ICHTHYOFAUNAL DIVERSITY IN RELATION WITH FISH FARMING AND WATER QUALITY OF A NORTH INDIAN POND, RAM TAAL VATIKA

We studied the ichthyofaunal diversity of Ram Taal Vatika, a pond situated in Meerut Cantonment area with an area of 18329.55m². This pond consisted of 12 commercially important fish species, belonging to 4 orders, 6 families, and 10 genera. The order Cypriniformes were dominant with 7 species, followed by Siluriformes with 3 species, Clupeiformes with 1 species, Osteoglossiformes with 1 species. The pond is for the fish farming in which they procure fish seed from outer stations and grow them in pond and sell them to the direct retailers as well as to the other pond owners. If we are talking about the physio-chemical parameters of pond water like temperature, pH, alkalinity, hardness, dissolved, oxygen, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, were recorded and found appropriate for aquatic fauna, they work effectively for the growth and development of the fishes.