An Updated Review on the Role of Certain Physicochemical Parameters in Regulating Fish Diversity of Tropical Aquatic Ecosystems

Numerous physicochemical factors found in aquatic environments have far reaching impact on fish growth and diversity. Contamination of aquatic resources has become a global environmental problem that threatens both the aquatic environment and the fishes, consequently affecting human health. Environmental stressors such as pollution, habitat loss and degradation, and climate change can also have significant negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems and can reduce the overall health and biodiversity of aquatic environments and fishes living in such environments. The present review emphasizes how crucial physicochemical factors such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, nutrition levels, flow patterns, and habitat connectivity can shape fish assemblages. Predicting fish population dynamics, managing fish communities, and preserving biodiversity in the face of environmental change all depends on the better understanding of these interactions. This review also aims to give a comprehensive grasp of how these aspects affect fish diversity by synthesizing findings from other research projects. Although the physico-chemical properties of water play such a crucial role in determining the life history as well as the distribution range of fishes and their diversity, there is a lack of information regarding the suitable range of water quality parameters in which freshwater fishes can persist, as well as the role of the physico-chemical parameters affecting their assemblages. The observed adverse impacts of these pollutants along with external factors on aquatic ecosystems and fish growth and diversity emphasize the future needs for effective pollution control measures, proper waste management, and sustainable practices to protect and preserve the already deteriorating water quality and consequent decline in fish populations.