Composition, Diversity, Distribution and Seasonal Changes of Fish Juveniles in Hooghly Estuary Off Sagar Island, Sundarbans, West Bengal

Abstract

The fish juveniles surveys were conducted in Hooghly estuary near Sagar Island in Indian Sundarban in 2008 to study their composition, diversity, distribution and seasonal occurrence. A total of 65 species belonging to 27 genera under 20 families were identified from two stations of Hooghly estuary at Sagar Island, viz., Baguakhali and Chemaguri. Of the 20 families, Engraulidae represented highest diversity of 12 species, followed by Mugilidae (8 species), Chipeidae (7 species) and Gobiidae (6 species). The diversity of species was minimum during post-monsoon and maximum in pre-monsoon periods. The most doninant families were Engraulidae, Mugilidae, Culpeidae, Gobidae and Cynoglossidae. The composition and diversity fish juveniles in the Baguakhali was higher than that of Chemaguri in all seasons.