The nal bami found in the Beki. Picture by Gaurab Jyoti Kalita

Guwahati, Aug. 18: Manas is not only famous for its wildlife, itsfish diversity is also noteworthy.

A first-time ichthyofaunal (fish diversity) survey on the Beki river which flows through Manas National Park has found 68 species, of which one has been found for the first time.

The study on Diversity and Status of Ichthyofauna in the Beki, done by Gaurab Jyoti Kalita — who has just completed MSc in wildlife science from North Orissa University — also found Pisodonophis boro, commonly known as rice-paddy eel, which has been found for the first time in lower Assam. Locally, it is known as nal bami.

“This fish has been found in Barak valley but has been sighted for the first time in lower Assam,” Kalita told this correspondent.

The survey was done from December 2013 till June this year. Kalita said his co-guide Pradip Kumar Sarma of the zoology department of Bajali College had helped him in his taxonomic work. Kalita said this is the first ichthyofaunal survey on the Beki. “During literature survey there was no earlier record of work done on the same topic in the Beki river. In Assam, most of the studies of freshwater ichthyo species diversity have been done in different wetland ecosystems,” he said.

The Beki originates in Bhutan and flows through Manas National Park before merging with the Brahmaputra.

On various reasons for high diversity of ichthyofauna, Kalita said the Beki not only gets protection from Manas National Park authorities but also from Royal Manas National Park authorities. The trans-boundary Manas conservation area is a region of high biological diversity that extends along southeastern Bhutan and Assam and forms a part of the mosaic of conservation spaces across the eastern Himalayas.

The Manas Tiger Reserve and Bhutan’s Royal Manas National Park form the core of this area that is home to tigers, elephants, rhinos and more than 1,500 other species of mammals, birds and plants. “Another reason for high fish diversity could be that in some parts of Bhutan, fishing is totally prohibited,” Kalita said. Many ichthyo species of this tributary have potential ornamental as well as food value which could be positively utilised for commercial purposes. This canimprove the socio-economic condition of people staying on the banks of the river. The Barpeta district fisheries department plays its role in conserving indigenous fish as it closes its fishing season during breeding time of fishes and keeps track of harmful fishing gear survey (especially during breeding period).

There are threats too, like sand and gravel mining. “There is a need to control sand and gravel mining business in the Beki river,” Kalita said. “There is a need to control pollution caused by disposal of unwanted domestic materials and toxic substances from Sorbhog, Barpeta Road and Howly,” he said.