Asian element. Among these the

The freshwater fish fauna of Pakistan is predomi- South Asian element is predominant. Excepting the

which contains nantly South Asian. Some High Asian genera Trans-Himalayan part of Pakistan, Asian South Asian (Schizothorax, Diptychus, Ptychobarbus, Schizo- exclusively High genera, genera

in all Pakistan. At pygopsis, Schizocypris and Glyptosternum), how- are represented the areas of

the about 75 South ever, have penetrated into the northern montane species level, there are %

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Asian, 9 % High Asian, 4 % West Asian and elusion that southwestern Asia is a region of dou-

fishes. 12 % endemic forms among the freshwater ble transition of fish faunas, the transition being

Even the majority of the endemic forms are close- from African to Oriental forms in one direction, ly related to certain South Asian species. and from tropical to northern forms in another,

seems quite valid even today. West Asia is, there-

The fish faunas of South Asia and High Asia fore, treated as a transitional region. originated from the same ancestral South-East From the above discussion it follows that the

between Asian stock. The present dissimilarity freshwater fish fauna of Pakistan is predominantly them is "probably due to their differentiation in Oriental and that the High Asian Division should isolation and the different geological ages, long be included in the High Asian Subregion of the resulting segregation" (Hora, 1937b: 247). Oriental Region; the Aba-Sinh Division, the North-

The fish fauna of High Asia belongs to three western Montane Division, and the Indus plain Noemacheilinae basic groups: Schizothoracinae, and adjoining hills Division belong to the South and Glyptosternum. Among these the Schizotho- Asian Subregion of the Oriental Region; while racinae modified "Oriental are specially barbels", the Northwestern Baluchistan Division may be the Noemacheilinae have evolved from the South- included in the West Asian Transitional Region.

East Asian ancestral stock, and Glyptosternum The herpetofauna of Pakistan shows a somewhat is closely related to (and probably derived from) similar distribution. It is mainly composed of High of these the Oriental Glyptothorax. The ancestors Asian, South Asian and West Asian forms, but fishes to the Asian few African migrated High areas probably a genera are also represented. No in the Pliocene and differentiated into the present endemic genus has so far been described from forms after their isolation due to the Himalayan Pakistan. The number of endemic species and

Their from had orogeny. dispersal east to west subspecies is also small. The High Asian forms are been water channel possible through some or distributed in the northern montane areas, the

of interconnected lakes west- Baluchistan and a system forming a West Asian forms are found in ward river the the flowing during floods along adjoining areas, while the Indus plain and the northern face of the Thus the Himalayas. High adjoining hilly areas are mainly occupied by South far Asian fish fauna has been able to penetrate as Asian forms (Minton, 1966, Mertens, 1969). The included Central Asia in as Anatolia. Regan (1922) avian and mammalian faunas have a more or less the Palaearctic Region. Similarly, Berg (1940) rec- similar composition but the African element is this Asian in ognized area as the High Subregion well represented (Quadri, 1971). the Holarctic Region. But according to Banarescu In short, the following zoogeographical regions

& Asia in Pakistan: (1967b personal communication), High and subrogions are represented should be included as a subregion in the Oriental

Region. The present study supports his conclusion.

There is no controversy about the zoogeographi- I. Oriental Region cal position of South Asia. It has been included

The limits of this have been in the Oriental Region, by almost all the zoogeog- great region recently raphers, under different names. extended to include High Asia and East Asia

1967b & A great confusion exists about the zoogeograph- (Banarescu, 1972). According to Dar- ical position of West Asia. It was included in the lington (1957), the Oriental Region includes trop-

Palaearctic Region by Regan (1922) and in the ical Asia and its closely associated islands, in-

Mediterranean Subregion of the Holarctic Region cluding Ceylon, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Formosa, by Berg (1940). According to Banarescu (1960), and the Philippines. From the ichthyological point the freshwater fish fauna of West Asia has an in- of view, the Oriental Region comprises most of disputable South Asian (Indo-Malayan) character. eastern, central and southern Asia, south of the

He proposed the inclusion of this area as a sub- Stanovoi and adjacent mountain ranges forming region in the Oriental Region. Recently, however, the watershed between the Amur and the Lena he has changed his view and is of the opinion that drainage systems and the northern slopes of the

of the fish fauna of this area is closer to the Holarc- mountains High Asia. Its western, southern and

southeastern limits tic than to the Oriental Region (Banarescu, 1973). are the same as defined by

But the fish fauna of West Asia shows a transition Darlington and other zoogeographers. between the Oriental, the Holarctic and perhaps Within this region, the High Asian and the

South the Ethiopean Regions. Darlington's (1957) con- Asian Subregions extend into Pakistan.

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(i)High Asian Subregio n. The High Iran from the West Asian Transitional Region.

Asian Subregion comprises the mountain ranges The zoogeographical divisions II, III and IV of

and the elevated plateaus of High Asia. The bound- Pakistan belong to this subregion.

aries of this subregion are ill-defined as there are

Asia and no watersheds between High the adjoining II. West Asian TransitionalRegion of all the rivers areas. The upper parts originating

from High Asia are inhabited by the peculiar High The West Asian Transitional Region shows a

Asian fish fauna. Broadly speaking, most of Af- complex freshwater fish fauna. There are elements

ghanistan, Kirghizia, Sinkiang, Tibet, Kashmir, and from the Oriental, Holarctic and Ethiopean Re-

the northern parts of Pakistan and India up to the gions. Several endemic genera of fishes have re-

southern slopes of the Himalayas, belong to this cently been recognized by Karaman (1971). This

subregion. The zoogeographical division I of Pa- region comprises northwestern Baluchistan, west-

kistan represents this subregion. ern Afghanistan, central and southern Iran, Iraq,

of and Palestine. the (ii) South Asian Subregion. This sub- and some parts Syria In

region comprises the South Asian subcontinent eastern part of this region, there is a transition

Oriental Holarctic while the south of the Himalayan and adjacent ranges in the from to faunas, in

Province and Baluchistan. It there be North West Frontier southwestern part, appears to a transition

is demarcated by the watershed between the Me- from Holarctic to African elements.

kong and the Song Koi drainage systems from the Within West Asia, at least two subregions can

East Asian Subregion, by the southern slopes of be recognized: 1. The Iranian Subregion, and 2.

the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush from the High the Syrian-Euphraitic Subregion. The Iranian Sub-

Asian Subregion, and by the Central Brahui Range, region extends into northwestern Baluchistan in Kharan-Makran the in Pakistan division ranges, and adjacent ranges (zoogeographical V).

Summary

1. The freshwater fish fauna of Pakistan has been ana- southern Baluchistan; V. Northwestern Baluchistan Divi-

Brahui lyzed. Since the present paper deals with the zoogeo- sion, including the areas west of the Central

graphical aspects of the fish fauna, the exotic fishes have Range and north of the Kharan-Makran ranges.

been omitted. 4. The South Asian and the High Asian fish faunas have

2. The fish fauna of Pakistan is predominantly South originated from the same basic stock. Their difference

but Asian and West Asian also is due isolation and differentiation the Asian, High genera are to long during

various It that represented. The African element is hardly perceptible. geological ages. is, therefore, suggested

3. On the basis of the distribution of their freshwater South Asia and High Asia should be included in the

Oriental The Asian fish fishes, the following five divisions are proposed: I. High Region as two subregions. West

Asian Division, comprising the northern Himalayan and fauna shows a mixture of Oriental, Holarctic and African

Asian the Trans-Himalayan areas; II. Aba-Sinh Division, in- faunas. It is, therefore, recognized as a West Tran-

cluding the Buner Valley, lower parts of the Swat Valley, sitional Region. the Vale of Peshawar and the submontane Hazara; III. 5. It is concluded that Pakistan lies in the Oriental Re-

Northwestern Montane Division, which includes the north- gion, except northwestern Baluchistan, which belongs to western mountains along the Pak-Afghan border between the West Asian Transitional Region. Among the zoo- the Safed Koh Range in the north and the Central Brahui geographical divisions of Pakistan, the division I belongs

Range in the west, while its northwestern, eastern and to the High Asian Subregion of the Oriental Region, the southern boundaries are ill-defined; IV. Indus plain and divisions II, III and IV belong to the South Asian Sub- adjoining hills Division, which comprises the Indus plain, region of the Oriental Region, while the division V may the Potwar Plateau, the Salt Range, the Kohat hills and be included in the West Asian Transitional Region.

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