Abstract

Comparative assessment of icthyofauna of River Yamuna and River Asan and the impact of heavy metals on fish density and diversity

Author(s): Fouzia Ishaq, Amir Khan

In the present investigation a comparative study was made on the fish fauna of RiverYamuna and RiverAsan in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand India with the aim to know the status of fisheries in these two rivers and also found the impact of heavy metals on the fish diversity. From our results it was found that the Icthyofaunal diversity of River Yamuna was quite satisfactory and the effect of heavy metals was not observed on the fish density and diversity. However the RiverAsan was verymuch polluted due to domestic and industrial effluents and the impact was quite evident fromthe results.Atotal of 28 taxa of fisheswere reported fromRiverYamuna and only 19 taxa were reported from River Asan. The concentration of heavy metals was low in River Yamuna as compared to River Asan. Zinc and Ironwas also recorded in higher concentration than other heavymetals. Therefore it is very important to establish a proper management for the preservation of fish fauna of River Asan as well as River Yamuna in order to maintain the ecosystem balance and eco-limnological conditions.