An Analysis of Fish Faunal Diversity in Aquatic Resources of Dhauladhar Mountain Range of Western Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

The study conducts an extensive analysis of the fish population inhabiting the Dhauladhar mountain range in Himachal Pradesh, India. The study encompasses the accepted common names, authority names, geographical distribution and the conservation status designated by the IUCN. The fish diversity within the Dhauladhar mountain range of Himachal Pradesh comprises a total of 85 species, classified into 8 distinct orders, 15 families, and 37 genera. The order Cypriniformes prevails as the dominant group, encompassing 58 species, followed by Siluriformes (14 species), Channiformes (5 species), Perciformes (2 species), Osteoglossiformes (2 species), and Salmoniformes (2 species). Beloniformes and Synbranchiformes are represented by a single species each. According to the IUCN Red List, among the 85 identified fish species, 57 species are categorized under the Least Concern (LC) status, 8 species are designated as Vulnerable (VU), 4 species fall into the Data Deficient Category (DD), 3 species have not been evaluated (NE), 2 species are classified as Endangered (EN), and 1 species is deemed Critically Endangered (CR). Furthermore, the study presents an assessment detailing the impact of various anthropogenic activities on the fish fauna within the specified region of Himachal Pradesh.