Current Science

Nishikant Gupta ¹, Asha Rajvanshi ¹, S. Sathyakumar ¹, J. A. Johnson ¹, K. Sivakumar ¹, G. S. Rawat ¹, Vinod B. Mathur ¹

Affiliations
1 Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248 001, IN

Abstract

The Indian Himalaya continues to face increasing anthropogenic stressors despite numerous conservation actions. Further, climate change has the potential to negatively affect this biodiversity rich region. To counteract the changing climatic variables, targeted education programmes could act as a strategy and assist in protecting the floral/faunal species requiring urgent intervention, and benefit communities and ecosystems at large.

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Kartikeya Sharma ¹, Nishikant Gupta ², J. A. Johnson ², K. Sivakumar ²

Affiliations
1 Sinola House, Village and P.O. Sinola, Dehradun 248 003, IN
2 Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248 001, IN

Abstract

Rivers provide ecological and socio-economic benefits despite being highly threatened ecosystems. They continue to face anthropogenic and natural stresses. The Aglar in the Indian Himalaya is an important tributary of the Yamuna River, and hosts the annual 'fish festival' of the region. Field studies have revealed that this festival could harm endemic/threatened fish species of the Aglar. Lethal methods such as the use of bleaching powder and electricity should be banned; instead angling and cast netting in a regulated way could be promoted.

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R. K. Negi ¹, Bheem Dutt Joshi ², J. A. Johnson ², S. P. Goyal ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi 110 007, IN
2 Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun 248 001, IN

Abstract

The great discrepancy in sequence divergence of congeneric (0.4-0.6%) and conspecific (3%) individuals makes it difficult to identify species using DNA. A 650 base pair fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene from the fish Pethia conchonius was analysed using 30 samples. All the samples were identified as P. conchonius and two other congeneric species showing <2% sequence divergence with 29 samples out of 30 used, of P. conchonius. Two of the P. conchonius samples clustered with Puntius terio. Using different computational methods, we identified the sequence that was tagged as Puntius chola in the NCBI database as the P. conchonius sequence.

Keywords

Character Attribute, Puntius, Sequence Divergence.

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J. A. Johnson ¹, K. Sivakumar ¹, Jordan Rosenfeld ²

Affiliations
1 Wildlife Institute of India, # 18, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248 001, IN
2 Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, CA

Abstract

Fish habitat requirements are an essential aspect of the estimation of environmental flows. In India, a few studies have proposed environmental flows for the major rivers on the basis of qualitative observation or expert opinion. As part of a study regarding the effect of altered flow across the Godavari river on fishes, we estimated flow requirement of the fishes using a physical habitat simulation model (PHABSIM). This model uses habitat requirement of selected fish species in the form of habitat suitability curves (HSCs) against river habitat availability. We developed HSCs for five economically important fishes (Bangana dero, Cirrhinus cirrhosus, Labeo calbasu, Labeo fimbriatus and Wallago attu). These HSCs indicate that B. dero prefers high velocities (0.9–1.2 m/s) compared with the other species and that L. fimbriatus prefers deeper areas (1.2–1.5 m). C. cirrhosus uses low flows with moderate depth (0.3–0.6 m/s; 0.6–1.5 m). The HSCs were used in PHABSIM along with instream habitat data recorded from four cross-sections to predict the weighted usable areas (WUAs) of the fishes. The relationship between habitat area and discharge was used to predict the minimum acceptable flow for maintaining fish habitats. On the basis of the WUA–discharge relationship curve, 26% of the mean flow was recommended as the minimum ecological flow required below the Polavaram dam of Godavari river.

Keywords

Environmental Flow, Habitat Suitability Curves, Instream Flow Incremental Methodology, River Fishes.

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Sagar Rajpurkar ¹, Anant Pande ¹, Sajal Sharma ¹, Swapnali Gole ¹, Sohini Dudhat ¹, J. A. Johnson ¹, K. Sivakumar ¹

Affiliations
1 Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248 001, IN

Abstract

No Abstract.

Keywords

No Keywords.

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Sameeha Pathan ¹, Anant Pande ², Kuppusamy Sivakumar ³, J. A. Johnson ¹

Affiliations
1 Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun 248 001, India, IN
2 Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun 248 001, India; Marine Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bengaluru 560 097, India, IN
3 Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun 248 001, India; Department of Ecology and Environment, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605 014, India, IN

Abstract

A relict dugong population resides in the Gulf of Kachchh (GoK), Gujarat, India. Very little is known about this population stemming from a lack of focused studies and inadequate examination of previous strandings. The present study gathers crucial ecological information through a systematic post-mortem examination of stran­ded dugongs in GoK. As indicated through dorsal tusk-rake scars on two carcasses, this study presents records of derivative physical evidence. Progressive healing and differences in the width of the scars indicated more than two individuals had participated in a sexual agno­stic or courtship event. Conversely, our findings report that both animals suffered relative effects of asphyxiation after fishing net entanglement. The implication of a prior pathological condition(s) in the form of dermal cysts, swollen mesenteric lymph nodes and endoparasites is also reported. Stomach content was examined for a qualitative dietary characterization. Halophila beccari, Halophila ovalis and Halodule uninervis were found in the stomach content. Other potential threats as well as fishing net microfilaments found in the stomach con­tents of both dugongs are discussed

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