Inland Fisheries

1.1.3.1. Coldwater fish biodiversity

The aquatic resources located 914 m above MSL in Himalayas, sub-Himalayan zone and mountains of the Deccan are known as coldwaters. The temperature varies between 0 - 20˚C with an optimal range between 10 - 12˚C. The coldwater lakes and streams of high altitude are characterized by high transparency and dissolved oxygen and sparse biota. Most of the fishes are small-sized showing a distribution pattern depending upon the rate of flow of water, nature of substrata and food availability. Some fishes living in turbulent streams have developed special organs for attachment. The major coldwater resources – upper stretches of Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra rivers and their tributaries, coldwater lakes and reservoirs of Himalayan and Deccan plateau harbour fishes belonging to six different families Cyprinidae, Cobitiidae, Salmonidae, Sisoridae, Psilorhynchidae and Homalopteridae. Some commercially important species are Tor tor, T. putitora, T.mosal, T. khudree, T. mussullah, Neiolissochielus hexagonolepis, Schizothorax richrdsonii, Schizothoraichthys progastus, Barilius bendelisis, Labeo dero. L. dyocheilus and Garra gotyla.