Evaluating the diversity of native ornamental fishes in Dong Nai biosphere reserve, Dong Nai province, Vietnam

Abstract

This study was conducted from May 2019 to December 2020 to investigate the diversity of native ornamental fishes in Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve (DNBR). The study identifed 116 fish species belonging to 11 orders and 28 families in the water bodies of the DNBR. The analysis of compilation of the samples in the study further revealed that Cyprinidae was the most abundant family contributing 50 species followed by Perciformes and Siluriformes providing 24 species and 21 species, respectively. Out of 116 recorded species, 53 species were considered as ornamental fish, 77 species as food fish and 31 species as both ornamental and food fish. Among the ornamental fish group, many species have recorded good abundance at studied sites. Most of these fish species are high demand and sold at high prices in the domestic and international markets. The domesticated results showed that 21 ornamental fish species belong to 11 families were adapted and developed well in captivity conditions. The results also specified that eight species reach level 4 of domestication indicating truly domesticated, while the remaining 13 species belong to the first three levels of domestication, implying need to be further domesticated before being marketed. In addition, the study concluded that if managed sustainably, the collection of wild fish for the ornamental fish purpose could provide a stable income and livelihood for communities in the DNBR.