Checklist, Status and Role of Fish Diversity as a Measure of Alternative Livelihood in Dihing River Basin, Assam.

River Dihing, a tributary of mighty River Brahmaputra is serving as a potential fish habitat. Present investigation was done to identify the ichthyofaunal diversity and its utilization as alternative livelihood. A total 45 species belonging to 7 orders, 17 families and 29 genera were recorded. Among all these Cypriniformes had the majority occupying 40% and were recorded as dominated order. According to IUCN red list of threatened species 2013 (ver. 3.1), it was recorded that 35 were least concern, 5 were near threatened, 1 was vulnerable and 1 was endangered. Most of the people of Dihing River basin had been fruitful from the diversity of fish by fishing and adopting fish culture as an alternative livelihood. Different types of fishing techniques were studied along with the ichthyofaunal diversity.

Socio-economic status of the fisher folk of upper Bahmaputra River: A case study in Jankhana Village of Jorhat District.

The fisher folk are belongs to schedule cast community. They are known as Koibotra community in Assam. The total 50 families of the village were surveyed during the study. The results reveal that total number of population of the village was 210; 61.90 % (literate) and 38.1% (Illiterate). Among the literate population, 51.53 % have upto primary, 33.84 % up to middle school, 11.53 % up to matriculation and only 3.07 % of the fisherman was found to be higher degree. The peoples were in different services such as agriculture (23.81 %), fishing (28.1 %), business (19.52 %), service (15.24 %) and labour (13.33 %). Again, 90% people were lived in the kachcha house and remaining (10 %) in pukka house while, per month income was found to be lowest (Rs. 500-1000) in the age of 20-30 and highest (1500- 4000) in the age of 50-60 group. The overall fish production of the beel was 1757 kg/yr. Out of these productions, miscellaneous was found to be maximum (679 kg/yr) with 38.65% while feather back was minimum (218 kg/yr) with 12.41%. Production of carp was lowest but production of small fishes was highest. All the villagers were not only confined in fishing but also in different occupation, because of reducing fish production in the beels due to overexploitation, siltation, human activities etc.

Studies on the reproductive biology of spiny eel, Macrognathus aral from upper Assam.

The one-stripe spiny eel, Macrognathus aral (Bloch and Schneider), has been gaining importance not only as a food fish but also as an aquarium fish for its body shape and behaviour. The overall M:F ratio recorded 1:0.27, both the males and females were mostly mature in May-August. The peak values of gonado somatic ratio (GSR) attained during May for males (1.3) and August for females (12.4) indicating that the fish have only one breeding season during summer. The range of ova diameter was found to vary from 0.3 to 1.4 mm, the absolute fecundity ranged from 250 (21.6 cm / 27.4 g) to 5220.1 (27.2 cm / 66.3 g) while relative fecundity ranged from 9.1 to 128.9. The 50% maturity is attained in length group of 10.1-14 cm for males and 14.1-18 cm for females. The species is a moderately fecund, isochronal spawner and having a restricted breeding season. The relationship between fecundity and body weight and length has also been discussed.