Piscean Diversity of Simen River, Dhemaji, Assam, North East India

Indian Journal of Advanced Zoology (IJAZ) ISSN: 2582-9521 (Online), Volume-5 Issue-2, October 2025 1 Retrieval Number:100.1/ijz.B292105021025 DOI: 10.54105/ijz.B2921.05021025 Journal Website: www.ijz.latticescipub.com Published By: Lattice Science Publication (LSP) © Copyright: All rights reserved. Piscean Diversity of Simen River, Dhemaji, Assam, North East India Faruk Ahmed, Saimoun Ken Manhai, Pabitra Sarmah Abstract: The availability of ichthyofaunal diversity in a riverine ecosystem is a good indicator of river health. A good ichthyofaunal diversity of a riverine ecosystem represents a balanced ecosystem of the river. Taking this ecological conception into consideration, the ichthyofaunal diversity of the Simen River is studied during the present investigation. The Simen River in the district of Dhemaji, Assam, is a Himalayan tributary of the Brahmaputra River system, which flows through Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Samples were collected fortnightly early in the morning from September 2022 to August 2023. Different types of nets and gears were found to be used by the fishermen. Collected fish were preserved in 5% formalin on the spot and brought to the laboratory for identification. The collected fish were identified up to the species level. A total of 43 species of fish belonging to 33 genera and 21 families were identified from the river during the study period. The family Cyprinidae was found to be the most dominant among the fish families. Keywords: Simen River, Ichthyofauna, Downstream, Cyprinidae, Fishing Gears. I. INTRODUCTION Rivers are lotic habitats characterised by the physical and chemical parameters of the water. Water parameters play a crucial role in maintaining the diversity of aquatic flora and fauna. A river is a freshwater ecosystem characterised by water currents, land-water interactions, and oxygen tension. The present investigation has been conducted in the Simen River, which originates in the West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. The Nanyel River joins it on the left side and the Jate, Juri, and Igo rivers on the right side throughout its 30 km downstream length. From its origin, the river crosses about 7 km through Arunachal Pradesh and enters Assam. The river confluences into the Brahmaputra at Sengajan Ghat, Dhemaji, Assam. It is the lifeline for a vast number of people in the Dhemaji district of Assam and is home to a diverse array of aquatic flora and fauna. The Simen River provides habitats, including streams, riparian zones, and wetlands, in its downstream areas, which support a variety of living biota [1]. Manuscript received on 07 May 2025 | First Revised Manuscript received on 17 May 2025 | Second Revised Manuscript received on 16 September 2025 | Manuscript Accepted on 15 October 2025 | Manuscript published on 30 October 2025. *Correspondence Author(s) Faruk Ahmed, PGT, North East Vision Academy, Barpeta (Assam), India. Email ID: [email protected], Saimoun Ken Manhai, Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, Silapathar College, Silapatha, Dhemaji (Assam), India. Email ID: [email protected] Dr. Pabitra Sarmah*, Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, Silapathar Science College, Amritpur, Silapathar Dhemaji (Assam), India. Email ID: [email protected], ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0703-7936 © The Authors. Published by Lattice Science Publication (LSP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) These wetlands, streams, and riparian zones serve as habitats for indigenous fish, migratory birds, aquatic plants, and amphibians. Based on the above background information, the present investigation was undertaken to reveal the Ichthyofaunal diversity of the Simen River, Dhemaji, Assam. II. MATERIALS AND METHODS A. The Study Area The study was conducted in the Simen River, located in the Dhemaji district of Assam, India. Dhemaji district, with a latitude of 27° 05' N and a longitude of 94° 12' E, is an administrative region (second-order administrative division) located in the state of Assam, India, which is part of Asia. The district covers an area of 3237 sq km and is basically a plain area lying at an elevation of 104 meters above sea level. Samples were collected three times a day - once in the morning, once in the afternoon and once in the eveningfrom September 2022 to August 2023 from three collection centres. Cast nets, gill nets, lift nets, drag nets, trap nets, etc., were the fishing gears used by the fishermen to collect fish. Photographs of collected fish were taken, preserved in 5% formalin on the spot and brought to the laboratory. The species were identified with the help of standard keys [4]. Different relevant literature [6] was discussed. The classification of fishes was done following [8]. Nomenclature of unidentified fishes was done through [11]. The valid scientific names of the collected fish were taken from. Finally, identification was confirmed by the literature, as cited. III. RESULTS In the present study, a total of 43 fish individuals were encountered and identified, belonging to 21 families and 33 genera (Table 1). Among the collected fish species, 20 species of the family Cyprinidae, viz. Amblypharyngodon mola (Hamilton, 1822), Barilius bendelisis (Hamilton, 1822), Barilius bola (Hamilton, 1822), Cabdio jaya (Hamilton, 1822), Cirrhinus mrigala (Hamilton, 1822), Cirrhinus reba (Hamilton, 1822), Esomus dandricus (Hamilton, 1822), Garra gotyla (Gray, 1830), Labeo angra (Hamilton, 1822), Labeo bata (Hamilton, 1822), Labeo calbasu (Hamilton, 1822), Labeo gonius (Hamilton, 1822), Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822), Laubuka laubuca (Hamilton, 1822), Pethia ticto (Hamilton, 1822), Puntius chola (Hamilton, 1822), Puntius sophore (Hamilton, 1822), Rasbora daniconius (Hamilton, 1822), Salmostoma phulo (Hamilton, 1822) and Systomus sarana (Hamilton, 1822) were identified. Only one species of the family Cyprinidae was found to be vulnerable. The ichthyofauna of the Simen River consists of Piscean diversity of Simen River, Dhemaji, Assam, North East India 2 Retrieval Number:100.1/ijz.B292105021025 DOI: 10.54105/ijz.B2921.05021025 Journal Website: www.ijz.latticescipub.com Published By: Lattice Science Publication (LSP) © Copyright: All rights reserved. the family Channidae, with three species, viz. Channa punctata (Hamilton, 1822), Channa striatus (Bloch,1793) and Channa marulia (Hamilton, 1822). Mystus tengara (Hamilton, 1822) and Mystus cavasius (Hamilton, 1822) belong to the family Bagridae, while Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch,1794) and Wallago attu (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) belong to the family Siluridae. Families such as Notopteridae, Anguillidae, Nemacheilidae, Cobitidae, Heteropneustidae, Bagridae, Schilbeidae, Clariidae, Sisoridae, Mastacembelidae, Synbranchidae, Nandidea, Chandidae, Osphronemidae, Belonidae, Gobiidae and Tetraodontidae represent only one species each. The significant percentage (Table-2 & Fig.1) of fish species occurred in the family Cyprinidae 46.5% (n=20) followed by Channidae 6.9% (n=03), Bagridae 4.7% (n=2), Siluridae 4.7% (n=2), 2.3% each for Notopteridae (n=1), Anguillidae (n=1), Nemacheilidae (n=1), Cobitidae (n=1), Heteropneustidae (n=1), Bagridae (n=1), Schilbeidae (n=1), Clariidae (n=1), Sisoridae (n=1), Mastacembelidae (n=1), Synbranchidae (n=1), Nandidea (n=1), Chandidae (n=1), Osphronemidae (n=1), Belonidae (n=1), Gobiidae (n=1) and Tetraodontidae (n=1). Table-1: List of Fish Species with Conservation Status (IUCN) and Abundance * “LC” =Least Concerned, “NT” =Near Threatened, “VU” =Vulnerable, “+” =Least Abundant, “++” =Less Abundant, “+++” =Abundant, “++++” =More Abundant, “+++++” = Most Abundant. Sl. No Families Scientific Names Local Name Conservation Status (IUCN) Abundance 1 Notopteridae Notopterus (Pallas,1769) Kandhuli LC +++ 2 Anguillidae Anguilla bengalensis (Grey, 1831) Bami LC +++ 3 Cyprinidae Amblypharyngodon mola (Hamilton, 1822) Moa LC +++ 4 Barilius bendelisis (Hamilton, 1822) Boriwala LC +++ 5 Barilius bola (Hamilton, 1822) Boriwala LC +++ 6 Cabdio jaya (Hamilton, 1822) Boriwala LC ++++ 7 Cirrhinus mrigala (Hamilton, 1822) Mirika LC + 8 Cirrhinus reba (Hamilton, 1822) Lashmi LC ++ 9 Esomus dandricus (Hamilton, 1822) Donicona LC +++ 10 Garra gotyla (Gray, 1830) ---- LC ++ 11 Labeo angra (Hamilton, 1822) Naro LC +++ 12 Labeo bata (Hamilton, 1822) Bhagon VU +++ 13 Labeo calbasu (Hamilton, 1822) Mali LC ++++ 14 Labeo gonius (Hamilton, 1822) Bato LC ++++ 15 Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822) Row LC ++++ 16 Laubuka laubuca (Hamilton, 1822) Lowputhi LC ++ 17 Pethia ticto (Hamilton, 1822) Puthi LC +++ 18 Puntius chola (Hamilton, 1822) Puthi LC ++++ 19 Puntius sophore (Hamilton, 1822) Puthi LC ++++ 20 Rasbora daniconius (Hamilton, 1822) Bordonicona LC ++++ 21 Salmostoma phulo (Hamilton, 1822) Selkona VU ++ 22 Systomus sarana (Hamilton, 1822) Seniputhi LC ++++ 23 Nemacheilidae Neonoemacheilus assamensis (Menon, 1987) [7] Botia LC ++++ 24 Cobitidae Botia dario (Hamilton, 1822) Gedu LC +++ 25 Heteropneustidae Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch, 1794) Singi LC ++++ 26 Bagridae Mystus tengara (Hamilton, 1822) Sigonra LC ++++ 27 Mystus cavasius (Hamilton, 1822) Lalua Sigonra LC +++ 28 Siluridae Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch,1785) [2] Pabho NT ++ 29 Wallago attu (Bloch & Schnelder, 1801) Borali VU ++ 30 Schilbeidae Clupisoma garua (Hamilton, 1822) Neriya LC ++ 31 Clariidae Clarias magur (Hamilton, 1822) [5] Magur LC ++++ 32 Sisoridae Bagarius yarrelli (Sykes, 1839) [10] Garua VU ++ 33 Mastacembelidae Mastacembelus armatus (Lecepede, 1800) Tura LC ++++ 34 Synbranchidae Monopterus cuchia (Hamilton, 1822) Kusia LC ++++ 35 Nandidae Nandus (Hamilton, 1822) Gedgedi LC ++++ 36 Chandidae Chanda nama (Hamilton, 1822) Chanda LC ++++ 37 Channidae Channa punctata (Hamilton, 1822) Goroi LC ++++ 38 Channa striatus (Bloch,1793) Sol LC ++++ 39 Channa marulia (Hamilton, 1822) Sal LC +++ 40 Osphronemidae Trichogaster fasciata (Bloch & Schnelder, 1801) Bheseli LC ++++ 41 Belonidae Xenentodon cancila (Hamilton, 1822) Kokila LC ++++ 42 Gobiidae Glassogobius giuris (Hamilton, 1822) Patitmutura LC +++ 43 Tetraodontidae Tetraodon cutcutia (Hamilton, 1822) Gangatop LC ++++ Indian Journal of Advanced Zoology (IJAZ) ISSN: 2582-9521 (Online), Volume-5 Issue-2, October 2025 3 Retrieval Number:100.1/ijz.B292105021025 DOI: 10.54105/ijz.B2921.05021025 Journal Website: www.ijz.latticescipub.com Published By: Lattice Science Publication (LSP) © Copyright: All rights reserved. Table-II: Family of Identified fish Species with Several Species Family No. Of species % 1 Cyprinidae 20 46.5 2 Channidae 3 6.9 3 Bagridae 2 4.7 4 Siluridae 2 4.7 5 Notopteridae 1 2.3 6 Nemacheilidae 1 2.3 7 Cobitidae 1 2.3 8 Heteropneustidae 1 2.3 9 Schilbeidae 1 2.3 10 Clariidae 1 2.3 11 Sisoridae 1 2.3 12 Mastacembelidae 1 2.3 13 Synbranchidae 1 2.3 14 Nandidae 1 2.3 15 Chandidae 1 2.3 16 Channidae 1 2.3 17 Osphronemidae 1 2.3 18 Belonidae 1 2.3 19 Gobiidae 1 2.3 20 Tetraodontidae 1 2.3 [Fig.1: Pie Diagram Showing Family-Wise Numbers of Fish] [Fig.2: Bar Diagram Showing Family-Wise Percentage of Fishes] Fig.3: (a) Jakoi and Khaloi Fig.3: (b) Polo Fig.3: (c) Khawali Jal Fig.3: (d) Sepa Piscean diversity of Simen River, Dhemaji, Assam, North East India 4 Retrieval Number:100.1/ijz.B292105021025 DOI: 10.54105/ijz.B2921.05021025 Journal Website: www.ijz.latticescipub.com Published By: Lattice Science Publication (LSP) © Copyright: All rights reserved. Fig.4: (a) Neonoemacheilus Assamensis Fig.4: (b) Devario Devario Fig.4: (c) Botia Dario Fig.4: (d) Labeo Bata Fig.4: (e) Laubuka Laubuca Fig.4: (f) Labeo Calbasu Fig.4: (g) Amblypharyngodon Mola Fig.4: (h) Cabdio Jaya Fig.4: (i) Cirrhinus Reba Fig.4: (j) Heteropneustes Fossilis (Bloch, 1794) Indian Journal of Advanced Zoology (IJAZ) ISSN: 2582-9521 (Online), Volume-5 Issue-2, October 2025 5 Retrieval Number:100.1/ijz.B292105021025 DOI: 10.54105/ijz.B2921.05021025 Journal Website: www.ijz.latticescipub.com Published By: Lattice Science Publication (LSP) © Copyright: All rights reserved. Fig.4: (k) Mystus Tengara Fig.4: (l) Mystus Cavasius Fig.:4 (m) Ompok Bimaculatus Fig.4: (n) Wallago Attu Fig.4: (o) Clarias Magur Fig.4: (p) Mastacembelus Armatus Fig.4: (q) Xenentodon Cancila Fig.4: (r) Tetraodon Cutcutia IV. DISCUSSION The ichthyofauna of the Simen River exhibits only plain water fishes, and no hill stream fishes were recorded during this investigation. The fish of the Simen River were incredibly varied in size. Some of the fish were small and may weigh a few grams, e.g., Chanda nama, Pethia, and Puntius, while the largest fish ranged to over one meter, e.g., Wallago and Bagarius, and weighed up to 60 kg [3]. It has been observed that most of the physico-chemical factors and plankton, especially zooplankton, play an essential role in the distribution and seasonal variations of fish in the river [9]. The abundance of family members, such as Cyprinidae, Bagridae, and Siluridae, directly depends on the density of zooplankton, including protozoa, rotifers, Cladocera, and copepods. Commercially important fishes like Labeo rohita, L. calbasu, L. gonius, Cirrhinus mrigala, C reba, Wallago attu, Ompok bimaculatus, Clarias magur, Heteropneustes fossilis, Mastacembelus armatus, Monopterus cuchia, Channa striatus, C. marulia, etc have been found abundantly. The study on the IUCN conservation status of fish species in the Simen River reveals that four species fall under the category of vulnerable species. Most fish species are categorised as of least concern. During the study period, several types of fishing gear Piscean diversity of Simen River, Dhemaji, Assam, North East India 6 Retrieval Number:100.1/ijz.B292105021025 DOI: 10.54105/ijz.B2921.05021025 Journal Website: www.ijz.latticescipub.com Published By: Lattice Science Publication (LSP) © Copyright: All rights reserved. were recorded, including diverse forms of fishing nets, bamboo traps, hooks, and lines used to catch fish, as well as various factors such as the physiography of the water body and the nature of the fish stock. The fishing devices in the Simen river are Khewali jal, Mushari jal, Ber jal, Langi Jal, Phansi jal, Dheki jal, Parangi jal, etc. Some other fishing accessories observed during the study period include Jakoi, Khaloi, Polo, Chepa, and Juluki, among others. V. CONCLUSION This communication presents the ichthyofaunal diversity of the Simen River. The study reveals a decreasing trend in fish diversity in the river, primarily due to habitat loss, pollution, sand and gravel collection, and erosion. In this context, the fish diversity in the river must be documented at regular intervals as a measure of ecosystem health and to understand the dynamics of fish diversity. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author is grateful to Dr. Ranjit Saikia, Principal of Silapathar Science College, for granting permission to conduct this outreach investigation. The author is also thankful to the fishermen, villagers, students, and the Fishery Department of Dhemaji district for their direct and indirect assistance with the survey. DECLARATION STATEMENT After aggregating input from all authors, I must verify the accuracy of the following information as the article's author. ▪ Conflicts of Interest/ Competing Interests: Based on my understanding, this article has no conflicts of interest. ▪ Funding Support: This article has not been funded by any organizations or agencies. This independence ensures that the research is conducted with objectivity and without any external influence. ▪ Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate: The content of this article does not necessitate ethical approval or consent to participate with supporting documentation. ▪ Data Access Statement and Material Availability: The adequate resources of this article are publicly accessible. ▪ Author's Contributions: The authorship of this article is contributed equally to all participating individuals. REFERENCES 1. Bloch, M.E. (1785): Naturgeschichte der Auslandischen Fishe. Berlin. 9 part sand atlas 93 vols. https://archive.org/details/dmarcuselieserb02blocgoog/page/n3/mode /1up 2. Day, F. (1858): The Fisheries of India, London, XX-77 pp https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/37772634 3. Dey, S.C. and P. Nath (1998): Fish and fisheries of North Eastern India (Arunachal Pradesh), Narendra Publishing House, Delhi. https://www.amazon.com/Fish-fisheries-North-EasternIndia/dp/8185375410 4. Dutta Munshi, J.S. and M.P. Srivastava (1988): Natural History of fishes and systematics of freshwater fishes of India. Narendra Publishing House, Delhi http://libopac.kannuruniversity.ac.in/cgibin/koha/opacdetail.pl?biblionumber=13911&shelfbrowse_itemnumber=14506 5. Hamilton (1822): An Account of fishes found in the river Ganges and its branches. Edinburgh and London, pp. 445. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.6897 6. Jayaram, K.C. (1981): The Freshwater Fishes of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, and Sri Lanka. A Hand Book. Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta, India. https://archive.org/details/dli.zoological.hpg.002/page/n5/mode/2up 7. Menon, A.G.K. (1987): The Fauna of Indian and the adjacent countries, Part 4. Teleostei-Cobitidae, Part I, Homolopteridae. Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta. pp., 259. https://archive.org/details/dli.zoological.fi.049 8. Nelson, J.S. (1994) : Fishes of the world, 3rd edition, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 523 pp https://archive.org/details/fishesofworld0000nels 9. Sarmah, P; A. Dutta and U.C.Goswami (2016): Fish and Fisheries of Subansiri river, Assam, Ph.D. thesis, Gauhati University. https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/10603/194655?mode=full 10. Sykes, W.H. 1839: On the Fishes of Deccan. Proceeding of the General Meeting for Scientific Business of the zoological Society of London. 6:157-165 https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/382958 11. Talwar, P.K. and A.G. Jhingran . (1991): Inland Fisheries of India and Adjacent Countries. Vol-1 and Vol-2, Oxford and IBH Pub. Ltd., New Delhi. 1158 pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00043269 AUTHOR’S PROFILE Mr. Faruk Ahmed, M.Sc., is working as a Post Graduate Teacher in North East Vision Academy, Barpeta, Assam. He holds a Master’s degree in Zoology from the PG Department of Zoology, Silapathar Science College, affiliated with Assam Science and Technology University, Guwahati. With a strong academic and research background, he has published three research papers, presented two papers at national seminars, contributed two abstracts and a book chapter in an Edited Book. His work reflects a deep commitment to zoological studies and education, making notable contributions to the academic community through both teaching and scholarly activities. His areas of expertise are insect and fish diversity. Mr. Saimoun Ken Manhai, M.Sc. (SLET), is working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Zoology at Silapathar College and has over 4 years of teaching experience. He completed his M.Sc. at Dibrugarh University and qualified for the SLET. He has one research publication in an international journal (Scopus). He has attended and actively participated in numerous national and international seminars, workshops, and webinars. He has published three chapters. His work reflects a deep commitment to zoological studies and education, making notable contributions to the academic community through both teaching and scholarly activities. He has completed one FIP & one RC. Dr. Pabitra Sarmah. M.Sc., B.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D. is working as Assistant Professor in the Department of Zoology, Silapathar Science College and has a teaching experience of more than 23 years. He teaches in both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. He secured an M.Sc. in Zoology with specialisation in Fish Biology & Fishery Science and obtained a Ph.D. from Gauhati University in Fish Biodiversity and Hydrobiology of riverine ecosystem. He obtained an M.Phil. from Periyar University, Salem, in the blood parameters of facultative and obligate Indian air-breathing fishes. He also received a B.Ed. and completed one FIP from the UGC-HRDC, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, and one RC from the Teacher Learning Centre, Ramanujan College, University of Delhi. He has seventeen research publications in national and international journals. He has attended and actively participated in several national and global seminars, workshops, and webinars. He has published one book and two chapters. He has organised one National seminar and is recognised as a Ph.D. guide by Assam Science & Technology University. His areas of expertise include aquaculture, fish and fisheries, and the socio-economy of fisherfolk. Indian Journal of Advanced Zoology (IJAZ) ISSN: 2582-9521 (Online), Volume-5 Issue-2, October 2025 7 Retrieval Number:100.1/ijz.B292105021025 DOI: 10.54105/ijz.B2921.05021025 Journal Website: www.ijz.latticescipub.com Published By: Lattice Science Publication (LSP) © Copyright: All rights reserved. Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of the Lattice Science Publication (LSP)/ journal and/ or the editor(s). The Lattice Science Publication (LSP)/ journal and/ or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.