Teratological Evidences in Fish Fauna with reference to Water Quality of Doon Valley, Uttarakhand

Abstract

Fish fauna of Doon Valley (part of District Dehradun) was explored alongwith 15 physical and chemical water quality parameters. Fish and water sampling was done of five major rivers viz., Baldi, Song and Suswa in the Eastern and Tons and Asan in the Western part of Doon Valley. While doing the taxonomical analysis, four teratological evidence were recorded in the fish species. Teratological manifestation with respect to furcated rostral barbel was observed in one female specimen of Paracanthocobitis botia, furcated maxillary barbel was seen in one specimen of Glyptothorax pectinopterus, forked rostral barbel in Lepidocephalichthys guntea and furcated caudal fin in Heteropneustes fossilis. The fluctuation pattern in water quality all through 3 different seasons reflected an increment pattern from summer to rainy in the parameters like depth, width, water velocity, CO2, turbidity and TDS. The declining trend in the values of the aforesaid parameters was noticed beyond rainy months. From rainy to winters, the increment in values was noticed in DO, pH, hardness, alkalinity, BOD, nitrate and phosphate was observed. The parameters which showed increment in values from winters to summers include AT, WT, CO2. Width, depth and WV have been the chief physical factors with wide range of variations. BOD, Hardness, NO3 TDS, DO and CO2 values seemed more important from the quality of water chemistry point of view. Seasonal variation in physical and chemical parameters have also been observed.