Unraveling fish biodiversity: Spatial and temporal dynamics of ichthyofauna in the Godavari River Basin, Andhra Pradesh, India

The ichthyofaunal diversity captured from the selected six sampling sites along the Lower stretch of Godavari River, Andhra Pradesh from February 2022 to August 2023. The present study aimed to assess the spatio-temporal variations in the ichthyofaunal diversity using PRIMER v7 computer package. Throughout the sampling period, a total of 88 species including 10 brackish water and five exotic fish species belonging to 16 orders, 33 families and 62 genera were documented from the Godavari River. The present study revealed that highest spatial species diversity (H‘) value at Rajamahendravaram (5.616) and lowest at Polavaram (5.031) and the diversity fluctuated with the seasons, peak during North-East monsoon (5.630), 2022 and lowest during hot weather period (4.994), 2023. The Margalef species richness (d) was maximum at Rajamahendravaram (8.162) and minimum at Polavaram (3.816) whereas season-wise maximum (9.087) value was recorded during North-East monsoon, 2022 and minimum (4.190) was during hot weather period, 2022. This biodiversity study revealed that the Rajamahendravaram and Dowleswaram stretch of the Godavari River needs special attention for conservation as these places are rich in fish diversity. The study highlights the significant insights into the diversity and conservation status of species, suggesting that the fishery along the Godavari River is currently in a healthy state and provides a baseline information for sustainable management and conservation efforts.