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 Downloaded from Brill.com10/10/2021 03:30:09AM via free access 144 M. R. MIRZA - FRESHWATER FISHES OF PAKISTAN 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; Downloaded from Brill.com10/10/2021 03:30:09AM via free access BIJDRAGEN TOT DE DIERKUNDE, 45 (2) - 1975 145 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