TITLE:
Ornamental Fishes of Coastal West Bengal, India—Prospects of Conservation and Involvement of Local Fishermen
AUTHORS:
Abir Lal Dutta, Debargha Chakraborty, Sajal Kumar Dey, Ashim Kumar Manna, Pankaj Kumar Manna
KEYWORDS:
Ornamental Fish; Piscine Biodiversity; Unemployed Youth; Conservation; Indigenous Species; Coastal Bay of Bengal
JOURNAL NAME:
Natural Resources,
Vol.4 No.2,
May
30,
2013
ABSTRACT: This survey has been conducted to study the ornamental fishes of coastal Bay of Bengal, selecting the region from Digha to Talpati, a stretch of64 Kmcoastal area. Twenty ornamental fish species were identified in the coastal water bodies in this stretch. Some of them are already established as aquarium fishes and rest demand ornamental piscine status for their unique features and qualities. Some of the ornamental fish species of this area like Brachygobious sua, Gobipterus chuno, Badis badis and Brachydanio rario are endangered due to excessive degradation of local ecosystems. Special care should be taken so that they continue to exist. There are ample justifications to establish ornamental fish industry to support the unemployed youth of the area and protect the piscine biodiversity.