Encyclopedia
of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh, Vol. 23. Freshwater Fishes/edited by Kamal
Uddin Siddiqui. Dhaka, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 2007, xxxii, 300 p.,
10 figs., 65 black and white photographs, 187 colour photographs, ISBN 984-300-000286-0.
From the Introduction: "The knowledge of the Freshwater Fish Fauna of Bangladesh began with the work of Francis Hamilton Published in 1822. The next scientific account of the fish fauna of the Indian subcontinent including Bangladesh was published by Francis Day during 1875-78. Other authors who have contributed significantly to the study of the freshwater fish fauna of Bangladesh and India are Shaw and Shebbeare (1937), Ahmad (1953), Bhuiya (1964), Shafi and Quddus (2001), Talwar and Jhingran (1991) and Jayaram (1999). Rahman (2005) recorded as many as 265 species of freshwater fishes in Bangladesh, belonging to 154 genera and 55 families.
About 16 species, belonging to 6 families namely Chanidae, Characidae, Cichlidae, Loricaridae, Osphronemidae and Cyprinidae recorded as exotic, were introduced in the country during the last five decades. These include the common carp, Bighead Carp, Thai Punti, Mirror Carp, Suckermouth Catfish, Black Carp, Thai Pangas, African Magur, Milkfish, Silver Carp, Grass Carp, Nilotica, Piranha, etc. These species have either established themselves in the freshwater habitats or in the culture systems of the country. These exotic fishes have been included in the present volume.
Many of the species belonging to the families Ariidae, clupeidae, Polynemidae, Mugilidae, Gobiidae, etc are inhabitants of marine as well as freshwater habitats. After careful scrutiny, the fishes which are predominantly marine in those families have been excluded from the present volume of Freshwater Fish. These primarily marine species were distinguished by following the available information on their habits and habitats, occurrences and distribution in the FAO Fishbase. The volume now lists and provides descriptions of 251 freshwater species in 61 families under 17 orders. All the 251 species fall under the class actinopterygii (previously under osteichthyes)."
Contents: Introduction. Phylum Chordata. Class Actinopterygii. Order Osteoglossiformes: 1. Family Notopteridae: i. Genus Chitala Fowler, 1934. ii. Genus Notopterus Lacepede, 1800. Order Elopiformes: 2. Family Megalopidae: i. Genus Megalops Lacepede, 1803. Order Anguilliformers: 3. Family Anguillidae: i. Genus Anguilla Schrank, 1798. 4. Family Moringuidae: i. Genus Moringua Gray, 1831. 5. Family Muraenidae: i. Genus Gymnothorax Bloch, 1795. 6. Family Muraenesocidae: i. Genus Congresox Gill, 1890. ii. Genus Muraenesox McClelland, 1843. 7. Family Ophichthidae: i. Genus Pisodonophis Kaup, 1856. Order Clupeiformes: 8. Family Clupeidae: i. Genus Corica Hamilton, 1822. ii. Genus Gonialosa Regan, 1917. iii. Genus Ilisha Richardson, 1846. iv. Genus Pellona Valenciennes, 1847. vi. Genus Tenualosa Fowler, 1934. 9. Family Engraulidae: i. Genus Coilia Gray, 1830. ii. Genus Gudusia Fowler, 1911. iii. Genus Setipinna Swainson, 1839. iv. Genus Thryssa Cuvier, 1829. Order Gonorhynchiformes: 10. Family Chanidae: i. Genus Chanos Lacepede, 1803. Order Channiformes: 11. Family Channidae: i. Genus Channa Scopoli, 1777. Order Cypriniformers: 12. Family Cyprinidae: i. Genus Amblypharyngodon Bleeker, 1860. ii. Genus Aristichthys Oshima, 1919. iii. Genus Aspidoparia Heckel, 1843. iv. Genus Barbonymus Kottelat, 1999. v. Genus Barilius Hamilton, 1822. vi. Genus Bengala Gray, 1833. vii. Genus Catla Valenciennes, 1844.......... 13. Family Psilorhynchidae: i. Genus Psilorhynchus McClelland, 1839. 14. Family Balitoridae: i. Genus Acanthocobitis Peters, 1861. ii. Genus Nemacheilus Bleeker, 1863. iii. Genus Schistura McClelland, 1839. 15. Family Cobitidae: i. Genus Botia Gray, 1831. ii. Genus Lepidocephalus Bleeker, 1858. iii. Genus Lepidocephalichthys Bleeker, 1863....... Order Characiformes: 16. Family Characidae: i. Genus Pygocentrus Muller and Troschel, 1844. ii. Genus Piaractus Eigenmann, 1903. Order Siluriformes: 17. Family Bagridae: i. Genus Batasio Blyth, 1860. ii. Genus Hemibagrus Bleeker, 1862..... 18. Family Siluridae: i. Genus Ompok Lacepede, 1803. ii. Genus Wallago Bleeker, 1851. 19. Family Schilbeidae: i. Genus Ailia Gray, 1831. ii. Genus Clupisoma Swainson, 1839. ...... 20. Family Pangasiidae: i. Genus Pangasius Valenciennnes, 1849. 21. Family Amblycipitidae: i. Genus Amblyceps Blyth, 1858. 22. Family Sisoridae: i. Genus Bagarius Bleeker, 1853. ii. Genus Gagata Bleeker, 1858........ Glossary. References. Index of English and local names. Index of scientific names.
"The Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh is the first illustrated compendium of all the life forms so far identified in Bangladesh. In 28 volumes it makes an exhaustive inventory of the whole range of plant and animal species in the country. While focusing mainly on the description, habits and habitats of the various species, comments are also made on their economic and ecological significance. Published both in Bangla and English the encyclopedia should be useful to those working for biodiversity conservation, teachers and students of the natural sciences, as well as general readers.
The encyclopaedia is compiled and edited by a team of experts, with contributions from the leading scientists and researchers of the country, making it an authoritative reference work. It is another pioneering publication of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, following the BANGLAPEDIA - the national encyclopedia of Bangladesh." (jacket)