Freshwater Fishes of Central India

125.00

About the Book
India is rich in its Inland Fish Fauna with about 940 species known from its river, lakes and estuaries. This constitutes about 38% of the Indian Ichthyofauna, which are of considerable economic and scientific value. Of those about 500 species are primary freshwater fishes with around 65% endemic, cloistered in the two hot spots of India, the Western Ghats and the North-East. Today freshwater fishes are considered to be the world’s most threatened group of vertebrates after amphibians. However, threats to these fauna are aplenty, with urbanisation, deforestation, habitat loss, pollution, over-harvesting, culture of exotics and the like looming large and centinelan extinction already at work. The only way for a nature lover is to save the fish and its habitat by creating awareness among people. In this context, knowledge of the fish fauna of a region is the first step towards conservation. This pictorial field guide describing 116 species from Central India will serve as a handy tool to hook the beginner and other mature lovers into this field.

About the Author
M. Sc. In Zoology and Ph.D. in Fish Ecology. Previously working in Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore (CES, IISc) and Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune. Now working as project director on Sir Dorabji Tata trust and Rufford Small Grant funded project on fish research. He is founder member of SAMVARDHAN, a NGO dedicated to work for the “fish-people-wetland” study and conservation issues. His research interest spans over fish habitat inter-relationship, fishermen’s knowledge, conservation of aquatic species and habitats.