Diversity, abundance and seasonal variations of fish community in lentic water bodies of indus river at ghazi ghat, Pakistan

The Indus drainage system has a key role in sustaining agriculture and aquatic biodiversity of Pakistan. Fish exhibit enormous biodiversity, inhabiting a variety of habitats and are important indicators of water quality. In present study, fish sampling was conducted from November 2007 to October 2008, using cast and drag nets. The fishes were identified following standard key. The data was statistically analyzed by one way ANOVA. A total of 22 fish species belonging to 10 families were recorded. The maximum fish species belonged to Cyprinidae (10) and minimum to Clupeidae (1). The cyprinids show higher relative abundance (72.27 % of total catch) compared to other fish families during the whole study period. Labeo rohita, Cirrhinus mrigala, Catla catla were the most abundant species with high frequency of occurrence. The relative abundance (%) of cyprinids was more in winter months compared to summer months. Highest species richness (as taxa numbers) was observed in December and lowest in September. There was no significant effect of season on fish abundance (P < 0.05). Diversity indices values indicate low fish biodiversity at this site. Copy 2016 Zoological Society of Pakistan.