Fish diversity from dissimilar habitats in Savitri River

Abstract

Fish population in any aquatic habitat depends upon physico-chemical and biological parameters. Lotic water body having influx of waste gets divided into different habitats viz. upstream and downstream with varying degree of parameters in their waters. Savitri River in Mahad is receiving effluents released from Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) Mahad, thus getting divided into two distinct upstream and downstream zones. With this central idea the present study was under taken between October 2014 and September 2016. The fish species were collected from the upstream water from Savitri river near village Isane kamble (Spot S1) and downstream of Savitri River near Dadali bridge belonging to Dadali village (Spot S2). During study period 34 species of fish belonging to 18 families were recorded fromspot S1 and 17 species belonging to14 families were recorded from spot S2. Analysis of result indicated that Cyprinidae was dominant among all the families at both the spots. 23 species were exclusively found at spot S1 and 06 at spot S2. 11 species fish were common at both the spots. Species Garra mullya was more abundant followed by Puntius amphibius at both the spots. The study signals that the long-term contamination due to industrial effluents of Savitri River may pose a risk to fish species at spot S2.