Icthyofaunal Diversity And Conservation Status Of Fish Under The Family Nemacheilidae In Kolodyne Drainage Of Mizoram, Northeastern India (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae)

Abstract

A survey on the fish diversity within the Nemacheilid family was conducted in selected rivers of the Kolodyne drainage in Mizoram, northeastern India, from January to December 2022. The survey identified a total of seven species across three genera: Acanthocobitis, Physoschistura, and Schistura. Among these, the genus Schistura was the most dominant, representing five species, while the genera Acanthocobitis and Physoschistura contributed only one species each. Certain species, such as Acanthocobitis botia and Schistura andrewi, were found to have very limited habitat distributions, being recorded only from the Mat River. Similarly, the Physoschistura chhimtuipuiensis species identified during the survey exhibited a restricted geographical range, being collected from only two rivers within the Kolodyne drainage.