Biodiversity, ecological status and conservation priority of the fish of the River Alaknanda, a parent stream of the River Ganges (India)

1. The River Alaknanda is a tributary of the River Ganges, originating from the Garhwal Himalaya in India and sustaining about 39 fish species from 15 genera and five families. 2. A diversity index has been calculated for the fish communities ranging from 0.407 to 0.593; no significant difference in diversity was noted at the three sampling sites which is attributed to the homogeneity of the ecological conditions. A similarity index was found to be high between the sampling sites and ranged from 93.47 to 100. 3. The categories of threats to the fish and priority for species conservation have been determined. Fourteen species were assigned as Abundant, seven species as Vulnerable, 15 species at Lower Risk, one species as Data Deficient while two species were assigned as Endangered. 4. The conservation of fish has been given little attention in India. The options for the conservation of the fish dwelling in the Alaknanda include ex situ and in situ conservation, habitat restoration, translocation and captive breeding. 5. The creation of fish sanctuaries and public awareness of the importance of fish species and their conservation will be critical for the proper conservation and management of the Garhwal Himalayan fish. Significantly, there are some parts of the river where fish are preserved out of religious sentiments. Careful nurturing of such sentiments may prove to be highly beneficial. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.