Diversity and habitat characterisation of barbs cyprinidae from Koraput Eastern ghats of Odisha

Abstract

Barbs are an important group of Cyprinidae family, popular as ornamental and food fish. The high interspecific and intraspecific plasticity of these species has always kept them in the spotlight. The popularity of this group as a food fish is also pushing them towards the risk of overexploitation, resulting in a reduction of genetic diversity in their natural habitat. As a major tourist site in southern Odisha, Koraput is experiencing a loss of species variety because of its changing landscape and the possibility that species may go extinct before our knowledge of them is enhanced. newline