Fish Diversity and Fisheries Ecology of Sessa River in Upper Brahmaputra Valley, Assam, India

Abstract

A study was carried out on fish diversity and habitat ecology of the Sessa river in Dibrugarh district in the state of Assam. Though smaller in size in comparison to the other tributaries of the mighty Brahmaputra, the river holds a significant position in terms of fisheries and livelihood for the riparian communities. A total of 72 fish species belonging to 8 orders, 18 families and 52 genera was recorded from the river. Of these, 56 species are placed in least concern (LC) category while another 9 species are placed in near threatened (NT) category. Likewise, 11 different physico-chemical parameters of the riverine habitat were also studied which reflects marked seasonal variations with respect to certain parameters. Present state of the fisheries resources of the river is also reported with suggestions for sustainable management of them.