Fish biodiversity at Sibsa River in South- Western Bangladesh: status and conservation Requirements

Abstract

Sibsa River is a significant and familiar river in south-west Bangladesh in terms of fish production and source of income for many fishermen living around it. The present study was planned to assess the current fish diversity status of this river. Fish samples were collected fortnightly from six sampling stations of the Sibsa River at Khulna district in South-Western Bangladesh during May 2011 to April 2012. A total of 61 species of fish under 10 orders and 27 families were recorded. Perciformes were most leading order constituting 42.62% of the total fish population followed by Siluriformes (11.48%), Clupeiformes (9.84%), Pleuronectiformes (3.29%), Synbranchiformes (3.29%), Osteoglossiformes (1.64%), Beloniformes (1.64%), Mugiliformes (4.92%), Cypriniformes (16.39%) and Tetraodontiformes (4.92%). Fishes in this river are seriously affected by the various kinds of human development interventions and activities. Under this circumstance, a better understanding of the diversity and distribution of fishes in the Sibsa River is urgently needed.