fish biodiversity of kavvayi river basin, northern kerala

FISH BIODIVERSITY OF KAVVAYI RIVER BASIN, NORTHERN
Introduction
KERALA
Sali George 1 , Unni P. N 2 and Anil K 3
1 Department of Zoology, Nirmalagiri College, Kuthuparamba, Kannur 670 701
2 Department of Biotechnology, CWRDM, Kozhikode 673 571, Kerala
3 Department of Zoology, S. N. College, Kannur 670 007
08-39
The present paper forms a part of the study on “Ecological studies of the estuaries of Kavvayi
and Chandragiri River Basins”. A review of the available information on estuarine and fresh
water studies of Kerala shows that no information is available on the fish biodiversity of
Kavvayi river basin. A study of the specimens collected during the pre-monsoon and
monsoon seasons of 2006 shows that the estuary is rich in fish biodiversity with 66 species of
fishes belonging to 13 orders and 39 families.
Materials and Methods
Fishes available in the estuary and fresh water zones of the river basin were collected during
the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons of 2006, using cast nets of mesh size 1 cm 2 . The
specimens were collected from Azhithala bar mouth, Madakal bund, Olavara bridge, Kara
Regulator cum Bridge and Palathara Bridge. The specimens were phptographed with a digital
camera, immediately after collection, and preserved in 4% formalin for identification. The
specimens were identified using the identification keys of Day (1875-1878), Talwar &
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Jhingran (1991), Jayaram (1981), Jhingran (1982) and Easa and Shaji (2003), and also with
the help of experts from Z S I Regional Station, Kozhikode and CMFRI Regional Station,
Kozhikode.
Results and Discussion
Sixty six species of estuarine and freshwater species belonging to 13 orders and 39 families
and 51 genera were collected from the Kavvayi river basin and identified. Results indicate
that the river is endowed with rich biodiversity of estuarine and fresh water fishes, including
rare species. A list of species collected during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons of 2006
are enumerated in Table 1.
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge with gratitude the help of Dr K. C. Gopi, Sr. Scientist, ZSI Regional
Station Kozhikode and Dr P. P. Manojkumar, Sr. Scientist, CMFRI Regional Station,
Kozhikode for identification of the fish species. One of us (Sali George) is thankful to the
UGC for the award of FIP Fellowship during the period of study.
References
Day F, (1994). The Fishes of India; being a natural history of fishes known to inhabit the seas
and freshwaters of India, Burma and Ceylon. Today & Tomorrow’s Book Agency,
New Delhi.
Jayaram K C, (1999). The Freshwater Fishes of the Indian Region. Narendra Pub. House,
New Delhi.
Jhingran V G, (1982). Fish and Fisheries of India. Hindustan Pub. Corporation (India), Delhi.
Talwar P K and Jhingran V G, (1991). Inland Fishes of India and Adjacent Countries. Oxford
& IBH Pub. Co., New Delhi.
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Table 1. Fishes collected from Kavvayi River Basin
Sl.
No
Scientific Name
Common English
Name
Common
Malayalam Name
Family Order
1 Pisodonophis boro (Hamilton-Buchanan) Rice-paddy eel
Day’s round
Thalayan Ophiichthidae Anguillformes
2 Dayella malabarica (Day)
herring
Chooda Clupeidae Clupeiformes
3 Ehirava fluviatilis Deraniyagala Malabar sprat -do- -do- -do-
4 Thryssa gautamiensis Rao Gautama thryssa Engraulidae
5 Puntius fasciatus fasciatus Jerdon Melon barb Vazhakkavarayan Cyprinidae Cypriniformes
6 Puntius filamentoses (Valenciennes) Indian tiger barb
Scarlet banded
Pulliparal -do- -do-
7 Puntius amphibious (Valenciennes)
barb
Paral -do- -do-
8 Puntius ticto (Hamilton-Buchanan) Ticto barb
Peninsular olive
Podiparal -do- -do-
9 Puntius sarana subnasutus (Valenciennes)
barb
Kuruvaparal -do- -do-
10 Danio malabaricus (Jerdon) Zebra danio - -do- -do-
11 Rasbora daniconius (Hamilton-Buchanan) Common rasbora Kananjon -do- -do-
12 Garra mullya (Sykes) Mullya garra Kallotti -do- -do-
13 Mystus cavasius (Hamilton-Buchanan) Gangetic mystus
Long whiskered
Chillankoori
14 Mystus gulio (Hamilton-Buchanan)
cat fish
Threadfin sea cat
-do- Bagridae Siluriformes
15 Arius arius (Hamilton)
fish
Eatta Ariidae -do-
16 Batrichthys grunniens (Linnaeus) Toadfish - Batrachoididae Batrachoidiformes
17 Zenarcopterus gilli Smith Half beak Kolan Hemiramphidae Cyprinodontiformes
18 Zenarcopterus straiga (Blyth) -do- -do- -do- -do-
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19 Xenentodon cancila (Hamilton-Buchanan) Belone -do- Belonidae -do-
20 Aplocheilus lineatus (Valenciennes) Malabar killie Manathukanni Aplocheilidae -do-
21 Platycephalus indicus (Linnaeus) Flathead - Platycephalidae Scorpaeniformes
22 Lates calcarcife r (Bloch) - Chempally Centropomidae Perciformes
Commersoni’s
Ambassidae -do-
23 Ambassis commersoni Cuvier
Perchlet
24 Terapon jarbua (Forsskal)
ambassis
Jarbua’s terapon - Teraponidae -do-
25 Sillago sihama (Forsskal) - Sillangidae -do-
26 Psettus argenteus ( Richards) Butterfly fish - Carangidae -do-
27 Alectis ciliaris (Bloch) - - “ -do-
28 Leognathus equulus (Forsskal) - Mullan Leognathidae -do-
29 Secutor ruconiensis (Hamilton-Buchanan) - -do- -do- -do-
30 Lutjanus malabaricus (Schneider) - -do- Lutjanidae -do-
31 Lutjanus deodecanthus (Bleeker) - -do- -do- -do-
32 Lobotes surinamensis (Bloch) Triple tail Parandi Lobotidae -do-
33 Gerres oblongus Pranjil Gerreidae -do-
34 Gerres limbatus Cuvier - -do -do- -do-
35 Gerres filimentosus Cuvier - -do- -do- -do-
36 Gerres lucidus Cuvier - -do- -do- -do-
37 Gerreomorpha setifer (Hamilton) - -do- -do- -do-
38 Acanthopagrus latus (Houttuyn) Yellow sea bream - Sparidae -do-
39 Crenidens crenidens (Forsskal) River bream - -do- -do-
40 Scatophagus argus (Linnaeus) Spotted scat Chutichi Scatophagidae -do-
41 Pristolepis marginata (Jerdon) Malabar catopra Cheepathiparal Nandidae -do-
42 Etroplus maculates(Bloch) Orange chromid Pallathi Cichlidae -do-
43 Etroplus .suratensis (Bloch) Pearl spot Karimeen -do- -do-
44 Oreochromis mossambica (Peters) Mossambique Tilapia -do- -do-
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45 Mugil cephalus Linnaeus
cichlet
Striped mullet Tirutha Mugilidae -do-
46 Mugil kelaarti Gunther Flat head mullet Malan -do- -do-
47 Valamugil buchanani (Bleeker)
Glossogobius giuris giuris (Hamilton-
Blue tail mullet -do -do -do-
48
Sleepy goby Poolon Gobiidae -do-
Buchanan)
49 Taenioides cirratus (Blyth) Hoogly goby eel - Gobioididae -do-
50 Pseudosphromenus cupanus (Valenciennes) Gourami Caringanah Belontiidae -do-
51 Channa punctatus (Bloch) Snake head Varaal Channidae -do-
52 Macrognathus guentheri (Day) Tire track spiny eel Aaron Mastacembalidae -do-
53 Mastacembelus armatus (Lacepede) Malabar spiny eel Kallaron -do- -do-
54 Siganus canaliculatus (Park) Rabbit fish - Siganidae -do-
55 Fistularia serrata Cornet fish - Fistularidae Syngnathiformes
56 Allenata forskali (Ruppell) - - Atherinidae Atheriniformes
Pseudorhombus arsius (Hamilton- Large tooth
57
Nangue Bothidae Pleuronectiformes
Buchanan)
flounder
58 Cynoglossus punticeps (Richardson) Tongue sole -do- Cynoglossidae -do-
59 Solea ovata Jerdon Flounder -do- Soleidae -do-
60 Antinnarius nummifer (Cuvier) Angler fish - Antennaridae Lophiformes
61 Triacanthus brevirostris (Schlegel) Tripod fish - Triacanthidae Tetraodontiformes
62 Arothron hispidus (Linnaeus) Puffer fish - Tetraodontidae -do-
63 Arothron immaculatus (Bloch & Schneider) -do- - -do- -do-
64 Arothron leopardus (Day) -do- - -do- -do-
65 Chelonodon fluviatilis (Hamilton) Green puffer fish - -do- -do-
66 Chelonodon patoca (Hamilton-Buchanan) Puffer fish - -do- -do-
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