Subject: Introduction to Freshwater Fishes of India

BCPP CAMP Workshop on Freshwater fishes of India
Organised and hosted by the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources,
Lucknow, 22 - 26 September, 1997
Organised and facilitated by ZOO/ CBSG, India under the auspices of the
Endangered Species Project of the BCPP, WWF, India

Note :  Dr. A. G. Ponniah, Director of the National Bureau of Fish Genetic
resources, Indian Council for Agricultural Research and his team provided
logistics, Venue, background information, checklist,  invitation list and
much technical expertise for this workshop.  The list of participating
organisations is appended.  The Report contains a full list of participants
who are the authors of the Report.  The Report was compiled from Taxon Data
Sheets filled in by working groups at the workshops, which were sent to all
participants for additions and corrections.  Sanjay Molur,  Sally Walker and
the ZOO CBSG staff incorporated the additions and corrections, analyzed the
data and wrote the commentary.  This method of compiling the Report is an
attempt to provide objectivity and insure that all opinions are given equal
attention.  The Authors get the credit for  information and expertise.  The
Editors take the inevitable blame for the final result.  The IUCN Red List
criteria are still not fully accepted by all.  Therefore, we thought it best
to take whatever criticism comes and allow the scientists to remain above
it.  This method was followed throughout the workshops.

There are perhaps 650 species of freshwater fish which occur in India.  It
was not possible to complete all of these at a single workshop so some 327
additional species remain to be assessed and will be required to complete
your list of Indian freshwater fishes.  I am not planning to send this list.

This is my last communication for the BCPP CAMP Results.  

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The assessment of Indian freshwater fishes was done based on their
distribution in India.  Six broad zones or "drainages" were considered, e.g.
Indus river system, 
Upland cold water bodies, 
Gangetic river system, 
Bramhaputra river system, 
East flowing river system and 
West flowing river system.  

The Western Ghats is the richest region in India with respect to endemic
freshwater fishes.  Eighty-five taxa are endemic to this biogeographic
region with 15 more taxa sharing their distribution with adjacent areas.
Northeastern India, which has a very high diversity among freshwater fish,
does not have many endemic species <> any one of five
criteria within the categories has to be satisfied for a taxon to be
categorised as "threatened".   The criteria that are used in categorisation
of threat are 
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