Fishes

Having rich in diverity, Nepal also has different species of fishes.About one hundred and eighty five species of fish belonging to 11 orders have been recorded from Nepal. Eight endemic fish species are found in Nepal. Small populations of an exotic species Rato Macha (Carrasius carrasius) have become naturalized in the ponds of Nepal. The number of fish species found in river systems is related to the temperature and the rate of flow. The warmer the climate and the gentler the flow, the higher the number of fish species. All the 11 orders of fish reported from Nepal are found in Terai and Siwaliks, eight in the Midhills and only one in the highlands (Appendix4-7). The highest number of fish species – 154 species (83%) are found in the Terai/Siwaliks followed by 76 (41%) of the species in the Midhills and only six (3%) of the species of fish have been recorded in the Highlands (Table 4-7 and Figure 4-1). The low number of fish occurring at high altitudes is due to the prevalent adverse ecological conditions such as steep gradient of the streams and the cold temperatures.