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Distribution and Fishery Potential .....
e vast stretch of Indian Himalayan region,endowed with a number from 25–60 cm and 1.5–5.0 of rivers is home to diverse !sh fauna. e rivers of these mountainous kg respectively. e average region support rich diversity of valuable and endemic cold water !shes number of egg laying in that provide subsistence !sheries to the local inhabitants. Distribution this group ranges between of !sh species in the Himalayan streams depends on the "ow rate, 10,000–40,000 per kg body nature of substratum, water temperature and availability of food which weight of the !sh, lowest being have contributed to the Ichthyofaunal diversity in the ecosystem. Some in S. niger and highest in S. of the important group of !shes in the Indian sub-Himalayan region are esocinus. S. richardsonii has Mahaseers, Schizothoracids, Minor Carps, Barils, Cat!shes and exotic a total fecundity of 20,000– Trout. 25,000 eggs per kg body Snow trout, belong to weight. e spawning areas are the family Cyprinidae , subfamily characterized by shallow clear Schizothoracinae , have ubiquitous water, sandy and gravelly beds, distribution in the Himalayan and with very feeble water "ow. sub-Himalayan regions of Indian Spawning season also varies subcontinent. ey constitute an in di#erent species and it was economically important group of reported that it depends on food !shes of Coldwater region. Snow trout consist of 15 genera and the thermal regime at di#erent over hundred species distributed all over the world. Seven genera and elevations. e !sh was about 17 species of snow trout contribute to coldwater !shery in the observed to spawn at di#erent elevations in di#erent months of the Indian sub-Himalayan region. is group of !shes have a stream lined year at a water temperature range of 18.0–21.5°C. It was observed body, reduced scales, modi!cations of lower lips, short or complete that S. richardsonii and S. plagiostomus breeds during early summer absence of barbels and long caudal peduncle. Majority of the species while peak breeding season for S. niger extends from last week of belong to two genera: Schizothoraichthys and Schizothorax . ese February to mid of April while S. curvifrons breeds from May to July two genera have been broadly di#erentiated based on the shape of with a peak in June in Kashmir. e group as a whole exhibits slow snout. Schizothorax spp . have a blunt snout and suctorial lip whereas growth pattern and generally attains maturity in two to three years Schizothoraichthys has a pointed snout without suctorial lip.e major of age. species are Schizothoraichthys esocinus , S. longipinnis , S. planifrons, S. Snow trout has some favourable cultivable traits such as micropogon , S. curvifrons , S. nasus , S. hugelli , S. labiatus , S. progastus , eurythermal in nature, amenable to captive condition and accepts Schizothorax richardsonii and S. plagiostomus . Other genera commonly supplementary feed. Although a preferred food !sh, aquaculture used for describing the species are Schizopyge (S. niger, S. micropogon ) practices of this species is still not fully adopted due to slow growth and Schizopygopsis stoliczkai , Diptychus maculatus , Gymnocypris and problems associated with developing appropriate feed. In India, biswasi and Ptychobarbus conirostris . Snow trout have unique initial success in arti!cial breeding of wild stocks of Schizothorax distributional pattern in Indian Himalayas as Schizothoraichthys richardsonii , Schizothoraichthys esocinus, S. niger, S. micropogon , esocinus , S. longipinnis , S. planifrons , S. micropogon , S. curvifrons and S. longipinnis , S. curvifrons has been achieved during 1980s in S. labiatus are endemic to Kashmir and Laddakh region, S. progastus Kashmir, but a viable technology for seed production of these has wide occurrence but have restricted distribution in the East. species particularly from the farm reared brood stock is still at S. plagiostomus and S. richardsonii are found along the foot hills of initial stage of development. During late nineties similar success was Himalayas. achieved in Kumaon to breed S. richardsonii at !eld centre, ICAR- Fisheries in Himalayan water constitutes either subsistence DCFR Chirapani, Champawat. Induced spawning of some of snow or recreational !shery. Since mountain streams do not support high trout species ( S. richardsonii, S. niger ) using synthetic hormones was !sh production, commercial !shery is quite limited. Fishing methods carried out. Domestication and rearing of S. richardsonii has paved include nets, traps and poison which are generally used for catching the way for producing seed under controlled conditions besides their !sh in turbulent waters. Among di#erent species of snow trout, culture under captivity. us, the aquatic resources in hills are quite Schizothorax richardsonii locally known as ‘asela’ has wide distribution valuable for the development of !shery for food, sport, recreation in Indian Himalayas. is species alone contributes to 60-70% of and employment. Mountain !sh resource base is of great relevance the total !sh catch from upland riverine systems. Schizothoracines which provides opportunities for the socio–economic development migrate downstream to avoid extreme low temperature at higher of unprivileged populations of the hills. It also to be remembered altitudes during winters. ey are mostly captured in large numbers that the upland regions are fragile in nature therefore, it requires in di#erent streams of Indus and Ganga river system across Kashmir conservation besides utilization on a sustainable basis. to Uttarakhand. Unfortunately, there is a quantitative and qualitative decline in natural !sh population in Indian rivers and hill streams. Shahnawaz Ali ([email protected]) and N.N. Pandey e major threats to the coldwater !sheries are rapid environmental ICAR-Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research (ICAR–DCFR) degradation, loss of habitats river impoundments, excessive and Bhimtal -263 136, Nainital (Uttarakhand) destructive method of !shing. is is creating enormous pressure on resources in general and !sh stocks in particular. erefore, due to their declining trend in di#erent rivers and streams of Himalayas, IUCN has declared snow trout as a vulnerable species. Life history traits, feeding and breeding biology of snow trout species have been widely studied. e feeding habit of snow trout is largely herbivorous and they are mostly periphytonic feeders. e reported maximum length and weight of di#erent species varies
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