Abstract

Floodplain wetlands, a major inland fishery resource of India is not only known for its high production potential, but also for their rich diversity of fishes mostly contributed by small indigenous fishes (SIF). Submerged macrophytes play a definite positive role in favoring this rich fish diversity, in contrary to their counterpart like floating, emergent and rooted-floating varieties of macrophytes. Increased aquaculture activities overwhelmingly support algal trophic chain and put a tremendous pressure on the submerged macrophytes and associated fauna including SIF. It is need of the hour to control this detrimental trend for conserving rich fish diversity of wetlands.