期刊名称：Proceedings of the International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences
电子版ISSN：2220-8860
出版年度：2020
卷号：10
期号：4
页码：131-143
出版社：International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences
摘要：Ichthyofaunal composition is the most important and essential biotic component of an aquatic ecosystem. There is worldwide distribution of fresh water fishes. Pakistan is blessed with a diversity of fishes owing to streams, rivers, dams and ocean. In freshwater bodies of the country about 193 fish species were recorded. There are about 30 species of fish which are commercially exploited for good source of proteins and vitamins. The fish marketing has great socio economic value in the country. Unfortunately, fish fauna is declining at alarming rate due to water pollution, over fishing, pesticide use and other anthropogenic activities. Therefore, about 20 percent of fish population is threatened as endangered or extinct. All Mashers are 'endangered', notably Tor putitora, which is also included in the Red List Category of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Endangered. Mashers (Tor species) are distributed in Southeast Asian and Himalayan regions including trans-Himalayan countries like Pakistan and India. The heavy flood of July, 2010 resulted in the minimizing of Tor putitora species Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the fish is now found extinct from river Swat. The purpose of this review study is to explore the fish diversity and its conservation status in rivers of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and protect the endangered species of fishes like Tor putitora from extinction. There are fourteen major rivers flowing in the province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which are river Siren, river Kunhar, river Indus, river Harrow, river Dour, river Kabul, river Swat, river Panjkora, river Arunai, river Darmai, river Etai, river Chamla, river Barandu and river Bahawal Garh. A total of Sixty eight species of fresh water fishes were recorded from 14 rivers of the province. The family cyprinidae is the dominant family of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which contains 34 species. The current review study will help the ichthyologists and conservationists in future for detailed investigations and conservation strategies for fish fauna of the region.
