Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research 21 (5): 802-807, 2014 ISSN 1990-9233 © IDOSI Publications, 2014 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2014.21.05.8415

Fish Fauna of the Andharmanik River in Patuakhali, Bangladesh

11A.B.M. Mohsin, Farzana Yeasmin, 1 Shams Muhammad Galib, 21Bayezid Alam and Sk. Md. Mohaimenul Haque

1Aquatic Biodiversity Lab, Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh 2Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Bangladesh

Abstract: The fish fauna and their season abundance in the Andharmanik River of Patuakhali district have been studied for a period of one year, from March 2011 to February 2012. A total of 53 fish species belonging to 10 orders, 28 families and 47 genera were collected and identified. The most dominant order of fishes was Perciformes (18 species) followed by Siluriformes (12 species) and Clupeiformes (9 species). Maximum 45 species were recorded in November whereas minimum 19 species in May. September was recorded as the peak (availability) month for majority 11 species. May was revealed as the lean season for majority 14 species. Two critically endangered, 3 endangered and 5 vulnerable fish species of Bangladesh were also recorded along with one alien carp species.

Key words:Andharmanik River Fish Diversity Fish Fauna Open Water Fishes Riverine Fish Seasonal Abundance.

INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS Bangladesh is a riverine country. It has being a huge delta formed by the giant river Padma (Ganges, Jamuna, Study Areas and Duration: The Andharmanik River is a Brahmaputra) and the Meghna and their innumerable tidal river of southern Bangladesh, originates from tributaries, has one of the richest inland fishery resources Tiakhali River of Barguna district and falls into the Bay of of the world. The importance of biodiversity can never be Bengal through Patuakhali district. Average water depth negligible. In Bangladesh, there are 265 fish species under of this river in February (dry season) is 20 m and from July 154 genera and 55 families [1]. According to Bruton [2], to September, depth becomes 22.5 m [9]. Flood control freshwater fishes may be the most threatened group of dam has been built along the banks (25 km along left vertebrates after the Amphibia and he also recommended embankment and 24 km along right embankment) of this urgent conservation initiatives especially in continents river and a bridge has also been built over it Nodimatrik like Asia. But to commence these conservation initiatives, [9]. basic information of fishes are required. Study of fish Study duration was twelve months from March 2011 fauna in any water body would be of great help to take to February 2012. Sampling was carried out on fortnightly appropriate conservation steps in that water body. basis, i.e. twice a month. Though a very few research works have been conducted on fish fauna in different water bodies of Bangladesh [3-8] Specimen Collection, Preservation and Identification: but, to the best knowledge of the authors, fish fauna of Specimens of fishes were collected from three different tidal open waters like the Andharmanik River has not yet spots (S1, S2 and S3) of Andharmanik River; been studied. That is why the present research effort has approximately between 21°50’-22°00’ North and been completed to identify existing fish fauna in the river 90°05’-90°15’ East (Fig. 1). Six fishermen were hired Andharmanik. temporarily, two for each spot, to carry out specimen

Corresponding Author: Shams Muhammad Galib, Department of Fisheries, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh.

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Species Diversity: A total of 53 fish species belonging to 47 genera, 28 families and 10 orders were recorded from the river Andharmanik during the study period (Table 1 and Fig. 2). Among the recorded species, 2 were belonging to the family Gobiidae, Sillaginidae, Polynemidae and Mastacembelidae each; 3 were belonging to the family Anabantidae, , Anabantidae, Sciaenidae and Mugillidae each; 4 species were belonging to the family Cyprinidae, Engraulidae and Bagridae each, 5 species were belonging to the family Clupeidae and 1 species was found under the family Notopteridae, Platycephalidae and Belonidae each (Table 1). There is no previous study on fish fauna of the Andharmanik River therefore it is not possible to compare the present findings with previous one. This problem is not a rare one in Bangladesh and also reported by Galib et al. [4] and Mohsin et al. [7] who carried out researches on fish fauna in the Choto Jamuna River and the Padma River respectively. The number of recorded fishes was found much lower than the findings of Islam and Hossain [13] and Hossain et al. [14] who recorded 110 and 97 species of fishes in the river Padma and the river Naff respectively. However, both natural causes and human interventions may be responsible for less diversity of fish fauna in the study area. Similar findings also reported by Amin et al. [15] and Samad et al. [16]. Considering the availability of number of fish species outside Bangladesh, Fig. 1: Map of the Andharmanik River in Patuakhali especially in neighbor country India, recorded number of district of Bangladesh (Green rounded spots, species was found higher [17-25]. S1-S3, indicate the sampling sites) Seasonal Abundance: Month-wise availability of fish collection process. Specimens were collected using species in the Andharmanik River is shown in Fig. 3. In seine net of 1-2 cm mesh size. Collected fish specimens the month of November, maximum 45 species were were examined and preserved in 10% buffered formalin recorded, whereas minimum 19 species were found in the solution in labeled plastic jars. Local names of specimens month of May. Peak and lean seasons of fish species are were noted on the sampling sites. Finally, the specimens shown in table 1 and Fig. 4. Considering the peak were brought to the Aquatic Biodiversity Lab of the abundance, September was recorded as the peak month Department of Fisheries, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, for majority 11 species which was 20.8% of the total Bangladesh. species) followed by August (10 species, 18.9%), July (7 Fish specimens were identified on the basis of species, 13.2%) and so on. On the other hand, May was morphometric and meristics characters following Rahman revealed as the lean season for majority 14 species [1 & 10], Talwar and Jhingran [11] and Quddus and Shafi (26.4%) followed by April (7 species, 13.2%) and so on [12]. (Table 1 & Fig. 4).

Data Analyses: Simple descriptive data analyses were Threatened Species: A considerable portion of the carried out using Microsoft Excel 2010 and Statistical recorded fishes are in the list of threatened to extinct Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 15. fishes of Bangladesh. A total of 54 species of Bangladesh

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Table 1: A checklist of fish species and their conservation status and seasonal abundance in the Andharmanik River of Bangladesh Abundance ------Order Family Species Redlist Status* Peak Lean Cypriniformes Cyprinidae Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822) NO Aug Jan Catla catla (Hamilton, 1822) NO Aug Dec Cirrhinus cirrhosus (Bloch, 1795) NO Nov Jul Hypophthalmicthys molitrix (Valenciennes, 1844) Ex Jul Jan Siluriformes Bagridae Mystus gulio (Hamilton, 1822) DD Sep Mar Mystus cavasius (Hamilton,1822) VU Sep Mar Sperata aor (Hamilton,1822) VU Nov Apr Rita rita (Hamilton, 1822) CR Nov Apr Siluridae Wallogo attu (Schneider, 1801) NO Dec Jun Ariidae Arius gagora (Hamilton, 1822) NO Jan Jun Sisoridae cenia (Hamilton, 1822) NO Jul May Gagata youssoufi Rahman, 1976 NO Aug May Bagarius bagarius (Hamilton, 1822) CR Nov May Heteropneustidae Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch, 1794) NO Jan Jul Clariidae Clarias batrachus (Linnaeus, 1758) NO Jan Jul Schilbeidae Silonia silondia (Hamilton, 1822) EN Dec Jul Clupeiformes Clupeidae Pellona ditchelaValenciennes, 1847 NO Aug May Tenualosa ilisha (Hamilton, 1822) NO Sep May Tenualosa toli (Valenciennes, 1847) NO Sep May Ilisha elongata (Bennett, 1830) NM Sep May Gonialosa manmina (Hamilton, 1822) NO Oct May Engraulidae Setipinna taty (Valenciennes, 1848) NO Oct May Setipinna phasa (Hamilton, 1822) NO Oct Apr Coilia ramcarati (Hamilton, 1822) NO Sep Apr Coilia dussumieri Valenciennes, 1847 NO Sep Apr Osteoglossiformes Notopteridae Notopterus notopterus (Pallas, 1769) VU Jul Jan Perciformes Centropomidae Lates calcarifer (Bloch, 1790) NO Dec Mar Scatophagidae Scatophagus argus (Linnaeus, 1766) EN Sep Mar Sciaenidae Otolithoides pama (Hamilton, 1822) NO Sep Mar Otolithes maculatus (Cuvier, 1830) NO Oct Mar Johnius coitor (Hamilton, 1822) NO Dec Jul Gobioididae Odontamblyopus rubicundus (Hamilton, 1822) NO Dec Jun Gobiidae Parapocryptes batoides (Day, 1876) NO Dec Jun Glossogobius giuris (Hamilton, 1822) NO Nov May Stromateidae Parastromateus niger Bleeker, 1865 NO Aug May Teraponidae Terapon jarbua (Forsskal, 1775) NO Jul Jun Drepanidae Drepane punctata (Linnaeus, 1758) NM Aug Jun Sparidae Acanthopagrus latus (Houttuyn, 1822) NO Aug May Sillaginidae Sillaginopsis panijus (Hamilton, 1822) NO Aug May Sillago sihama (Forsskal, 1775) NM Jul Feb Anabantidae Anabus testudineus (Bloch, 1795) NO Jul Feb Colisa fasciata (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) NO Jul Feb Colisa lalia (Hamilton, 1822) NO Aug Jan Ambassidae Chanda nama Hamilton, 1822 VU Sep Jan Scorpaeniformes Platycephalidae Platycephalus indicus (Linnaeus, 1758) DD Sep Jan Beloniformes Belonidae Tylosurus strongylurus (Van Hasselt, 1823) NM Aug May Polynemiformes Polynemidae Polynemus paradiseus Linnaeus, 1758 NO Jun Apr Eleutheronema tetradactylum (Shaw, 1804) NO Jun Apr Mastacembeliformes Mastacembelidae Macrognathus aculeatus (Bloch, 1786) VU Jan Jun Mastacembelus armatus (Lacepede, 1800) EN Jan Jun Mugilliformes Mugillidae Liza parsia (Hamilton, 1822) NO Jun Nov Rhinomugil corsula (Hamilton, 1822) NO Jun Nov Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 NM Jun Dec *Based on Red Book of Threatened Fishes [26]; CR = Critically endangered; DD = Data deficient; EN = Endangered; Ex = Exotic; NM = Not mentioned; NO = Not threatened; VU = Vulnerable

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was declared threatened in the red book of threatened fishes, published by IUCN Bangladesh [26]; according to this Redlist, 2 critically endangered, 3 endangered and 5 vulnerable fish were present in the river Andharmanik which were 4%, 6% and 9% of the total species recorded respectively (Fig. 5). The number of threatened fishes found in the present study was similar to the findings of Mohsin et al. [6] who recorded 9 threatened species in the Bookbhara Baor of Jessore district. A greater number of threatened fishes were recorded in some other water bodies, e.g. 28 species in the Chalan Beel [3], 26 species Fig. 2: Order-wise fish fauna of the Andharmanik River, in the Padma River [7] and 22 species in the Halti Beel [5]. Bangladesh Status of maximum 35 species (66%) and 2 species (4%) have been considered not threatened and data deficient respectively by IUCN Bangladesh [26] (Fig. 5). Status of a considerable portion (9%) of recorded fish species was not mentioned in the Redlist of fishes of Bangladesh by IUCN. Among them, some species are (e.g. Gagata sp.) commonly found in many water bodies of the country [7, 27]. Population status of Colisa fasciata and C. lalia were found to be declining in the study areas.

Alien Species: One exotic carp species, silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), has also been found in Fig. 3: Month-wise fish species availability in the river the Andharmanik River. Rahman [28] made a prediction Andharmanik that this fish establish itself in the natural waters of Bangladesh and the present finding reflects that prediction. Presence of this fish in natural inland water is also reported by Galib et al. [3]. This fish does not breed in closed water bodies [29-30] but breeds in rivers [31]. If this fish breeds into the river it might establish itself permanently there, as it is a high fecund fish [30]. Occurrence of alien species in rivers may enter from the flooded ponds and other water bodies where these species are commonly stocking for the purpose of aquaculture [32]. Fig. 4: Seasonal abundance, peak and lean months, of fish species in the Andharmanik River CONCLUSION

At present, biodiversity conservation is a very important task to sustain our life on the earth. More research efforts are needed in every water body of the country to find out the main causes of less species diversity. The presence of exotic fish species into natural waters is not a good sign for indigenous fish fauna as well as fisheries sector of Bangladesh. Research work should be carried out to assess the impact of exotic fish species Fig. 5: Conservation status of fish fauna of the on native fauna and flora as well as ecosystem of open Andharmanik River in Bangladesh, based on Red water bodies. However considering the availability of Book of Threatened Fishes [26] threatened fishes in the river, it can be an excellent site for

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