Fish and Other Fisheries Items of the river Padma Near Rajshahi of Bangladesh

There are 265 species of fishes under 154 genera and 55 families in the inland waters of Bangladesh (Rahman, 2005). Islam and Hossain (1983) provided an account of 110 species of fishes of the river Padma near Rajshahi. Bhuiyan et al. (1992) listed 133 species inhabiting the freshwater fishes of Rajshahi district. IUCN (1998) reported that roughly 56 freshwater fish species out of 265 species are critically endangered and 50 species of fishes have become rare which were found abundant in last decades in their research covered areas in Bangladesh.

A survey has been carried out in order to explore the existing fish fauna of the river Padma near Rajshahi (Bulanpur to Shahapur). During the study period specimen and specimen relevant data were collected from the fishermen of the study area. A structured questionnaire was prepared before the field visit. After collection the specimen it was preserved in specimen jar with formalin then specimens were identified with the help of published taxonomic key, photograph and description of Bhuiyan (1964), Rahman (1989), Talwar and Jhingran (1991), Bhuiyan et al. (1992). Moreover others fisheries items of the river Padma near Rajshahi was also observed. The analysis of the collected data and specimens was done in the laboratory using different keys, figures and tables.

During the study period, 1 species of Chondrichthyes, 72 species of Osteichthyes, 11 species other than fishes under the classes Crustacea, Gastropoda, Amphibia and Reptilia were recorded from the study area. Among 72 species of Osteichthyes 9 orders are recorded of which order Clupeiformes contains 9 species belonging to 6 genera of 3 families; order Cypriniformes is represented by 24 species belonging to 13 genera of 2 families; order Siluriformes includes 21 species belonging to 13 genera of 7 families; order Perciformes is represented by 8 species under 5 genera of 4 families; order Channiformes is represented by 4 species under single genus of single family Channidae; order Mastacembeliformes is represented by 3 species under 2 genera of single family Mastacembilidae. During the study period the dominant order found is Cypriniformes. A total of 24 species of fishes are recorded from the order Cypriniformes of which 21 species from the family Cyprinidae and 3 from the family Cobitidae. The next dominant order is Siluriformes of which 3 species have been recorded from the family Siluridae, 7 from Schilbeidae, 7 from Bagridae and 1 from each family of Heteropneustidae, Claridae, Sissoridae and Pangasidae. The least dominant orders are Tetraodontiformes, Beloniformes and Mugiliformes. 1 species of fish is recorded from each order of Tetraodontiformes, Beloniformes, Mugiliformes of the family Tetraodontidae, Belonidae and Mugilidae respectively. 

 For most of the fishes, breeding season is found in monsoon period (May-September). Among non-fin fishes the phylum Chordata is represented by 2 species of amphibians, Rana tigrina and Rana hexadactyla which are available throughout the year and breeds during June-July. 3 species of Reptilians are found which includes Trionyx gangeticus, Kachuga tectoni and Chitra indica which are available throughout the year and they breeds during April-September. Phylum Arthropoda is represented by 3 species of Crustaceans which includes Macrobrachium rosenbergii, M. malcolmsonei which are available throughout the year and breeds during December-February and M. lamarrei is also available throughout the year and its breeding season is April-June. Phylum Mollusca is represented by 3 species which includes Pila globosa, Unio sp. Cancer sp. which are available throughout the year and breeds during April-June. Doha (1973) published a list of 106 species from Mymensing and Tangail district. Hasan (2007) recorded 33 specimens of fish and fisheries items in Chitra and Fatki rivers.  Zafar et al. (2007) recorded a total of 75 species of fish and other organisms including crabs, prawns, mollusks and leeches in the investigated area of the Pagla river.

Among the fin fishes 33.33% of the total species comprised of order Cypriniformes, 29.17% Siluriformes, 12.50% Clupeiformes, followed by 11.11% Perciformes, 5.56% Channiformes, 4.17% Mastacembeliformes and 1.39% each included orders of Beloniformes, Mugiliformes, Tetraodontiformes respectively and among  no-fin fishes belonged to the 27% Arthropoda and 27% Mollusca, 46% phylum Chordata respectively.

The fish species that could be found years back has become rare in the study area. Few causes are identified for this declination of fisheries resources from the river Padma near Rajshahi. Man made causes like water pollution through use of insecticides, industrial, agricultural and municipal waste destroyed the spawning, nursing and grazing grounds of fish species of the river Padma near Rajshahi. Besides, construction of the Farakka Barrage at the upstream caused major detrimental catastrophe for the ecosystem of the river Padma. For conservation and propagation of the endangered fish species from further degradation it is now necessary to provide suitable habitat, food, shelter and breeding for the endangered and threatened fish species of the river Padma.

References

• Bhuiyan A S, Islam M N and Hossain T (1992) A check list of the fishes of Rajshahi, The Rajshahi University Studies Part-B, XX, pp. 287-306.
• Bhuiyan A L (1964).Fishes of Dacca, Asiatic Society Pakistan. 13:1-148.
• Doha S (1973) Fishes of the districts of Mymensing and Tangail. Bangladesh J. Zool.1:1-10.
• Hasan M (2007) Fisheries problems and potential of the Chitra and Fatki rivers. Bangladesh J. Fish. (Special Issue, 20) 30: 105-111.
• Islam M. S and Hossain M A (1983) An account of the fishes of the Padma river near Rajshahi. Raj. Fish. Bull, 1(2):1-31.
• IUCN (1998) Major conservation issues of the 1990s: Results of the World Conservation Congress workshops. 203pp.
• Munro I S R (1955) The marine and freshwater fishes of Ceylone. Dept. of Extra affairs, Canberra. 351pp.
• Rahman A K A (2005) Freshwater fishes of Bangladesh (2^nd edt.). Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka. 394pp.
• Talwar P K and Jhingran A G (1991) Inland fishes of India and adjacent countries, Vol.1&2, Oxford & IBH Publishing Co., New Delhi, India.1158 pp.
• Zafar M S, Amin M N and Iqbal M J (2007) Biodiversity of fisheries organisms in the Pagla river of Bangladesh. Bangladesh J. Fish. (Special Issue, 2007) 30:165-175.

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