Indigenous Ornamental Fish Resources of North- Eastern States of India and Their Trade Potential
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53555/jaz.v37i01.5185Keywords:
Trade Potential, northeastern states, Indigenous ornamental fishesAbstract
The entire northeastern part of India features among the world’s hotspots of freshwater fish biodiversity. The variety of aquatic habitats in the alluvial floodplains and highlands of the region abounds in highly potential indigenous ornamental fishes. Of these, the weed infested wetlands (beels) in the plains and stony bed torrential streams in the hills offer a variety of microhabitats for many colourful native and endemic ornamental fishes. As many as 93 species of indigenous ornamental fishes belonging to 25 families have been recorded from this part of the country having good trade potential. Endemic and native ornamental species such as Channa barca, C. aurantimaculata, Puntius gelius, P. manipurensis, P. shalynius, Botia spp., Sisor rhabdophorus, Oreichthys spp., Erethistes spp., Badis assamensis, Chaca chaca, Polyacanthus spp. etc., have already been available to the global market based on wild collection. Fishes of other genera including Danio, Devario, Esomus, Nandus, Macrognathus, Pseudeutropius, Rasbora, Acanthocobitis and Tetraodon has great export potential as well. Considering their increasing demand in the domestic as well as in the international market in recent times, sustainable exploitation of these resources would provide new avenues of employment besides a source of foreign exchange earnings for the region. The present communication highlights on different aspects of indigenous ornamental fishes available in the northeastern states of India including their market potentiality.
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