Diversity of Marine Fish of India

Abstract

India is a mega-diversity nation well known for its biodiversity richness, which is truly reflected in the diversity of marine and freshwater fishes. The dimensions of the biological diversity found among the Indian marine fishes have direct bearing on the diversity exemplified in the ecosystems/habitat assemblages in the marine waters of India, which in turn reflects diverse morphology and behavior among the fishes. Fish known from the fresh and marine waters of India comprise 3231 valid species constituting 9.7 percent of the total number of about 33,059 species of fish known from the world, of which the marine fish diversity alone accounts for 7.4 percent. Of the total fish diversity known from India, the marine fishes constitute 75.6 percent, comprising of 2443 species belonging to 927 genera, under 230 families of 40 orders. Among the fish diversity-rich areas in the marine waters of India, the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago shows the highest number of species, 1431, followed by the east coast of India with 1121 species and the west coast with 1071. As many as 91 species of endemic marine fishes are known to occur in the coastal waters of India. As of today, about 50 marine fishes known from India fall into the Threatened category as per the IUCN Red List, and about 45 species are Near-Threatened and already on the path to vulnerability. However, only some species (10 elasmobranchs, 10 seahorses and one grouper) are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of the Government of India.