Fish biodiversity of north eastern India

North east was the part of northward moving Deccan Peninsular that first touched the breakup
of the Gondwalnd in the early Tertiary period.
North east India is one of the richest biomes of the world, high endemism and rare species which
are now under constant threat. The north east region (22-30 degree N and 89-97degree E) spread over 2,
62,379 Sq.km represent the region. It is meeting place of the Himalayan Mountain and Peninsular India. It
is represents the traditional zone between Indian, Indo-Malayam and indo- Chinese biogeography regions
and is the geographical gateway for much of the Indias Flora and Fauna. The region is made up of
eight states- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura is
endowed with a wide range of physiography and eco-climatic conditions.
North east is among the 34 Hotspots*[It is area that extremely rich species have high endemism
and are under constant threat due to human pressure (having 70% of their original habitat)] of the world
identified in the India, the other being the Western Ghats. The 34 Hotspots once covered 15.7% of the
earths land surface. In all 86% of the hotspots habitat has already been destroyed. The infect remnants of
hotspot now cover only 2.3% of the earths land surface. Over 50% of the worlds plant species and 42%
of the all terrestrial vertebrate species are endemic to their 34 biodiversity Hotspots. Among the 34
hotspots of the world, two have been identified in India- the Himalayan and Western Ghats.
In the north east region is rich in flora and fauna. Flora has at least 7500 flowering plants, 700
orchids, 58 bamboos, 64 citrus, 28 conifers, 500 mosses, 700 ferns and 728 Lichen species and is equally
rich in faunal diversity, an estimated 3624 species of insects, 50 molluscus, 236 fishes, 64 amphibians,
137 reptiles, 541 birds, 160 mammalians species has been so far described (Anonymous, 1996, 1998b)
In the north east India contains a profusion of habitats characterized by diverse biota with a high level
endemism, 422 fish species recorded belonging to 133 genera, 38 families including its commercial value,
such as food fish, ornamental fish.
State Total no fish species
available
Genera State fish
Arunachal Pradesh 163 79 Tor putitora (Golden
mahaseer)
Assam 217 98
Manipur 131 58 Osteobrama belengeri
(Pengba)
Mizoram 51 28 Semiplotus modestus
(Nghavang)
Meghalaya 158 78
Nagaland 163 67 Neolissocheilus
hexagonolepis
(Chocolate mahaseer)
Sikkim 48 . Onchorhynchus mykiss
(Rainbow trout)
Tripura 129 76 Ompok bimaculatus
(Pabda)


Mr. Ram Kumar
JRF
Centre of Excellence in Fisheries and Aquaculture Biotechnology Project.
(COF, CAU)
KVK, East Siang, College of Horticulture and Forestry
Central Agriculture University