Ichthyofaunal Diversity in the Rivers of Meghalaya

Author: Damebantei Mawa, Hameka Papang, Shriparna Saxena and Deepak Kher

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Abstract

Three riverine systems—the Wah Umngot, Wah Shella, and Wah Umtrew rivers—located in Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills, East Khasi Hills, and Ri-Bhoi district were used for the research of fish diversity. In the current study, 52 distinct species of fish belonging to 38 genera, 16 families and 6 orders and have been identified along with their IUCN check list conservation status category. The study was carried out between August 2023 and January 2024. The orders Cypriniformes, Perciformes, Siluriformes, Beloniformes, Tetraodontiformes, and Anabantiformes comprise the fish fauna found in these rivers. Cyprinidae dominated the group with 27 species, followed by Bagridae with 4, Balitoridae and Channidae with 3, Clariidae, Cobitidae, and Sisoridae with 2 each, and the remaining families, which included 1 species each for Badidae, Gobidae, Heteropneustidae, Olyridae, Siluridae, and Tetraodontidae. Attempts have been made to portray fish diversity and economic significance and emphasize the value of conserving biodiversity

Keywords

Meghalaya, Fish species, Distribution, IUCN status, Economic importance.

Conclusion

All three rivers of Meghalaya—(i) Wah Umngot, (ii) Wah Shella, and (iii) Wah Umtrew—are enriched with remarkable ichthyo diversity, thus alluring attention in terms of consumption, commercial value, and research purposes. The goal of the current study was to assess the fish diversity in these three distinct rivers across the districts of Ri-Bhoi, East Khasi Hills, and East Jaintia Hills. The project was carried out from August 2023 to January 2024, a duration of six months. Gaining proficiency in ichthyo-diversity offers a positive protective trail against uncertainties since it illustrates the pinnacle of water management, which is far different from merely maintaining stable populations of specific species. Through perusal analysis, it can be concluded that a good number of people are dependent on fishing for their livelihood by employing different traditional traps and boats. However, due to the absence of proper knowledge, fish are deprived of their ornamental value and are susceptible to some major threats, such as the loss of natural habitats through the use of small mesh-sized gears, the use of pesticides and insecticides, as well as domestic waste, etc. Kottelat and Whitten (1996) assert that habitat degradation, overfishing, and other human impacts are to blame for the sharp decline in freshwater fish abundance in the north-eastern region. However, it is also evident that there is a slight decline in the number of fish, possibly due to habitat destruction (for construction activities like building houses and shops by the river sides), pollution (such as dumping of sewage), and the use of toxic chemicals (excessive use of copper sulfate) to catch fish, etc. Thus, the consequences of these innumerable anthropogenic activities seem to be the main cause affecting the diversity and distribution of fish in the water bodies. Practically in the imminent future, an index of declining fish species is expected to be stretched out due to indiscriminate disposal of sewage, unplanned developmental activities leading to degradation of rivers, and habitat destruction. Also, if you look at the present world, there is a continuous increase in the number of fish that are threatened or endangered and are on the verge of extinction. This clearly indicates that the global environmental crisis caused by various anthropogenic activities should be given proper and urgent attention to standard protocols and resolve the issues associated with the decline of fish species. In order to comprehend and safeguard a variety of fish resources, fishermen and ichthyologists are also essential. This present study is a significant attempt to help people understand what needs to be done to prevent these species from becoming endangered or extinct. Though this study provides some notable information on fish fauna related to the fish species, their feeding behavior, habitat (the places where the fishes are found), economic significance, and their IUCN status, thorough research is still needed to investigate the ecology and breeding behaviors of these fishes in their natural environment so as to develop a conservation strategy. To sum up, careful planning is essential for conservation efforts and management plans in order to protect these natural water resources and ensure that they are respected by the public, policymakers, village administrators, and all the stakeholders to prevent any further demolishing caused to the fish and all other aquatic organisms that are still thriving in these rivers

References

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How to cite this article

Damebantei Mawa, Hameka Papang, Shriparna Saxena and Deepak Kher (2024). Ichthyofaunal Diversity in the Rivers of Meghalaya. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 16(7): 285-291.