Keywords
Sand Mining
Conservation
Anthropogenic Activities
Threats.
How to Cite
Abstract
A survey has been conducted on the fishes in Ithipuzha and Murinjapuzha, two tributaries of River Muvattupuzha, Kerala, from October 2009 to May 2010. Cast net, gill net, and scoop nets were used for the study. 69 species of fishes, belonging to 54 genera, 36 families and 13 orders were collected and identified. Fishes belonging to the Order Perciformes dominated the study with 15 families, 20 genera and 25 species, followed by the Order Cypriniformes with 1 family, 6 genera and 14 species. Rare species like Pristolepis marginata Jerdon, Anabas cobojius (Hamilton-Buchanan), Butis butis (Hamilton-Buchanan), Eleotris fusca (Forster), Puntius muvattupuzhaensis Jameela Beevi and Ramachandran, Danio malabaricus (Day), Pterocryptis wynaadensis (Day), Pseudeutropius mitchelli Gunther, Zenarchopterus striga (Blyth), Tetraodon fluviatilis Hamilton, Arothron leopardus (Day) and Triacanthus biaculeatus (Bloch) were collected during the study. Presently, these rivers are under severe ecological degradation, due to sand mining and other anthropogenic activities. Despite this, the present study showed rich fish diversity in these rivers, and hence, it is suggested that these rivers be protected to conserve it.References
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